Portable generator?

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gunnut44

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I am looking for a portable generator for my mom. She is 65 so I am looking for something small and easy to move and start. It will mostly be used to power a sump pump and ejector pump if she looses power. I am leaning for a Honda but they are quite pricey. If anyone has any ideas please share your thoughts on what is good and what is bad. Thanks.
 
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You need to ask yourself how agile and strong the woman is, and what the combined wattage of the appliances she'll be running are. And what the startup requirements will be.

Starting a pull-cord generator under adverse conditions isn't always a picnic. Unless started and run regularly, they just balk and won't go. Its much easier to have electric start generators, using a car type battery. And then the switchover from the grid to your own power can be easy or tough. The most recommended solution is a power transfer switch. Automatic or manual, either are expensive and need expert installation.

Honda makes a good product. They're expensive, several times what some other producers can sell for. They're also quiet and last a good long time. They are also a prime target for thieves. Generators are run outside for carbon monoxide reasons. If you leave it out there, someone will snatch it. If you don't, its got to be moved into postion. As the power goes up, so does the weight. Above 5500 watts, some weigh above 300#. Fueling the thing, then refueling it is also a problem, and you need fresh fuel on hand. Its easy, but requires you to dump it in your car every 2 months or so, then refill the can. A multi-day outage can take a lot of fuel from filling stations that may also be out of power.

None of that is a problem for a reasonably fit young guy. It could be overwhelming for a lady who's getting older.

My advice: think your way around the problems beforehand.
 
i have had many generator calls the last two months because of all the snow we have been getting here in wnc. i have had a alot of clients lose a lot of freezer food due to outages. i always ask them at what comfort level do you want to be at and then look at their physical abilities. i would say just by your mothers age she will need a stand alone generator. if you are buying it what comfort level do you want your mother to be at. it sounds like a guilt trip, it's not. but more than likely you will be away when your mother needs it. if i had the funds, i would invest in a generac mounted system with a whole house transfer switch with a 300 gal or more propane tank. i would mount it down to a concrete pad to prevent theft and install a whole house transfer switch beside the meter base. cheaper easier faster instead of picking a few breakers that are going to be on in a power outage you limit the use of the power. in the panel mark what doesn't need to be on with a sticker like the water heater, oven range, etc. in an outage you need heat, water, and food preservation. i'm not sure what the smallest unit would be that comes with a whole house transfer switch but you can find it on line for sure. if i were you i would ride the roads until i found a house with one and ask who put it in and who services it for them. ask them if they had to do it over again what would they do different. would they have gotten a bigger one. when and if you get it maintain it have a certified generac service company do anual checks on it and change the oil. true story got a call to get somehow to the top of a mountain with 1.5 feet of snow 3.5 million dollar house generator will not come on. why? generator was not maintained, wrong person put it in, same person didn't put heat on panel or water, could turn tv on but no satelite. poor lady had cabin fever all she could do was read and sit in front of the fireplace and hope her pipes weren't going to burst. do your home work carrier generators are made by generac parts interchange. also you can buy them on line but you will not get the warrenty. i would suggest you buy it from a repitable licensed electrician that has put a few in (so you are not paying for for their education while they learn). i would not suggest getting this from a heating and air company hence the carrier name change unless they have an electrician to install and maintain the system. if you you need any more advise you are welcome to pm me i'd be glad to help you. hope i'm not being too forward i am here for informational purposes only. Doeboy
 
If you're not able to spring for electric start, I would recommend something with a Honda or a Subaru/Robin engine. Both are much easier to start than their Briggs/Tecumseh/Etc. counterparts. The larger the engine, the harder it is going to be to pull-start.

If you do opt for electric start, you have to remember to maintain the battery. :D A battery minder is <$20 at WM or Harbor Freight, and could literally save your Mom from a flood.

Other than that, I'll second what Dick said.
 
Above all, get an electric start. I bought one with pull start and ended up hurting my shoulder trying to start it. Converted it to electric start and everything is fine. The price of flywheels and starters has increased a bunch so a person is better off to initially buy one with a starter.
 
I did my homework a while back so my recollections are a bit fuzzy. But if a sump pump is anything like a well pump, the starting wattage is pretty high. You need to know what it takes to not only run, but start any motors, etc., that would be expected to be used by a given unit.

I also found out that my 15 y.o. furnace would not run on the usual generator setup, but required "clean power" from an "inverter" type unit suitable for a computer. I wound up selling some Ruger stock that was going nowhere for a 6500 watt Honda inverter. It will run the whole place and do it well, but light and handy it is not. It is electric start, which is nice, as I cannot pull the engine through with the pull starter. I find that interesting as pulling through my 250cc ATV engine is a snap. The inverter apparently has displacement and compression to burn.

I am giving some thought to getting the unit converted to natural gas but last time I checked there wasn't a conversion for it yet.

This is definitely an area where homework is mandatory. I can say that I like the Honda for quality and reliability. Only needed it once so far and that was more in the nature of a drill than an emergency, but it is a comfort. I exercise it about every 60 days to keep the battery charged and fluids circulated. Also keep Sta-Bil in it.
 
I have a small 3500 watt Honda generator that I've had for about 18 years. I keep it in a large galvanized box along with an extension cord, trouble light and a can of gas.

I opened the box in 1999 after 3 years, put the choke on and pulled the engine through twice. It started on the second pull. I let it run, put some Stabil in the tank and secured the box again.

Opened the box again in 2004 after moving twice, pulled the engine and it started on the first pull through with the choke half on. Secured it again.

Opened the box in 2007, it sits in an outdoor shed in the Arizona desert now, it started on the third pull.

It's also very quiet, something that an electrician told me is inherent to Hondas because they run at twice the RPM as a Briggs and Stratton.

If I needed another one today, I would look at Honda first and price second.

For my 65 year old mother, however, I would go with an electric start and a trickle charger on the battery so that all she had to do was push a button.

Dan R
 
Honda's do seem to be the cream of the crop and are priced accordingly.I had used a borrowed Honda 6500 watercooled electric start-no rope start backup- at deer camp. It handled two A/C's,lights and music economically & quietly-376 lbs dry-2 man job move easily.The newest one is Honda Eu 3000iSA-super quiet, Eco-throttle sips gas as needed-real nice machine also pricey-but with electric & pull start.At home me and my brother both run Craftsmen 5600/8600 at our homes,both feed the outdoor breaker panel via electric range plugs and receptacles with the panel isolated through the main.Basically an affordable transfer switch.I have run small window units but it will run my new central A/C and a little else,same withe the electric water heater.If lines aren't down it runs my PC and Roadrunner just fine-NO problems The electric range and oven are not online due to wattage ,my large propane camp stove handles this just fine.The 10HP B&S uses about 1/2 gal per hour average,plus my wife and daughters can start it OK.Keep plenty of treated gas on hand,rotate it through a vehicle and fill them back up. this set-up worked fine during hurricanes Rita and Ike,with 17 days being the longest duration.Don't forget to stock up on motor oil-most recommend straight 30wt for warm conditions -and extra Stabil- can be hard to get during disaster conditions.Be warned that the natural gas/LP generator use more fuel-$1000.00 for a normal size house up $4000.00 for the DR. type house was not unusual for Ike in '08.One of my friends whole house units left him in the dark because of a $5.00 part. Warm weather survival is under control-it' the ice storms that have me in a bind since I have electric heat,need to pipe in the old propane space heater for emergency use.Feel free to comment/ask questions ,my friends and I have been through a lot,figured out most of it and have survived it all.

P.S.-we had a lot of guns and ammo and a lots of water,food and gas-water,food and gas got all used up and thankfully we did have to fire a shot to protect ourselves,family,friends and supplies. the only people that lost their lives in the aftermath was from not heeding to the dangers of carbon monoxide.
 
Gaurdian ...not portable but will run your whole house...runs off propane but is hardwired to the house and a gas source...pricey but it is a nice setup
 
The manual / auto transfer switch has been mentioned. That option combined with an outdoor external receptacle may be a solution. That way the generator maybe potable as opposed to fixed.

There are other methods of interfacing a generator such as back feeding which I would not recommend for safety reasons.

If you have a secure free standing out building the generator maybe located there with an external power outlet and exhaust vent to atmosphere. The power supplies line to the residence maybe a portable cord or a buried line to the house. An electric start generator would be best. A 800W generator would certainly do it.
 
All great advice...right on the money.

I had to think out a setup that my wife could easily start up and run when I was gone, similar to your needs, except for the fact that the wife is quite athletic, which helps.

I went to Northern Tool to order [just a customer, not affiliated with them].

The setup: 7500 watt Honda powered, electric and pull start. Wheel kit. Hardwired plug and outlet to the transfer box in the basement, with plug accessible from the garage where it runs just outside the door.

Transfer switch is manual, with clearly marked switches, although they all simply get switched on when in use.

Battery minder on it 24/7. Stabil in the gas tank, gas gets changed out whenever I think it's due.

For ease of rolling, I make sure to check the air pressure on the tires every two months or so. If they go soft or flat, she'll have a difficult time moving it around.

I've been intrigued with a neighbor's setup. He added two more wheels to his, changing it from a "wheelbarrow" type unit, to a easy rolling job on four lock-able wheels. To prevent theft, he chains the frame to a steel stanchion in the garage. Might be something you could consider for your mom.

Len
 
Save up for a Honda ( come on, it's for your MOTHER!!!) I own two of them. One I have had since 1988 and last year I spent $200 on it to get a part replaced. They are extremely quiet and use very little gas, the money you save on fuel cost will offset the overall cost of the generator.
 
+1 for Sparkgap

Yamaha Generators EF2400iS Super Quiet Portable RV Camping. We put this one on a plant dolly to roll into position when needed at the house. Otherwise it goes camping with us. It weights 70 pounds. It will surge to 2800 watts for equipment start up.
 
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