Advice

[bcoop78]

I was very fortunate this time in that our power was only out for 36 hours... My tank is in the basement so it stayed cool, and I purchased a battery powered pump to keep things aerated. My tank actually came out looking better afterwards due to some much-needed algae die-off. I will not however, allow my good fortune to bar me from lessons learned, and am looking to buy a generator. Can anyone recommend a specific model that is good both in terms of affordability and reliability? Thanks!

[LCDRDATA]

I was very fortunate this time in that our power was only out for 36 hours... My tank is in the basement so it stayed cool, and I purchased a battery powered pump to keep things aerated. My tank actually came out looking better afterwards due to some much-needed algae die-off. I will not however, allow my good fortune to bar me from lessons learned, and am looking to buy a generator. Can anyone recommend a specific model that is good both in terms of affordability and reliability? Thanks!

Consumer Reports is testing generators as we speak (see news item here) and according to the article should have results sometime this month. They also have a generator buying guide on their website. I hope that helps. Now that I've found it, I'll cross-post the information on one of the other relevant threads also.

[amay121]

Here's one for $180. Don't know if it's good or not though.

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/DuroMax-1500-Watt-Portable-Pull-Start-Gas-Power-Job-Site-Electric-Generator-/200687021159

[flooddc]

Looks like everyone is looking into backup power after this horrific storm. I don't know if you remember a post I a asked other here as to whether I need to get a generator in Montgomery county. Since then, I have been looking into portable generators. I have pretty much narrowed down to one in particular, a Honda EU3000IS. It's quite pricey, $2K but supper quiet and reliable. My boss @home said that the only reason I am getting a generator is for the "fish". So now I have to look into alternatives to justify my reason to get one.

Also, in Mont. county noise ordinance maximum is 65dB during the day and 55dB @ night. So a quiet one is a must if have to run it all night long. Anyway, I personally believed that reliability comes with a price.

[DaveS]

I have a Honda EU1000i. I got it used on eBay for about $600. It's super quiet and ran like a champ this past week. Gets about 8 hours on .5 gallon of gas. The Honda line has a built in inverter so it will run your electronics safely and even charge the UPS.

 

My 1kw unit doesn't put out a lot of power compared to other models. But it was still enough to simultaneously drive the fish tank, run the freezer, and charge the cell phone and other kids electronics. Neither the tank nor freezer had to run continuously so other things like TVs and devices could be run too if needed (see, you can tell the boss it isn't just for the fish). Beyond that, what is really needed during the emergency state? If you want to live like nothing has happened then you need to run AC and other high power devices which means you are looking a a completely different class of generators.

 

It took me a while to decide on what size I wanted. I was going to go with the 2kw version but then a light bulb went off- what size generator could THE WIFE pull out and lug around if the lights go out while I'm out of town? The 1kw is easy for her, it's about the size of a large briefcase and weighs 29lbs.

 

Hope these thoughts help.

[Dell2go]

If you have the fund then go for Honda. Honda is by far the best I know on the market for reliability and duration. A friend of mine has a 2000 watts one. He ran a full tank equipment, a fridge, a TV, 2 fans and charge cell phone battery. It last him 8 hrs. on a single gallon of gas.

[icecool2]

We used two of the 2kW Hondas at work to run a full rack of computers and several workstations. They needed to be filled up once during the day and they didn't need a single thing done to them in the 9 months we ran them. They were run HARD too. 10+ hours per day in the heat and in the rain and in dusty conditions. By far the best if you can afford one.

[Steve175]

My boss told me the same thing, but we ran ours for 5 days straight last summer, for 48 hours this winter, and for 6.5 days this time. Every time she pulled out something from the freezer/fridge, took a shower, flushed a toilet, or huddled next to a window AC unit, she recieved a knowing smirk. This storm was even better for me as I had to bust out the chain saw - the one I "didn't need" - to clear a downed tree so that she could get to work at the hospital. If you buy a generator, you eventually will need it, and she will thank you for it. Consider having a electrical subpanel installed with the circuits you want to run (which she can help decide) so that you can just plug and go when the power fails.