# Generator questions??????????? **URL:** \ **Category:** NYSpeed Off Topic\ **Created:** [September 25, 2006, 2:48pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/generator-questions/17996 "2006-09-25T14:48:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![n20junkie](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/n20junkie/32/7396_2.png) [@n20junkie](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/n20junkie)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2006, 8:02am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/generator-questions/17996/21 "2006-10-17T08:02:09Z")
we have a 5500k gas generator, it ran non-stop for 4 months when we built our house, now we use it for backup. It powered out entire house, tv’s, computers, microwave, all lights. We ran business as usuall with no issues. I think diesel is overkill for a backup generator, a gas one will probably outlive you unless you run it for years non-stop, plus thier cheaper. ---
**Author:** ![Blue\_Eyed\_Devil](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/blue_eyed_devil/32/7292_2.png) [@Blue\_Eyed\_Devil](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Blue_Eyed_Devil)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2006, 8:08am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/generator-questions/17996/22 "2006-10-17T08:08:26Z")
I started this thread on 9-25-2006, I think it shows my incredible foresight.😃 But then again I know the guy in DC that controls the weather.:snky: ---
**Author:** ![vq30de](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/9dc877/32.png) [@vq30de](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/vq30de)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2006, 8:14am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/generator-questions/17996/23 "2006-10-17T08:14:43Z")
> [@newman](#): > > I wish i had a generator because i would have sold it for a huge markup to some old lady without power. I would have no problem doing that. There was a guy selling them for 1000 dollars cash only out of the back of a truck in east amherst… That guy was fucking smart. :tup: Fuck yeah! Id fill up a truck, and play some loud tunes and drive around the rich neighborhoods like Spaulding Lake, and sell for $1500 cash nigga. It would be like an ice cream truck. Minus the pedophilac undertones. edit: hoooray for price gouging! ---
**Author:** ![JoesTypeS](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/joestypes/32/7190_2.png) [@JoesTypeS](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/JoesTypeS)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2006, 9:12am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/generator-questions/17996/24 "2006-10-17T09:12:38Z")
> [@tpgsr](#): > > here is a home model… My pricing is a little bit better than what that buble says. > > [Generac Power Systems | A total energy solutions company](http://www.generac.com/industrial/products/RLC_Series.asp) > > I work for rexel electric. [www.rexelusa.com](http://www.rexelusa.com) > > pm me for more info 🙂 my dad just bought the 13,000 watt generac edit: sorry, he bought a guardian…2,900 shipped ---
**Author:** ![j\_espo1](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/j_espo1/32/7291_2.png) [@j\_espo1](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/j_espo1)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2006, 9:16am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/generator-questions/17996/25 "2006-10-17T09:16:42Z")
> [@newman](#): > > I wish i had a generator because i would have sold it for a huge markup to some old lady without power. I would have no problem doing that. There was a guy selling them for 1000 dollars cash only out of the back of a truck in east amherst… **That guy was fucking smart**. :tup: **nah, that guy shoulda been SHOT.** ---
**Author:** ![Blue\_Eyed\_Devil](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/blue_eyed_devil/32/7292_2.png) [@Blue\_Eyed\_Devil](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Blue_Eyed_Devil)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2006, 9:19am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/generator-questions/17996/26 "2006-10-17T09:19:23Z")
> [@JoesTypeS](#): > > my dad just bought the 13,000 watt generac > > edit: sorry, he bought a guardian…2,900 shipped 13,000 watts!?! Is he powering the whole neighborhood?:mamoru: ---
**Author:** ![JoesTypeS](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/joestypes/32/7190_2.png) [@JoesTypeS](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/JoesTypeS)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2006, 9:20am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/generator-questions/17996/27 "2006-10-17T09:20:46Z")
I’m pretty sure that would only power his heat and maybe the 1st floor of the house [http://www.homedepot.com/prel80/HDUS/EN\_US/diy\_main/pg\_diy.jsp?prod\_id=100466723&cm\_mmc=1hd.com2froogle-](http://www.homedepot.com/prel80/HDUS/EN_US/diy_main/pg_diy.jsp?prod_id=100466723&cm_mmc=1hd.com2froogle-)_-product\_feed-_-D25X-\_-100466723 ---
**Author:** ![Blue\_Eyed\_Devil](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/blue_eyed_devil/32/7292_2.png) [@Blue\_Eyed\_Devil](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Blue_Eyed_Devil)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2006, 9:32am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/generator-questions/17996/28 "2006-10-17T09:32:09Z")
Does he heat with electric or gas? The blower motor on a gas furnace doesn’t have that much draw. ---
**Author:** ![JoesTypeS](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/joestypes/32/7190_2.png) [@JoesTypeS](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/JoesTypeS)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2006, 9:55am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/generator-questions/17996/29 "2006-10-17T09:55:20Z")
gas, 2 furnaces ---
**Author:** ![Bigairskier1580](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/bigairskier1580/32/7612_2.png) [@Bigairskier1580](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Bigairskier1580)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2006, 3:05pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/generator-questions/17996/30 "2006-10-17T15:05:37Z")
> [@AWDrifter](#): > > I guess I suck at google… > > I can’t find a way to generate electricity from a wood burning stove. > There has got to be a way!!! > Help ? Just had a moment of insight actually, lol. Don’t know if it would work, but I wonder if there is a way to hook up a wind turbine to the chimney for you wood furnace? And using the natural flow of the heat riding to spin the turbine and generate electricity? But then you have the issue of it prolly only making a marginal amount, lol. ---
**Author:** ![JayS](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/jays/32/15375_2.png) [@JayS](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/JayS)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2006, 3:27pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/generator-questions/17996/31 "2006-10-17T15:27:36Z")
> [@Inn-Tune](#): > > Some great info there. Can you be more specific about what you’d recommend for: > 4 computers > 1 good sized electric space heater > and probably 2 20amp circuits worth of lighting and small items > > I’ve been hesitating to get one because I figured it would damage the computers. I’m not trying to run the 220V compressor or the water heater or anything…just some essentials. I’m guessing 8000 watts would be safe. > > Thanks! > > PS: I wonder how many of you smarties got generators when you made this thread. 🙂 > > -Mike Mike, Unfortunately, the extent of my generator knowledge was used on the first post. Figuring out sizing isn’t that hard though. Pretty much every electrical device has an amp rating listed on it somewhere. Watts = amps X volts (volts is almost always 120, 240 for dryers and some other big things). Keep in mind that electric motors have running watts and startup watts. My 1/3HP sump pump is around 800 watts when it’s running, but when it first kicks on it draws about 1400 for the first few seconds. I now have a 5550 watt generator at my house, with an 8550 peak. It runs my natural gas furnace (basically just the big blower motor), sump pump, a light in the living room, 19" tv, my laptop (not worried about power because it’s being coverted to 15 volts DC), and a small fridge. I’m going to look into a UPS for my desktop PC, and if it would be capable of filtering the generator power. > [@Bigairskier1580](#): > > Just had a moment of insight actually, lol. Don’t know if it would work, but I wonder if there is a way to hook up a wind turbine to the chimney for you wood furnace? And using the natural flow of the heat riding to spin the turbine and generate electricity? But then you have the issue of it prolly only making a marginal amount, lol. Well, my generator has a 10HP gas engine, and when my sump draws 800 watts I can hear the motor lug a bit, so I would say your “exhaust windmill” might make almost enough power to run a single christmas light. ---
**Author:** ![Bigairskier1580](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/bigairskier1580/32/7612_2.png) [@Bigairskier1580](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Bigairskier1580)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2006, 3:43pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/generator-questions/17996/32 "2006-10-17T15:43:56Z")
> [@JayS](#): > > Mike, > > Unfortunately, the extent of my generator knowledge was used on the first post. > > Figuring out sizing isn’t that hard though. Pretty much every electrical device has an amp rating listed on it somewhere. Watts = amps X volts (volts is almost always 120, 240 for dryers and some other big things). > > Keep in mind that electric motors have running watts and startup watts. My 1/3HP sump pump is around 800 watts when it’s running, but when it first kicks on it draws about 1400 for the first few seconds. > > I now have a 5550 watt generator at my house, with an 8550 peak. It runs my natural gas furnace (basically just the big blower motor), sump pump, a light in the living room, 19" tv, my laptop (not worried about power because it’s being coverted to 15 volts DC), and a small fridge. > > I’m going to look into a UPS for my desktop PC, and if it would be capable of filtering the generator power. > > Well, my generator has a 10HP gas engine, and when my sump draws 800 watts I can hear the motor lug a bit, so I would say your “exhaust windmill” might make almost enough power to run a single christmas light. Hey, it would create SOME electricity. I never said how much. Lol ---
**Author:** ![neurokinetik](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/neurokinetik/32/7270_2.png) [@neurokinetik](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/neurokinetik)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2006, 4:32pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/generator-questions/17996/33 "2006-10-17T16:32:40Z")
Natural Gas generators for the win… we used them at my old job, and they worked great. Plus with an automatic transfer switch, they’d come online after 10 seconds of outage, and the UPS’s on the IT infrastructure would absorb that with no problem. When we had the big blackout a few years ago, the system only revealed one flaw: Make sure you have the correct output to run your HVAC system. I think we needed 220 single phase and our generator was putting out 110. So our A/C blower was running but not the compressor. Oops. Lots of fans to the rescue… I think that was a 50kW generator that we had, but I don’t remember the price. Way overkill for most homes, but OTOH, you could go through something like this like nothing happened. ---
**Author:** ![JayS](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/jays/32/15375_2.png) [@JayS](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/JayS)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2006, 7:06pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/generator-questions/17996/34 "2006-10-17T19:06:37Z")
> [@neurokinetik](#): > > …snip… Nice if you want to spend 10-15k, by the time you buy it, get it delivered, a pad installed, and an electrician to hook it up. The house behind mine has one and yeah, to them there was no power outage. But for $699 I have heat, TV, lights and a dry basement. Add in my gas stove and I had warm meals. Sure, I have to go get gas now and then, and I can’t run my whole house just like I was on street power, but I have $9300 to $14300 in my pocket. I just can’t justify spending that much for something I might use 5 hours per year total most years, and maybe 6-7 days this freak year. ---
**Author:** ![Rx3](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/rx3/32/7194_2.png) [@Rx3](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Rx3)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2006, 7:13pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/generator-questions/17996/35 "2006-10-17T19:13:09Z")
Actually, the natural gas generators for residential homes run about 4K-6K w/ auto switch (installation included). So they really aren’t that far fetched. I currently have a borrowed Yamaha 6600DE generator that was more than adequate to run my sump, furnace, 2 de-humidifiers, lights, and my TV/ PS2/Xbox without a hitch. I erred on the side of caution, and usually once the house was heated, I shut off the breaker to the furnace, the same for anything else. The only thing that was always on was the sump. Ironically, 4 days before the storm, _I ordered a 4500 generator_. Irony at it’s best. I since cancelled the order after using my buddy’s Yamaha and I plan on buying a similar 6000 or more generator. In two years or so, I will probably get a natural gas generator. ---
**Author:** ![BIGHANDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f9ae1b/32.png) [@BIGHANDS](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/BIGHANDS)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2006, 9:34am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/generator-questions/17996/36 "2006-10-18T09:34:22Z")
my generator’s ran from thursday night till sat night my parents house non stop and ive been using it at night at my apt in kenmore cause still no power this sucks ---
**Author:** ![Jon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3bc359/32.png) [@Jon](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Jon)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2006, 10:03am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/generator-questions/17996/37 "2006-10-18T10:03:52Z")
Consumer Reports just had a review of generators in this months issue,or maybe it was last months.All I remember is the Honda 3k watt one was ranked #1 becuase it actually put out more than specified,quiet,very efficient.Downside was the cost,they said it was $1000.:tdown: They also have a wattage calculator on this page… [http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/home-garden/safety-security/disaster-preparation-10-06/overview/1006\_home\_ov.htm](http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/home-garden/safety-security/disaster-preparation-10-06/overview/1006_home_ov.htm) ---
**Author:** ![drvnkd](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/drvnkd/32/109615_2.png) [@drvnkd](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/drvnkd)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2006, 4:38am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/generator-questions/17996/38 "2006-10-20T04:38:58Z")
how dirty is the power? is something like this good enough to clean up the line? [http://www.tripplite.com/products/product.cfm?productID=2813](http://www.tripplite.com/products/product.cfm?productID=2813) ---
**Author:** ![Blue\_Eyed\_Devil](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/blue_eyed_devil/32/7292_2.png) [@Blue\_Eyed\_Devil](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Blue_Eyed_Devil)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2006, 4:51am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/generator-questions/17996/39 "2006-10-20T04:51:04Z")
> [@Jon](#): > > Consumer Reports just had a review of generators in this months issue,or maybe it was last months.All I remember is the Honda 3k watt one was ranked #1 becuase it actually put out more than specified,quiet,very efficient.Downside was the cost,they said it was $1000.:tdown: > > They also have a wattage calculator on this page… > > [http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/home-garden/safety-security/disaster-preparation-10-06/overview/1006\_home\_ov.htm](http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/home-garden/safety-security/disaster-preparation-10-06/overview/1006_home_ov.htm) That calculator is very handy. Good find.:tup: Looks like 5000watts would be plenty in an emergency. 6000watts would be pimpin. ---
**Author:** ![RobY](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@RobY](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/RobY)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2006, 5:00am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/generator-questions/17996/40 "2006-10-20T05:00:28Z")
> [@Bigairskier1580](#): > > Hey, it would create SOME electricity. I never said how much. Lol About as much energy as shining a flashlight on a solar cell :lol: [Previous page](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/generator-questions/17996.md?page=1) [Next page](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/generator-questions/17996.md?page=3)