OT - Electrical Requirements Needed For Appliances? (For Generator)

johnkitchens

My wife is very concerned about Irma. I am going to buy a generator today, but I am not sure what size to by. I don't think I will have much choice because everything is going very fast around here. 

I would like to be able to power three refrigerators and 1 large upright freezer. I would also like to be able to run a few lamps and a tv or two if possible.

Any idea what I need?  I know the starting power is a lot higher than the running power. I don't want to ruin my appliances. Any help is greatly appreciated.  

DoubleEgger

I assume you are plugging in these appliances directly to the gen? 

DoubleEgger

If you aren't planning on using your heavy load items like AC or electric range, you can run everything else on a 8-10kw gen with ease. I went 8 days with a Ranger8 welder back fed into my panel ( do not try that yourself- my legal disclaimer) 

texaswig

Man. Your kinda asking for alot.  I would guess a  fridge would draw a least 2000 watts for start up. 

DoubleEgger

Be sure to buy enough extension cord (or J cord) to locate the gen away from your house. CO is no joke. 

20stone

johnkitchens said:

My wife is very concerned about Irma. I am going to buy a generator today, but I am not sure what size to by. I don't think I will have much choice because everything is going very fast around here. 

I would like to be able to power three refrigerators and 1 large upright freezer. I would also like to be able to run a few lamps and a tv or two if possible.

Any idea what I need?  I know the starting power is a lot higher than the running power. I don't want to ruin my appliances. Any help is greatly appreciated.  

Three tips:

• Figure out how to power your cable box/internet as well.  Having online access will really help your ability to track what is going on
• Get several long, heavy gauge extension cords.  There will be one more thing you want to plug in
• Get several gas cans (and fill them).  Bonus points if you have a pickup, and you don't have to drive around with a bomb in your back seat.

Best of luck with this one. 

xfire_ATX

You dont need enough to power all that at once if you watch how you open them.  Power a fridge 3 times a day to re-cool it.  Power a deep freeze once a day.

20stone

texaswig said:

Man. Your kinda asking for alot.  I would guess a  fridge would draw a least 2000 watts for start up. 

"You're"

I am on a rampage today.

johnkitchens

I will be plugging these appliances direct into the generators via extension cords. I would like to plug up my modem as well for internet if possible. 

I think the only thing I can get locally at this point is a 5,250 running watts with 7,000 watts starting power generator. 

johnkitchens

xfire_ATX said:

You dont need enough to power all that at once if you watch how you open them.  Power a fridge 3 times a day to re-cool it.  Power a deep freeze once a day.

So I could just run 1 or two of them for a while and then switch off and plug the other 2 up? (3 fridges and 1 freezer)

DoubleEgger

johnkitchens said:

I will be plugging these appliances direct into the generators via extension cords. I would like to plug up my modem as well for internet if possible. 

I think the only thing I can get locally at this point is a 5,250 running watts with 7,000 watts starting power generator. 

You'll be fine with that especially cycling those fridges. 

johnkitchens

DoubleEgger said:

johnkitchens said:

I will be plugging these appliances direct into the generators via extension cords. I would like to plug up my modem as well for internet if possible. 

I think the only thing I can get locally at this point is a 5,250 running watts with 7,000 watts starting power generator. 

You'll be fine with that especially cycling those fridges. 

Thanks.

fishlessman

heres a calculator

http://www.kohlergenerators.com/home-generators/selector#whole-house

DoubleEgger

If you want to get technical.... (Amps x voltage)/1000 = kVa. Considering a .8 power factor, you basically want to use the same kW gen as your determined kVa load. (If you determine your kVa to be 8 then you want to buy 8kW gen) 

stlcharcoal

Do you have a Costco locally?  I picked up a champion dual fuel 7000w/9000w with electric start a few months ago for about $600.  Sold my 5000w Briggs and Stratton.

The 5000W one was enough to run two refrigerators, a deep freeze, 5hp well pump, lights, furnace fan, etc.  I back feed it into a 200 amp box via a 220V outlet that used to be for a hot tub, then jumper it two the other 200 amp box via 220V outlets.

Neither have enough juice to run my geothermal, but I can burn charcoal in the wood stove to heat the house.  Everything else will run with the exception of the electric dryer & water heater.....never tried the oven.  I turn off the aerator for the septic and a bunch of other little stuff.

Try to get something that you can drain the carburetor.  Otherwise--even if you run it dry--that couple drops of ethanol in there is enough to make a spec on the jet.  On my old one, I have to take the carb off each time after I used it, or run AVGAS the last few minutes to clean it out.  Otherwise, I wouldn't get it started the next time.  New one has a carburetor drain tube just like my pressure washer.

texaswig

@20stone haha your right. 

DoubleEgger

20stone said:

texaswig said:

Man. Your kinda asking for alot.  I would guess a  fridge would draw a least 2000 watts for start up. 

"You're"

I am on a rampage today.

Considering you're (sic) sweat equity with OBR, we'll give you a pass today. 

NPHuskerFL

Just like an egg. Buy largest you can feasibly afford. We have a 15kW LP Carrier/Generac automatic standby generator w/ a 250gal tank. It's better to be ready than not. Truth be told I was looking real hard at the 40kW. This powers ALL of our refrigeration, lights, AC. Only things not powered are the oven and clothes dryer. 

tarheelmatt

@johnkitchens

Here's a pretty good chart that you can see what you want to run as to what size generator you want to purchase.  

nolaegghead

We have a 13 KW standby.  Runs the entire house including the 5ton central AC.   It does not run the shop, I just run some extension cords out there or fire up a small generator if I'm working.

If you have a central AC on your generator, buy a super capacitor to help it start.

nolaegghead

Ours runs off natural gas.

DaveRichardson

Here's my setup for SHTF and my Genny.....  I will alternate the fridges and the deep freezer using a thermo probe from my igrill into each appliance so I can monitor each device's temps.  I try to keep the big freezer at at-least 32 to keep stuff frozen and each fridge at 45 max.  I also have the ability to run the house fan from the AC unit off the genny as well with a direct plug-in backup.  I will not run my AC unit on the genny since the amp draw for start-up is crazy high for this new multi-stage compressor.  I'll run some walmart box fans.  I have the ability to run solar panels once the clouds clear to power fans and LED lights.

Do not, as @doubleegger said, do what people on youtube do and backfeed your panel - you can kill the lineman working down the street doing stuff like that!

fishlessman

nolaegghead said:

Ours runs off natural gas.

natural gas or propane is the only way to go with a home generator

DaveRichardson

Yes, eventually get the whole house natural gas unit, but they have been areas where that was a utility that was damages and shut off as well.  I'll keep my portable that runs on gas with a carb conversion to also run on natural gas.

Dream: a diesel Onan Genny from military surplus - those things will run forever if you treat them right and diesel can store for a long time!

stlcharcoal

NPHuskerFL said:

Just like an egg. Buy largest you can feasibly afford. We have a 15kW LP Carrier/Generac automatic standby generator w/ a 250gal tank. It's better to be ready than not. Truth be told I was looking real hard at the 40kW. This powers ALL of our refrigeration, lights, AC. Only things not powered are the oven and clothes dryer. 

I was thinking about getting a PTO generator for my tractor, but those are actually quite a bit cheaper and have better control of the voltage and frequency.  I read you have to be careful with PTO generators and household electronics--they're more for industrial equipment which make sense.  Plus, my tractor doesn't have a low RPM gear for the PTO when parked, so it would be loud and smelly.  Thinking about the standby generator route and LP tank!!

DoubleEgger

Here's a transfer switch setup for portable gens. Haven't really looked at it yet. 

nolaegghead

DaveRichardson said:

Yes, eventually get the whole house natural gas unit, but they have been areas where that was a utility that was damages and shut off as well.  I'll keep my portable that runs on gas with a carb conversion to also run on natural gas.

Dream: a diesel Onan Genny from military surplus - those things will run forever if you treat them right and diesel can store for a long time!

Our natural gas service never failed during Katrina.  Part of that is where we live.  I do have a couple gasoline generators as a backup.

fishlessman

mine would need to run on propane, never lived in a house without big propane tanks in the yard til my last camp, there will be propane there some day, sick of burning up electric stoves

DaveRichardson

nolaegghead said:

DaveRichardson said:

Yes, eventually get the whole house natural gas unit, but they have been areas where that was a utility that was damages and shut off as well.  I'll keep my portable that runs on gas with a carb conversion to also run on natural gas.

Dream: a diesel Onan Genny from military surplus - those things will run forever if you treat them right and diesel can store for a long time!

Our natural gas service never failed during Katrina.  Part of that is where we live.  I do have a couple gasoline generators as a backup.

I lost natural gas in Gulfport during that ****!!!  Still will have a whole-house natural-gas genny set up at my next house with a gas one as a backup!

SemolinaPilchard

If what you get is that 5200 watt generator you will be able to keep all of your fridges and the freezer charged up, just not all at the same time. Hopefully someone more knowledgeable will chime in, but it is my understanding that fridges, freezers, window units, etc. draw twice the wattage at startup than after, unlike say a 100 watt bulb that draws 100 at startup and the same after. If whatever generator you get can handle two items at once, start up the one drawing the higher wattage first.
Once all this is over you may want to convert if from gasoline to natural gas, if you house is not all electric. You won't have to store several bombs before the storm, and hunt for gas after. 
Good luck to you and everyone in the path.

CTMike

fishlessman said:

nolaegghead said:

Ours runs off natural gas.

natural gas or propane is the only way to go with a home generator

I disagree. I bought a military surplus diesel powered generator in an acoustic sound enclosure. Plumbed into the home heating oil tank in the basement - 225 gallons of fuel on standby.