Generator for winter?

[JoaniePA]

I'm thinking of getting a generator for the winter. I don't want my deicer and aerator to go down so that the pond freezes over. Anyone have a recommendation for a generator? I want something for those two things, and the freezer. Nothing big and fancy.

 

[addy1]

I saw some at costco, not bad prices. Also check harbor freight. Anything that would generate 1000 watts to 1500 would probably work (per hubby)

 

[sissy]

It depends on how much your electric goes out as you could get a whole house generator that comes on by itself and can be run on propane or just a regular gas one .I have a battery one that can that can be charged or can be plugged into a port on your car truck or suv or crv.It only has one outlet though and runs fo 4 hours on a charge

 

[addy1]

We have one that would run part of the house, runs on propane, or diesel still not hooked up lol.........hauled it from arizona where it was never hooked up there either.

We have a small one that could run a few things if needed, it runs on gas.

But in the three years I have been here now we lost or electric once for two hours. Even with some really bad snows. (a car took out the power pole)

 

[sissy]

yeh same with me about electric has not gone out long enough to warrant having one .Though when I got my new homeowners insurance they give you a discount for either kinds of back up energy ,like wind or sun generated or a generator .It was still not that much a savings and still trying to get all the info and someone who has one installed for the wind sun turbine by dyocore

 

[mrsclem]

We have a small one we got used just for the ponds. The power goes out summer & winter so need to keep things running. Ours is 1500watts and ran 3 pumps and our freezer during the hurricane. Harbor Freight has great prices.

 

[fishin4cars]

Watch Craigs list and your local paper also, For the money watch for anything from 1000 watt to 6000 watt. many times you can pick up a 5000-6000 for about the same price as a 1000 watt. I found mine two years ago, a honda 5500 watt that has the connection to tie the house in directly, or the four plugs in the front just to run a few items, Electric start so no pulling ropes but it does have rope start as well in case the battery fails to start it. and ir's pretty quite I might add, i can go to sleep with it running less than 25 feet from my bedroom window with the window open. It will run about 60-70% of my 2000 square foot home, won't run the stove, or AC/Heating unit, and won't run everything in the house at once, But it does, handle all the ponds and fish tanks, both freezers and the refridge, and still enough left over to run lights, TV, PC and a fan if needed. This same unit sells at some of the retailers for about $500-$600 new, I got mine for $250 and it had only been run for a total of 70 hours, LOL, I even got the warranty. They are good to have, I can say mine has probably paid for itself at least twice just in fished saved and frozen food saved alone. Oh, and yes we need it just as much in the summer as the winter. Electricity here can go out and stay out for days any time of the year!

 

[JoaniePA]

Ok! Thanks for the ideas. I think i will try craigslist first.

 

[CountryEscape]

My neighbors on both side of me have some big "automatic" full house generator that has a propane tank (big one, not a little sized tank that runs a gas barbeque grill) and runs their whole house. They were EXPENSIVE, though, between $6-8,000!!! I'm more for that Larkin is suggesting. I'm wondering, Larkin, I assume you have it outside, as it runs on gas. So, do you run electric cords to the kitchen for the fridge, freezers, and another cord to the pond equipment, and another to the aquariums and tv, etc.? I never knew how that worked. I guess if it has 4 outlets, you just need a cord long enough to get to everything you need to run and plug them into that, as long as you don't overload each cord, right? And, then stuff towels or something in the window so no other cold (or hot) air gets in... I really do need to invest in a generator. I've heard that Honda's are the best and quietest on the market. I'm going to keep my eyes open for them on Craig's List, too! Thanks for the wattage specs everyone, too.
BTW, Larkin, for a 5-6000 size, COULD you run your furnace only on it, or is it not big enough to do that? Just wondering ...

 

[fishin4cars]

I do run it outside, I have a covered back porch that just happens to be about 10 feet from the breaker box. Disconnect the main power, connect the generator to the breaker box and presto, everything works like like it was before the power went out. No way it can handle the furnace or stove. We can run a small electric heater if we don't run much else but down here it rarely gets that cold. We use it more to keep the food and animals safe than our own comforts. I would say 80% + of the time we need ours is during storm season. (hurricanes/tropical storms/thunderstorms) For ice and snow, once every???? four or five years! LOL
It does have the four plugs on the front and if I just need it for the fish tanks, ponds,, and freezer I'll just run the cords to them. If we know it's going to be a overnight deal then I'll wire it into the house.

 

[markd]

fishin, curious as to what kind of furnace you have that a 5kW unit can't run. . is it resistive electric?

 

[sissy]

It is more than likely a heat pump and guessing that since he is farther south than I am and I have a heat pump .Most people do not realize that a window air conditioner is a glorified heat pump .If you go outside and stand in front of it in the summer what is coming out of it heat .

 

[markd]

Ah, that would make sense. Up here in the chilly north, not too many of those around, unless they are ground sourced (expensive).

 

[DrCase]

If you had gas heat it should be able to run the blower with no problem
elec heat strips i dont think so

 

[sissy]

Yeh you would need a bigger generator like lowes and home depot sells and they start at 3 thousand dollars installed and that is for the smaller one .I'm not sure how much it will run ,It is fueled by propane and a few of my neighbors have them .The most my electric has gone out has been 2 hours .Watch after saying this it will go out for a month .LOL.My luck it will happen.Propane is not cheap and you either get the option to rent the tank or buy the tank ,If you rent the tank and get a leak it is covered ,but if you own the tank it is not .I have seen propane generators online cheaper than the big box stores have .