Miami, Fl Portable Generator

 

Hi foks......Trying to find information ahead of the 2006 hurricane
season...Last year we lost power in two ocassion and it was murder on the
lost food we had each and every time.
I have looked in several places here on line  but I havent been able to find
out how do I go about DETERMINING the type of portable generator I'd need to
run a certain type of appliance/electronics.

Can someone help ??? Normally If I was to ask this to a salesman at a retail
outlet I have a feeling I wouldnt be steered in the right direction.

Thanks...

 



What exactly do you want to run?  We run a refrigerator, lights, tv,
computer, battery charger, and room air conditioner  OR one element of
the water heater on a 5,500 watt generator, using it off and on
throughout the day, then switch over at about 9 PM to a 2KW inverter
with 3 group 27 batteries to power the refrigerator and a fan silently
through the night.  Oh yeah, we have an 80 watt solar panel that I use
to augment the power between the generator runs in the daytime.

If you just want to run a refrigerator, lights, and a tv part time,
you can do that with one of the smaller generators.  If you want the
whole house powered, you need something much larger and more
expensive.

If the power is going to be out for more than three or four days, it
can be cheaper to lose the food.  Figure $3 to $3.50 per gallon of
gas, and the larger the genny and the more you power, the more you
use. A lot depends on if you plan on staying after the storm, or use
that time to get away.

Wilma was late season and the weather afterward was cool.  That isn't
normally the case, and some AC is needed if you want to keep your
sanity.

 

HC:

"If you just want to run a refrigerator, lights, and a tv part time,
you can do that with one of the smaller generators."

This is basically what i want to get ready for ... Run the fridge..a couple
of fans...and perhaps a small tv....I dont plan on leaving the homestead
after the 'cane , unless of course the house is destroyed ....I realize
having a/c on hot humid weather its a MUST, but I can do without.

Thanks

 

Fairplay wrote:

that's why I just installed a dual compressor (1.5 ton & 4.0 ton) trane heat
pump (in
s.florida also)

I can run the smaller compressor (1.5 ton) using a 5500w generator and there is
enough
power left over for fridge, lights, tv (have tested it and it works)

house is not being chilled down to 72 degrees with outside in the 90's but it
does
keep the temp at about 77-78 with the gen powered 1.5 ton and it removes humidity

 



    Have you tried here? http://www.hondapowerequipment.com/gencho.asp

     That page has lots of good things to consider, plus a link to a wattage
calculator.

  Think a lot about fuel consumption!  The larger the generator, the more gas it
will drink, even if you keep the load low.  Just to get your attention, one
gallon per hour 24/7 would cost you  $567.00 per week...If there were a place to
buy gas after a hurricane!  You certainly can't store that much gas at home.

   We did very well after Wilma with a 4 KW unit, and seldom saw our total load
go over 3 kW, even when running a small window unit in addition to everything
else.  In exchange for having a generator we can afford to run, we give up the
use of our electric stove and central air and substitute a hotplate for cooking
and that window unit to cool one room during the hottest hours of the day .

   With a 2 kw generator, you could run your refrigerator, your TV, your
computer, and several lightbulbs.  Honda makes a very good (but expensive)
little 2KW generator (EU2000i) that is very quiet and will give you several
hours on a single gallon of gas.

Good Luck
Vaughn    (Palm Beach)