Steam heat is amazing...

Gordy

ChrisJ said:

Gordy said:

If a generator is used its running whether it's 1k or 100 watts. It may use a little more fuel at full output, but not much. They kick up to high rpm no matter what you plug in.

So you feel a generator consumes the same amount of fuel with it's throttle plate almost shut, as it does close to wide open?

Seriously?

I suppose your car consumes the same amount of fuel floored as it does idling.



After hurricane Sandy people were lined up at gas stations waiting to get gas for use in their generators, or sometimes cars.

I wasn't one of those people, not once.

And, my car battery is bolted in my car so I don't care what it weighs. I clip onto it, close the hood and connect my boiler. Voila, heat. See, drawing 12 watts means you can easily run 50 feet of 18AWG wire without concern. It makes no noise at all, and consumes no fuel while the boiler isn't running.

Not what I said. Anything you plug in for power bumps it to high rpm.

There is maybe an hour difference in fuel consumption between full output, and min. Say 100 watts-1000 watts on a 1k generator.

That being said I would only need to run it for a heat call. Depending on temps 10- 15min. Every hour worst case at night. Design temps. Daytime way less.

10 gallons will go quite a ways.

I rarely lose power. If I do maybe an hour tops. So I don't dwell on it.

ChrisJ

Gordy said:

ChrisJ said:

Gordy said:

If a generator is used its running whether it's 1k or 100 watts. It may use a little more fuel at full output, but not much. They kick up to high rpm no matter what you plug in.

So you feel a generator consumes the same amount of fuel with it's throttle plate almost shut, as it does close to wide open?

Seriously?

I suppose your car consumes the same amount of fuel floored as it does idling.



After hurricane Sandy people were lined up at gas stations waiting to get gas for use in their generators, or sometimes cars.

I wasn't one of those people, not once.

And, my car battery is bolted in my car so I don't care what it weighs. I clip onto it, close the hood and connect my boiler. Voila, heat. See, drawing 12 watts means you can easily run 50 feet of 18AWG wire without concern. It makes no noise at all, and consumes no fuel while the boiler isn't running.

Not what I said. Anything you plug in for power bumps it to high rpm.

There is maybe an hour difference in fuel consumption between full output, and min. Say 100 watts-1000 watts on a 1k generator.

That being said I would only need to run it for a heat call. Depending on temps 10- 15min. Every hour worst case at night. Design temps. Daytime way less.

10 gallons will go quite a ways.

I rarely lose power. If I do maybe an hour tops. So I don't dwell on it.

My 1992 Coleman 8HP isn't an inverter, so it's rpm is always 3600RPM and there's a huge difference between light load and near full load and it's not a 1 hour difference.

Common sense would explain why, as I said in one instance the carb is almost shut, in the other it's almost wide open.

ChrisJ

Out of curiosity.
What kind of power does the typical 80-100,000 btu forced air furnace need?

And how much for the typical residential hot water system?

SWEI

The average residential PSC furnace fan consumes about 500W when running. Older shaded pole blowers are even worse. Newer EC/BPM motors about 2/3rds less, though standby losses are higher on those. Bad ductwork makes this worse.
comes from a 2008 FSEC study

Gordy

160 watts,for circulator,

ChrisJ said:

Gordy said:

ChrisJ said:

Gordy said:

If a generator is used its running whether it's 1k or 100 watts. It may use a little more fuel at full output, but not much. They kick up to high rpm no matter what you plug in.

So you feel a generator consumes the same amount of fuel with it's throttle plate almost shut, as it does close to wide open?

Seriously?

I suppose your car consumes the same amount of fuel floored as it does idling.



After hurricane Sandy people were lined up at gas stations waiting to get gas for use in their generators, or sometimes cars.

I wasn't one of those people, not once.

And, my car battery is bolted in my car so I don't care what it weighs. I clip onto it, close the hood and connect my boiler. Voila, heat. See, drawing 12 watts means you can easily run 50 feet of 18AWG wire without concern. It makes no noise at all, and consumes no fuel while the boiler isn't running.

Not what I said. Anything you plug in for power bumps it to high rpm.

There is maybe an hour difference in fuel consumption between full output, and min. Say 100 watts-1000 watts on a 1k generator.

That being said I would only need to run it for a heat call. Depending on temps 10- 15min. Every hour worst case at night. Design temps. Daytime way less.

10 gallons will go quite a ways.

I rarely lose power. If I do maybe an hour tops. So I don't dwell on it.

My 1992 Coleman 8HP isn't an inverter, so it's rpm is always 3600RPM and there's a huge difference between light load and near full load and it's not a 1 hour difference.

Common sense would explain why, as I said in one instance the carb is almost shut, in the other it's almost wide open.

Trade your Coleman in for a Honda.


EU1000i SPECIFICATIONS
Engine Honda GXH50
Displacement 50cc
AC Output 120V 1000W Max. (8.3A)
900W Rated (7.5A)
Receptacles 15A 125V Duplex
DC Output 12V, 96W (8A)
Starting System Recoil
Fuel Tank Capacity 0.6 Gal.
Run Time per Tankful 3.8 Hrs. @ Rated Load,
8.3 Hrs. @ 1/4 Load
Dimensions L: 17.7"
W: 9.4"
H: 15.0"
Noise Level 59 DB(A) @ Rated Load
53dB(A) @ 1/4 Load
Dry Weight 29 Lbs.
Residential Warranty 2 Years
Commercial Warranty 1 Year

I would be 1/4 load note tank size.

Gordy

GX100
Displacement 98.5cc
AC Output 120V 2000W max. (16.7A)
1600W rated (13.3A)
Receptacles 20A 125V Duplex
DC Output 12V, 96W (8A)
Starting System Recoil
Fuel Tank Capacity .95 gal
Run Time per Tankful 4hrs. @ rated load
9.6 hrs. @ 1/4 load
Dimensions L: 20.1"
W: 11.4"
H: 16.7"
Noise Level 59dB(A) @ rated load
53dB(A) @ 1/4 load
Dry Weight 46.3 lbs.
Residential Warranty 3 Years
Commercial Warranty 3 Years

Less than 1/4 load.

ChrisJ

I know all about the little Hondas and they're both way out of my price range and way too small. And like I said I don't need it for heat just lights, tv, computer, refrigerators during the day

Gordy

If your gonna run all that shut the boiler down. Won't need it.

ChrisJ

Funny your Honda specs show 8 hours at 1/4 load and only 4 at full. Imagine that? A lot more than 1 hour difference.

ChrisJ

This house needs around 12kw on the typical cold night. 3kw won't cut it even if 100% was waste

Gordy

I don't need full output. 1/4 sorry for the miss information. I don't normally keep generator specs at the top of my head.

If you want to run all that why dwell on running your boiler on a car battery. if I was concerned about random lengthy power outages I would buy a 12k generator run it off NG. Done. Life goes on with or with out local electric utility.

Gordy

Matter of fact I would probably save money with present NG price of .27 a therm. Before all fees.

ChrisJ

Point was I run the boiler without it all night long. I rarely start the beast but if I do I run everything. I let the refrigerators and freezer get back down to temp etc.

Jamie Hall

I have a very nice 16 KW Generac. Elderly. Runs the essentials in the house (boiler, water heater, a reasonable amount of stove, a few lights, freezer, refrigerator, water pump) without my having to think about load shedding. Is it noisy? Oh yeah -- but it's out by the barns, and the critters don't seem to mind. Does it meet modern air pollution standards? Ah... no. Does it run when I need it? Yup. (except I had to rebuild the carburetor -- thank you, ethanol gasoline...)

Bob Bona_4

Seems 20kw ng or lp Generacs are the rage around here. I've done many an underground piping job for them.

Back in the 80s, as a Honda power equipment dealer and tech, Generac had a long way to go to be comparable with Honda.

Fred

My 17kw is a Generac also. They have come a long way. Are they as good as a Honda, probably not but they are plenty good when used for an occassional emergency, in a residential environment and if they eventually fail, you can buy a second one and probably still not spend any more than the original Honda cost (when you are talking 15kw and up). Commercial use, I don't know.

Bob Bona_4

Yes, they seem so Fred. They've gone to composite cabinets which warms my heart

ChrisJ

I've considered converting my Coleman to NG but not sure how much I trust the "kits" sold.

I hate having a gasoline generator. I drain all of it when I'm done, and exercise it once in a while but an LP or NG one would be far better IMO.

Bob Bona_4

It's a real pain to drain, refill, drain again, right? I just did the carb drain on my bikes.

BobC

If I ever did install a generator it would be a small NG powered one. I would be content running the boiler, the fridge, a laptop, and a few lights.

I lost power during Hurricane Bob for 6 days but the weather was very temperate then. In the blizzard of 2014 a feeder line snapped and the city lost power for a day but that was repaired before the house had dipped below 50. I have friends who live about 20 miles away who were without power for a week during that blizzard; one of them installed a 18KW NG Generac that will light up the whole house.

Bob

Jamie Hall

Well, yes. A natural gas generator would be nice. The nearest line is 5 country miles away. Fat chance. An LP one would be nice, too -- and had LP been as easily available when I bought my gasoline one as it is now, I might have gone that way. But it would be the only LP on the place. But at the time, all my equipment was gasoline powered, so I always have gasoline in fair quantity around the place. Now? I have a three diesels on the place, and I'd love a diesel generator, but it might have to be kept pre-heated (the diesel tractor has to have preheat to start below 10 F; the car and the truck (both Chevys) don't. So that would have to be looked at). But the old Generac starts and runs... if it ain't broke...