Let’s talk portable generators

[gekko man]

Thanks guys AC is a 1.5 ton. Been looking at the predators but wasn’t sure of the quality. Not that they are bad I just don’t know much about them. Would a 6500 running watts generator run the AC?

I bought a Predator 13,000 watt for my travel trailer and zero issues so far.

I think it produces like 82 amps of power.

[RMW]

I bought this John Deere 14,000w with a Honda motor, what I like about it is that parts are easy to get for it. Ran like a champ during the Hurricane, he was out of power for 5 days.

[Sackett]

I bought this John Deere 14,000w with a Honda motor, what I like about it is that parts are easy to get for it. Ran like a champ during the Hurricane, he was out of power for 5 days.

Dang! John Deere AND Honda………..High Rollah 😁

[Hogmauler]

I don’t think so, not air cooled systems. Even the big Generac (and the like) total house systems are every 100 hours.

Wow! Never knew that.

[SJP51]

We have a Furman tri-fuel, which has options for petrol, LP or Natural gas. I went tri-fuel as we have natural gas service in the city and I was able to plumb in a quick disconnect at the gas meter. That way, I don't have to worry about finding petrol during a mass power outage, which is often an issue. Gasoline also can't be stored in the long-term.

I'd say, without the central AC, you are looking at a 5,000 - 7,000 running watt generator. Central AC will demand going larger, which doesn't fit the bill for portability.

My opinion, scratch powering the central AC. Buy a portable AC or window unit at Home Depot, which are around $300. We have a portable AC that is rated for 300 Square feet. It will cool down a bedroom with the door shut and will make a family room at least comfortable. A small window unit could do the same. Compact and easy to store when not in use and roll out when the time comes. We didn't have power for 6 days following Beryl and this setup worked for us. These also don't pull too much wattage, so there's no issues running lights, fans, freezer, etc. with a portable generator in the wattage range above.

We did the window unit and they are a pain. Difficult to make them work on certain windows. Sold it and got one of those "portable" a/c units that you just have to duct out the window with flex hose. MUCH easier to set up and use, and can Mobile around the house rather easily.

[SJP51]

For those hooking up to the house panel via a "generator inlet box", dedicated breaker in the panel, and an Interlock please be sure to look into the neutral being bonded to the frame on your generator. I've read a lot on this and since the house circuit is already "Bonded Neutral to ground", you must not have the same on your generator.

[Stolle]

I run everything in my house minus the electric dryer and swimming pool with 13000 Duromax tri fuel. I do have a soft start on my 4.5 ton ac condensing unit. The natural gas connection is so convenient. I run it through a 50 amp breaker with an interlock installed.

[Stolle]

For those hooking up to the house panel via a "generator inlet box", dedicated breaker in the panel, and an Interlock please be sure to look into the neutral being bonded to the frame on your generator. I've read a lot on this and since the house circuit is already "Bonded Neutral to ground", you must not have the same on your generator.

I see a bunch of chatter about this on the FB groups. I do not ground the generator. I let the generator use the ground through the house panel. I’m pretty sure this is how the user manual advises you to run.

[Tex_Cattleman]

Can't help with your size needs. I can share this - we neeesd something pretty stout for running fans and blowers at livestock shows. I researched the heck out of it and the Predator from Harbor Freight consistently beat out the big names. We bought the 9000 three years ago. It has never failed to start right up. When power goes out at the house, it will run the fridge, TVs, wifi, space heater and a few lights. I love it.

[TeamAmerica]

For those hooking up to the house panel via a "generator inlet box", dedicated breaker in the panel, and an Interlock please be sure to look into the neutral being bonded to the frame on your generator. I've read a lot on this and since the house circuit is already "Bonded Neutral to ground", you must not have the same on your generator.

My 10kw Gen has a ground nut. I wired it up to 12 ga copper wire to a 3/4 inch copper plumbing pipe. I just hammer the pipe about 8 or 10 inches into the ground when running. Not pretty and not sure it's the best setup but better than no ground.

[60 Deluxe]

Forget about portable and do it right. Get 15 to 20 KW and a whole house switch. Looking at the cost of portables and the cost of stationary for the size that you need, you may as well buy once and cry once. I'm trying to push a friend of mine towards getting one of the Lincolns that comes trailer mounted. It has both welder and generator capability. I think it puts out 12KW on the genny, which is marginal for his house, but the silver lining is that he can set the thing up as an asset on his ranch and end up with Uncle Sam footing about a third of the cost. If he needs power somewhere on the place he can hook up to the trailer and pull it where he needs it. If you live in the country, that might be an option.

[SJP51]

I see a bunch of chatter about this on the FB groups. I do not ground the generator. I let the generator use the ground through the house panel. I’m pretty sure this is how the user manual advises you to run.

Just to be sure: The issue is the neutral and ground being "Bonded" or connected both at the generator (most portable units <8000W are) and the house. You should not have the ground and neutral bonded together in two different places of the same circuit.

Like you say, there is a lot of discussion about this on lots of forums, suppliers pages, etc.

[60 Deluxe]

My 10kw Gen has a ground nut. I wired it up to 12 ga copper wire to a 3/4 inch copper plumbing pipe. I just hammer the pipe about 8 or 10 inches into the ground when running. Not pretty and not sure it's the best setup but better than no ground.

This is not the same thing as he is talking about. Your ground is bonded to your neutral in the primary breaker panel. As long as you have the common wire bonded to the frame of the generator, it is grounded. There are some bad scenarios that can happen when you have more than one ground rod. If and/or when you put in a crossover switch that is fed by the utility company and the generator, that switch becomes the primary switch and the ground rod is attached to it. The bonding lug in the old primary is taken off or backed out so that there are not two grounds.

[SJP51]

My 10kw Gen has a ground nut. I wired it up to 12 ga copper wire to a 3/4 inch copper plumbing pipe. I just hammer the pipe about 8 or 10 inches into the ground when running. Not pretty and not sure it's the best setup but better than no ground.

If your house has a normal circuit, it is grounded. If your generator is hooked into and powering the house then I believe that the generator is already grounded.

[SJP51]

I run everything in my house minus the electric dryer and swimming pool with 13000 Duromax tri fuel. I do have a soft start on my 4.5 ton ac condensing unit. The natural gas connection is so convenient. I run it through a 50 amp breaker with an interlock installed.

If I had natural gas I'd have a whole house generator, too! That's the only way to go. Propane (which I have) presents its own problems. I just keep 25 gallons of gasoline around and never let it get old.