Did the EcoFlow DELTA PRO Survive Hurricane Milton?

Welcome back scallywags!
I know what you guys are thinking. Was this all I used after Hurricane Milton? I sure did. When it comes down to power outages I'm glad my wife is in agreeance and only powered the fridge and the fan. Most people think about powering the TV, computers, washer and dryer. In an emergency situation like a power outage after a catastrophic event like a Hurricane, you should only focus on powering essential items like a fridge or medical equipment. Hurricane Milton left a path of destruction and we are beyond blessed at what the DELTA PRO was able to provide for our little family.
As always, don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe! Thanks for watching!
01:03 - Intro
03:59 - First Day (Day 3 of a power outage)
05:07 - Second Day (Day 4 of a power outage
05:28 - Accessories Used
06:11 - Solar Panels
11:48 - Mobile App
18:20 - Tip (Increasing Efficiency)
24:30 - Final Thoughts
Here are the links to the items we used to survive the power outage.
Disclosure: This channel earns from qualifying purchases with no additional costs to you.
EcoFlow DELTA PRO - amzn.to/4f3KUDA
EcoFlow DELTA PRO w/2x 400W Panels kit - amzn.to/489YOlg
BougeRV 10ft 10AWG Extension Cable - amzn.to/3A3Yhou
BougeRV 50ft 10AWG Extension Cable - amzn.to/3YryWhJ
Bateria Y-Cable for Parallel Connection 30A - amzn.to/4f624jV
Anker Prime 250W Portable Charger - amzn.to/4dRD4Ma
Anker Powercore III 45W Portable Charger - amzn.to/3Y7zsQn
#hurricanemilton #hurricanemilton2024 #floridahurricane #ecoflow #ecoflowdeltapro
All Rights Reserved. Do not copy, reproduce, or distribute any of the content.

[@shelley131]

If you insist on leaving your solar panels on the grass at least put cardboard on it to keep the grass from casting a shadow, better yet why not the driveway. In your situation maximizing solar peak hours is crucial. I use a 51.2V server rack battery to extend the running time of my ecoflow Delta max 2000. Just get a cable with eye ring battery connectors on one end and the XT60 plug on the other end and it will charge your unit at over 450 watts an hour. Use a 48V battery because a 12V battery will. only charge it at 100 watts an hour. My 26. cu.ft fridge is 12 years old and using my Ecoflow Delta Max 2000 which only has 2016 watt capacity and the 5 kilowatt battery ran my fridge for 55 hours straight before needing to recharge it. Don't buy extension batteries for your Pro unit they are too expensive. The server rack battery or any 48V battery will be at most $1200 or cheaper. Also buy a dual fuel 2000 or 2500 w inverter gen for under $500 and use it to charge the battery or your delta pro in about 3 hours. Good luck.

[@danielbarajasmedia]

This is very helpful! Would you mind sharing the battery that you use and any other parts you used for your Delta Max? I'm not all-in with EcoFlow and always looking to improve our emergency power system. I put the panels on the grass as it was easier to keep them flat-ish without needing to use items to hold up the panels like I do on the driveway. I will use that tip about cardboard to minimize the grass shadow on the panels. I'm also considering a Smart Generator as an alternative.

[@warrenglen7636]

24v with a XT-60i will give right around 400 watts. Good enough for me.

[@danielbarajasmedia]

Which 24V battery did you opt for? I already have an XT60i 10AWG cable.

[@warrenglen7636]

@@danielbarajasmedia I got the DC House 25.6V, 100 A-H battery from eBay for about $310. I have two used Victron 100/15 Smart Solar (Bluetooth) for about $30-$35 each. You can get the non Bluetooth for about $25. I have four 200 watt panels (two per controller) to charge the battery. You can get these for around $90 each. Last I have a 20A LiFePO4 charger that can dump 500+ watts into the battery with my generator if I need. What I really think is the best value for up to 2-weeks is the Sportsman 1000/800 watt generator that can run for about 4-5 hours on 1/2 gallon of gas. Set the EcoFlow for 500-600 watts AC charging and run the generator as needed. If you have solar for the EcoFlow and a frugal with your usage, you could probably get by with 2-4 hours at night when it’s sunny and an additional 2-4 hours in the morning if there isn’t any sun. Using the small generator in this manner, would use about 1/2-3/4 gallon, and two 5 gallon tanks should last almost two weeks.

[@danielbarajasmedia]

@@warrenglen7636 Wow! This is extremely helpful! I appreciate your feedback and suggestions. I'll definitely take my time researching and building our system accordingly. I already started looking at 5-10 gallon containers to store gas.

[@fuzfire]

I am a lifelong resident of the Florida Panhandle. I'm a retired Firefighter as of 2004. I can tell you that the weather after a hurricane, at least much of the time, will not be conducive to solar recharging. A gas or dual fuel generator is essential. Store, even outside, some LP tanks and you will have enough fuel to recharge many many times.

[@danielbarajasmedia]

Thanks for that tip. I have started to look into either the EF Smart Generator or another duel or tri-fuel generator.

[@retrozmachine1189]

The answer is to moderate your consumption. I'm not in the USA but I've had my fair share cyclones. Yes, PV output will be miserable while the heavy cloud is present, maybe 1/10th of normal, but after that things normally improve and you have 1/4 power and it continues to rise. If you blindly continue to burn 20+kWh/day, yes, you'll need an alternate means of supplying your premises.

[@danielbarajasmedia]

@retrozmachine1189 Believe me. I'm all about going down to what's essential. That's one thing that stuck with me from my time in the military. Surviving with the minimums.

[@dougthompson1598]

@@danielbarajasmedia EXACTLY!! Survival doesn't require much, really.

[@marblesrx71]

Nice video documentation. I just went through Milton as well. I'm glad you guys didn't have any more damage. We lost power for 5 days also. I have a Delta 2 Max but I have the alternator charger in my SUV. I used the panels during the day and my car when there was no solar. Was able to keep the refrigerator 2 led lights and my TV at night for the kids. I would wake up in the morning usually around 5-10% remaining and use solar as much as possible then top off with my car to 100% before going to bed. My suggestion is the alternator charger as the best investment 800W, no sun needed.

[@danielbarajasmedia]

I'm sorry you had to go through this hurricane as well. Thanks for the tip. Do you happen to have the link for the alternator charger you bought? I'm open to learning and expanding my options.

[@marblesrx71]

@@danielbarajasmedia I believe the delta pro needs an adapter

[@NickWindham]

Good video and glad you’re safe. I was wondering, why not move your portable solar panels over several feet towards your neighbor’s house where it would be getting sun for an extra hour or more in the morning, you could put one in the front and then one several feet behind it far or it’s not impacted by the shadow of the one in front of it and of course I could get turn them around for optimal position in the evening.

[@danielbarajasmedia]

The only reason I didn't was because we wanted to keep the DP in the house and I was tapping out on the 50ft cables for them. I also didn't have long enough jumper cables to have the panels lined up that way. Believe me, this hurricane has taught me a lot and have started planning. Thanks for the feedback and watching.

[@macross9321]

kept thinking the same thing

[@hardtruth2039]

If you can find them EcoFlow makes a metal stand for the 400w folding panels. We have 6 of the EF 400w panels for storms. We have 2 Delta pro’s w/ 2 extra batteries each and a Delta 2 Max w/ 2 extra batteries. We have 2 of the EF1800w dual fuel generators as well. We dove in deep with Ecoflow last Black Friday. We have 2400w of hard panels on ground mounts where we can easily take them down and store them for a storm. We keep another set of hard panels stored JIC.

[@Widemouth1832]

You have the setup that I dream of my friend. Kudo's to you and your setup.

[@danielbarajasmedia]

Sheesh! That's freaking awesome! Because this isn't our forever home, we weren't considering the rigid 400W panels. I have seen the stands you're talking about and considered them along with the rigid panels. Do you have a link to the stands you bought for the portable panels? I couldn't find them on the EF site. Or I may have overlooked them. This is very helpful and am looking at more panels plus a smart generator.

[@danielbarajasmedia]

@@Widemouth1832 I actually found them. They are called the EcoFlow Solar Panel Foldable Bracket. I went looking for stand haha. Thanks again. At $50, I wonder if there are cheaper options on Amazon.

[@NormalShock]

A small generator, 2500ish, dual fuel, so you can use propane or gasoline, would be best for fast charging. Solar would be a fuel extender, helping to delay the need for that fast charge.

[@danielbarajasmedia]

Thanks for the feedback and most importantly, thanks for watching. Do you have a preferred generator brand?

[@NormalShock]

@@danielbarajasmedia I like Champion personally. Being an inverter generator is the important part. being dual fuel is a really close second. Propane will store forever

[@danielbarajasmedia]

I'm going to have to look into them and see how they compare vs Firman, Honda, and other big names.

[@NormalShock]

@@danielbarajasmedia earlier comment revised, just focus on an inverter generator as those put out the cleanest power

[@getliquified]

That's fine for just a fridge and a fan. You need a bigger system if you wanted anything that can rival a regular generator.

[@danielbarajasmedia]

@@getliquified Eventually, yes. We'd want something to rival gas generators. For now, it has served its purpose and learned a lot from this experience. I'm also learning a lot because of the feedback.

[@dougthompson1598]

Survival after a hit to infrastructure, such as after a major storm, doesn't need to include electronic entertainment, hot showers on demand, and multiple lights on throughout the house. Keep the frozen foods frozen, the chilled foods chilled, air moving in the house with a couple fans, and enough power capacity left to charge phones, that mindset will keep a home going for a while. Here in FL I consider air conditioning more than a mere luxury, but not quite necessary for survival (but close!). I have 11kwH storage capacity, 1600w of portable solar panels, and a 5500kw gas generator. I plan to use the generator only during the day (no noise at night to attract baddies) and to supplement solar on days that are iffy for sun vs clouds. I have a small portable single-room air conditioner to use at night so my wife and I can sleep better. My experimenting with my setup, which is a regular fridge/top freezer, small chest freezer, two multi-speed pedestal fans and a small LED table lamp shows I can run all that overnight without the gas genny, and have about 20% power left in the morning after a ten-hour run on the batteries only. That time and battery reserve varies with how much aircon we are using. In full sun, taking the air con out of the loop, the 11kwH will be back to 90% from first light to sunset in the fall, with the fridge, freezer and fans running at the same time. So, best case scenario it seems as if I would use the gas genny for about six hours and three gallons of gas every other day if the solar panels can make full use of the sun. I plan to add another 800w of solar charging capacity soon. Add that in, a solar shower, and a lot of outdoor cooking apparatus, and I think we can live in relative comfort for quite a bit. Using the solar generating capacity to supplement gasoline when possible, and gasoline to help out the solar when necessary, to distill it down.

[@danielbarajasmedia]

@dougthompson1598 you are right about the AC here in Florida! Your setup is Zombie Apocalypse ready! I'm thinking of a gas generator to supplement the lack of solar charging capabilities. We also looked at a solar shower. The cold water in a gallon bucket was tough.

[@dougthompson1598]

@@danielbarajasmedia I had enough cold-water field-hygiene to last me the rest of my life in the Army.

[@raymottley7118]

curious why the panels were not placed on the driveway instead of grass to prevent shading at the bottom? Thanks for sharing your experience.

[@danielbarajasmedia]

@raymottley7118 The only reason is that the panels are sturdier on the grass without having to use other items from my garage and help support the panels on the ends. I'm looking into brackets to either purchase to remedy this issue or make my own. Thanks for watching.

[@TechnoAgape]

Seems like a learning experience for sure. You really need to calculate out your needed watt hours and be realistic about the use and charging needs. Solar can not compare with the footprint of even a small gas genny output. You will probably need tripple the solar wattage to support your battery in not perfect conditions like this.

[@danielbarajasmedia]

@@TechnoAgape I completely agree. It's a learning experience for my wife and I. I actually considered buying a Firman Tri-Fuel generator before the Delta Pro. I'm currently looking at options that don't cost as much as the extra EF batteries.

[@shelley131]

@@danielbarajasmedia The firman will be good too. You only need to run it for about 3 hours until it charges the Delta Pro. You use less fuel this way instead of trying to run it all night long.

[@danielbarajasmedia]

@shelley131 That seems to be the most efficient way to prolong the usability of the units.

[@fuzfire]

That spike is normal and won't last more than a few seconds. It may go into defrost mode for a few minutes once or twice in a 24 hour period. It usually lasts about 8 to 10 minutes and steadily decreases power consumption in that time frame. I usually only let my refrigerator/freezer stay powered for a couple of hours then unplug it for an hour or two. Most R/F's can stay at temp. for 4 hours. I forgot mine one time, it was uncovered for 6 hours and alo was ok.

[@danielbarajasmedia]

Thanks for this as well. I went deep diving as soon as we had our power and internet running. We also did try to run it every few hours but my wife was feeling uneasy about that option and started leaving it plugged-in.

[@shelley131]

@@danielbarajasmedia Another thing I use during my frequent outages are 12V fridge/freezer like dometic, iceco, and set power. On DC mode a small jackery 500 runs my dometic on freezer mode for 39 hours and the other jackery 500 runs my other 45qt dometic for 46 hours. Very low consumption of power, and I use my Delta Max 2000 to charge the jackeries when solar and power are not available.

[@danielbarajasmedia]

@shelley131 Man, you're full of tips and tricks. I'm going to speak with the Mrs. over the weekend and come up with a game plan to start improving our setup.

[@fuzfire]

Also build a relationship with your neighbors and then they will allow you to rechardge your EcoFlow.

[@danielbarajasmedia]

We have an excellent relationship with all of our neighbors. The neighbors on either side were either out helping with the storm (LEO) or didn't have a generator period. As much as I love our relationship, I sometimes find it hard to ask for even such a small help.

[@arnoldreiter435]

a typical household consumes about 30Kwh a day......having a 3Kwh system is good for a few hours only. its like expecting to use your car every day all day but only have one gallon of gas for it. you need more......solar, batteries and a backup gen for the cloudy days that are part of storms. a good start could be a cheap harbor freight 800w gen to charge your battery and enough gas to run it for 3days!

[@danielbarajasmedia]

@arnoldreiter435 In moments of an outage, my wife and I are in agreeance to only power the fridge. We are thankful that this hurricane didn't happen in the middle of summer. It would be really difficult not to have some sort of ac unit running with high temps and humidity. I appreciate your input, and I'm currently looking at backup options like the Firman Tri-Fuel Generator. Half the cost of the EF Smart Generator.

[@richardrfiore]

Well I Just whated to offer some input the eco DC to DC charger would help people out when there is no sun you install it in your car off your battery then it wood charge your eco faster then solar

[@danielbarajasmedia]

Thanks for that tip. I’m going to look into it.

[@tjellis1479]

2 is 1 and 1 is none. Have (2) 500 watt Banks rather than 1000 watt single. Rotate and learn to live on 500 watts per day. Fridges and freezers and heaters and big screens aint about surviving. Air Conditioners and Microwaves should be avoided during outages. we survived worst conditions because we had less to protect. Just my opinion.

[@danielbarajasmedia]

I completely agree. We aren't worried about the luxury items to power. We solely focused on the fridge and fan. The fan was only powered when needed. Which 500W units did you opt for? Thanks for your feedback and watching.

[@fuzfire]

How is a fridge NOT an essential?

[@danielbarajasmedia]

I would only assume that it isn't essential if you've got nothing really in there to begin with. For us, it's essential. We have ice, ice packs, cold water, freshly cooked meats several times a week. It needs to maintain power.

[@jay_aye]

Seems like the delta pro wouldn’t last long while the hurricane is active 🧐. @ecoflow owes you an extra battery!

[@danielbarajasmedia]

I completely agree! @ecoflow should definitely throw in two batteries and the Smart Generator 4000. In all seriousness. I think if anyone was really concerned and in a better financial situation to invest in, I'd recommend the extra batteries, Smart Generator, and extra panels. The panels can be bought from other brands so long as they're within the required amperage/wattage the DELTA PRO can handle.

[@j-sonS]

Solar really isnt very efficient to use. Probably better to bring the ecoflow to a walmart or hotel lobby to charge up using wall outlet

[@danielbarajasmedia]

I agree. There is a level of efficiency if you're not in a long outage like we had. Anything longer than a day or two, you'd need extra batteries to help last through the days when the ideal conditions aren't present to solar charging or at least the Smart Generator to help recharge the unit.

[@steffiejoe]

@@danielbarajasmediaI learned during hurricane Berly after 72 hours with not much sun, i struggled to get my solar generators recharged. I now have backups for my backup.

[@danielbarajasmedia]

What is your backup for your backup? I'm always curious to see what others have done to improve from their experiences.

[@steffiejoe]

@@danielbarajasmediaI actually wanted the Westinghouse tri fuel generator but it was difficult to find. I saw hurricane Helene and at the time was not sure of its destination. So I panic bought. I have a tri fuel and duel fuel. The tri fuel can run my entire house. I made you tube shorts showing my backups. I had a 50 amp outlet and interlock installed. I have a gen max, firman and just got a Honda eu 2200i. The plan is to use the Honda to keep my EcoFlo pro charged if there is no sunlight.

[@danielbarajasmedia]

Truth be told. Before I pulled the trigger on the Delta Pro, I almost bought the tri fuel firman from Costco. Ultimately, I went with the Delta Pro because it could be kept on the house and didn't really want to have a 50 amp outlet/interlock installed. As things look, I may have to go with that option sooner rather than later.

[@gaudywidget]

Get to the point already!!

[@danielbarajasmedia]

@@gaudywidget thanks for watching!