Explain generators to me please.

[patooyee]

I have owned and used a couple different generators in my lifetime for small tasks like running grinders and welders on the trail, etc. I've never worked one to capacity nor had to worry about capacity.

I bought a house recently and my dad gave me one of these as kind of a house warming present. (It's one he has had for several years and no longer uses.)

http://powerequipment.honda.com/generators/models/em6500

I've participated in much of the maintenance of this thing over the years for him and know it fairly well mechanically. But what I do not understand is how much of my house it is capable of powering. (I know not everything.)

Living on the Gulf EVERYONE has generators here. Its kind of a necessity of life. He has a huge Generac natural gas generator built into his house on a massive automatic transfer switch that is very nice. It turns on and off automatically when the power goes out and is large enough to run the entire house and then some. We also have a massive Baldor with a Cummins in it that runs our entire restaurant when the power goes. I know this isn't near that capacity but I do have an opportunity to buy a transfer switch for it cheap and am wondering if it is worth it. If it can run my fridge, a/c, and lights all at once then the transfer switch would probably be worth it. But if it can only run one of those items I would probably just bust it out and run some extension cords manually when the situation called for it.

Thanks for any advice.

 

[cheroking]

Not nearly enough to run the ac . Fridge, maybe a light in each room. If u turn everything off, maybe a hot water heater. Main thing is the amps. Most of them have a 30 amp capacity. Each one of your breakers is generally 15 or 20 amps.

 

[John Galbreath Jr.]

Should run most of the house excluding:

Dryer
Dish washer
air contitioning
heat (if heat pump)
oven
range top (if electric)
water heater (if electric)

If house is down a little while, start compressors or motors sequentially to reduce load.

How are you going to power the house? Best is a transfer switch. I back feed the panel. I turn off the main breaker as to not back feed the lines and kill the guys trying to restore my power!!!!! Then I have a male each end extension cord. Yes dangerous!!!!!!! But only I use it and it is plugged in before I crank the genset. Then I turn off all breakers except the dryer. Crank the generator. Turn on circuits as needed to get power in the house where needed. For me, that is lights, well pump (water), fridge, furnace (gas).

Now with that said, I normally just go outside and stay in the RV!!!

 

[doctordick]

Volts x Amps = Watts Your generator is rated at 6500 watts so at 120 volts it can supply about 54 amps. All your appliances should have a tag giving the power consumption in either watts or amps so just add 'em up and you'll know exactly what you can run simultaneously. For example, you could run 65 one hundred watt light bulbs at one time. If your fridge pulls ten amps, it's using 1200 (ten amps times 120 volts) for your available 6500 watts.

 

[TBItoy]

Should run most of the house excluding:

Dryer
Dish washer
air contitioning
heat (if heat pump)
oven
range top (if electric)
water heater (if electric)

If house is down a little while, start compressors or motors sequentially to reduce load.

How are you going to power the house? Best is a transfer switch. I back feed the panel. I turn off the main breaker as to not back feed the lines and kill the guys trying to restore my power!!!!! Then I have a male each end extension cord. Yes dangerous!!!!!!! But only I use it and it is plugged in before I crank the genset. Then I turn off all breakers except the dryer. Crank the generator. Turn on circuits as needed to get power in the house where needed. For me, that is lights, well pump (water), fridge, furnace (gas).

Now with that said, I normally just go outside and stay in the RV!!!

I have a 4000watt generator that I use the same way. Double male cord, flip the main, back feed the house. I can keep the fridge and deep freezer going, plus a light or TV running.

Flipping breakers on the rooms/appliances you don't need is key to getting the most out of a small generator, because all the small draw adds up when working with limited power.


I really need a bigger gen to be able to run the waterheater also, but I bought mine at tractor supply the day after a tornado to keep my deep freezer going, had a half beef and a couple deer I didn't want to lose. :indianajones:

 

[jkh533]

Volts x Amps = Watts Your generator is rated at 6500 watts so at 120 volts it can supply about 54 amps. All your appliances should have a tag giving the power consumption in either watts or amps so just add 'em up and you'll know exactly what you can run simultaneously. For example, you could run 65 one hundred watt light bulbs at one time. If your fridge pulls ten amps, it's using 1200 (ten amps times 120 volts) for your available 6500 watts.

Shouldn't you be able to make sure you only turn on enough breakers to stay under 54 amps (in this situation)
I thought someone explained it to me that way once, just like you said, watts/120 volts=total of breakers that can be turned on?
As you said about the appliances having a tag with the amps on it, seeing how they are usually in the back of the appliance and hard to get to, someone suggested to me once to make a list of them and put the list in my breaker box, but I never did

 

[Cubby]

I have a Honda EU6500IS and I use it pretty much like JohnG said. It will run the electric water heater but I only run it and lights at the same time. You just have to pick and choose what you would like to run and turn all others off. I plan to buy one of these APC transfer switches so that my wife can just plug then generator in and start it up when I am not there.
http://www.apc.com/products/family/?id=371

 

[doctordick]

Shouldn't you be able to make sure you only turn on enough breakers to stay under 54 amps (in this situation)
I thought someone explained it to me that way once, just like you said, watts/120 volts=total of breakers that can be turned on?
As you said about the appliances having a tag with the amps on it, seeing how they are usually in the back of the appliance and hard to get to, someone suggested to me once to make a list of them and put the list in my breaker box, but I never did

That'll work, too. turn on two 20s and a 15 and you're good to go. Or five 10s or three 15s and a ten, well you get the idea.

 

[mitaker]

One thing that you need to keep in mind is that most extension cords are 12 gauge. This size wire is only good for 20 amps. The best thing to do for a generator that size is the put a receptacle next to your electric panel with a receptacle size for 4 wire (2 hots, 1 neutral, 1 ground)50 amps. Then make a double ended cord(#6 copper SO cord or equivalent) with one end that will fit the 50 amp receptacle, and one that will fit the largest receptacle on your generator. When the power fails, turn off the main breaker first followed by the remaining breakers in the panel. Plug your cord ends in and fire up the generator, then turn on only necessary breakers to run your house. This should get you up and running safely as long as you don't put the genny in your bedroom before you go to sleep!
If you are not sure his to do this contact some one that does (Electrician) because you can do serious damage to attached equipment or worse if it is done incorrectly!

 

[leeman1790]

Interesting topic. My old man has a automatic generac that runs on propane. V6 Vortec.

 

[John Galbreath Jr.]

That'll work, too. turn on two 20s and a 15 and you're good to go. Or five 10s or three 15s and a ten, well you get the idea.

That assumes you max out each and every circuit. I turn on many more than the genset will run, 100 to 140 apms, however a 20 amp circuit may only have a light bulb on, so it is actually under 1 amp. So you cannot go by the house breaker. If you overload the genset, you will trip the breaker on it. Then you need to turn some stuff off.

 

[doctordick]

That assumes you max out each and every circuit. I turn on many more than the genset will run, 100 to 140 apms, however a 20 amp circuit may only have a light bulb on, so it is actually under 1 amp. So you cannot go by the house breaker. If you overload the genset, you will trip the breaker on it. Then you need to turn some stuff off.

Cheezandrice, get a sense of humor. ;D I assumed that J.J. was smart enough to figure out that part.

 

[patooyee]

Thank ya'll for the info. I do understand now and it has been very helpful. I will probably just do the double-ended male extension cord idea as I have a bunch of thick-gauge 3 and 4-strand wire to do it with. My question there is, to do it, I assume you install a female plug going to the main line in? Or are you just plugging it into your dryer outlet, leaving the dryer breaker on and feeding the panel through that?

 

[John Galbreath Jr.]

Thank ya'll for the info. I do understand now and it has been very helpful. I will probably just do the double-ended male extension cord idea as I have a bunch of thick-gauge 3 and 4-strand wire to do it with. My question there is, to do it, I assume you install a female plug going to the main line in? Or are you just plugging it into your dryer outlet, leaving the dryer breaker on and feeding the panel through that?

Correct, I use the dryer plug, which is conviently next to the back door. Yes leaving that breaker on.

 

[patooyee]

OK, next question. I own one of these:

http://powerequipment.honda.com/generators/models/eu2000i

And have access to two more in the event of an emergency. Is there a way to hook them all up together to power more stuff at once?

 

[jkh533]

Thank ya'll for the info. I do understand now and it has been very helpful. I will probably just do the double-ended male extension cord idea as I have a bunch of thick-gauge 3 and 4-strand wire to do it with. My question there is, to do it, I assume you install a female plug going to the main line in? Or are you just plugging it into your dryer outlet, leaving the dryer breaker on and feeding the panel through that?

Only prob with that is depending on where your dryer is you may have to run the cord all through the house. Put an outlet outside or in the garage.

 

[jb]

Not trying to give advise on these ideas, please be sure to open the main before you do anything when the lights go out just go to the main first and either open or i perfer u pull out of the panel because these things can go bad and we all know you can not visually see the opening in the breaker

Me and many others "lineman" hate generators just for this reason because of backfeed it can be fatal for us with that said not only does it effect us it effects Ur generators 2 because when we ground the system the generator is connected to it with either fry Ur generator or equipment it is connected to... If the breaker doesn't operate correctly

If we hear a generator running we will check it out but if there is 10 miles of line out that generator 6 miles down the road won't be heard. Just saying to keep from possibly damaging equip. Or other please be sure to I hope u pull the main

Also on the dryer plug u might want to check and see how many amps it is good for before you run alot of amps through it because there could possibly be a fire between ur gen. And panel depending on ur gen. Breakerdepending on how old the plug is or cord on Ur generator

Not trying to overide the topic just trying to help

I hope this might help

 

[patooyee]

Not trying to give advise on these ideas, please be sure to open the main before you do anything when the lights go out just go to the main first and either open or i perfer u pull out of the panel because these things can go bad and we all know you can not visually see the opening in the breaker

Me and many others "lineman" hate generators just for this reason because of backfeed it can be fatal for us with that said not only does it effect us it effects Ur generators 2 because when we ground the system the generator is connected to it with either fry Ur generator or equipment it is connected to... If the breaker doesn't operate correctly

If we hear a generator running we will check it out but if there is 10 miles of line out that generator 6 miles down the road won't be heard. Just saying to keep from possibly damaging equip. Or other please be sure to I hope u pull the main

Also on the dryer plug u might want to check and see how many amps it is good for before you run alot of amps through it because there could possibly be a fire between ur gen. And panel depending on ur gen. Breakerdepending on how old the plug is or cord on Ur generator

Not trying to overide the topic just trying to help

I hope this might help

I most definitely will, thank you. Generators are a norm around here when a storm comes through though. I suspect the linemen know how to handle it. Its hard to explain to people who don't live in hurricane country what it is like down here. People who can't afford cars, live in apartments, and can barely feed their kids have generators in the closet with a tank of gas ready to go. When a big storm comes though we can be out of power for a week or more. It was 2 or 3 weeks for some people after Ivan. Even little storms can knock it down for a few days. On top of that power is just very unreliable to start with here. About 3 weeks ago the entire city just shut down for the entire day, no reason why, no one knew why. Businesses closed, it was dumb. And then to fix the problem they had to shut power down for a few hours again a couple weeks later. And that is not an uncommon occurrence around here. I don't know why power is so unreliable but the generator at my dad's house turns on automatically at least once a week as a result of a power outage, sometimes for just a couple minutes, sometimes for a few hours. I actually know a guy who runs his house off generators 24/7 simply because he gets so pissed off at the power company for charging so much for such unreliable power.

Anyway, I digress, but I will definitely disco the main before I screw with anything.

 

[jb]

Pm sent

 

[Auburn125]

Just to throw this out there. I am a apprentice lineman work on high voltage lines every day. The very best thing and the only thing you should have for a genarator is a transfer switch. The reason saying if u forget to flip ur main the transformer takes that 120/ 120 and runs it back through the coils in the transformer and can put primary voltage back on the line. So if u can't afford a transfer switch set a tent in the living room and pretend u are camping. I am not trying to sound like an ass it's just my life u put in danger when u do stupid stuff like that.