How To Choose A Backup Generator. Things To Consider.

This video is about my thoughts on choosing a backup generator and includes my recommendation on a model to consider.

[@fingfongfang]

Glad the fallen trees didn't damage your house. Learned something new about fuel storage.

[@Cptnbond]

Hi Ray, I have been looking for a generator for my welder - to be able to do some mobile work. Before your episode, I was not aware of Champion. Thus, I was very happy to see that the generator has the 4-takts OHV-motor, which has very good reputation. Thanks, and cheers.

[@Bob.W.]

Been binge watching your battery videos since I found your channel yesterday. Thanks for your thoughts and observations. I just bought the 6250/5000 version of your Champion to run my well pump, lights and charger for my battery banks. That way I can run the generator 8 hours or less in the day and live off the battery/inverter all night. Subscribed.

[@8uhayat]

Oh Ray, you truly are a genius. A perfectionist. People ask me what the ROI on my solar investment is, I tell them its paid off right away, the peace of mind is worth way more. Good luck and wish you well.

[@bobblack3870]

@Usman - as you highlight, peace and security is not measured by ROI. Another way to respond to "people" may be to ask them what they would pay to have power if they knew the grid would not be available for a week. I don't know where you are located, but here in Texas, with hurricanes and big ice storms, many people have decided that spending 5% of what their home is worth on a stationary backup generator makes perfect financial sense. It's not always a ROI issue. But even those are likely to be dependent on a fuel source they do not have control over (natural gas). I agree with you - Ray's approach is well thought out.

[@chuxxsss]

Mine has paid off twice, I have 10 KW on my system. Really need 20 KW.

[@hardbrocklife]

Im not a hardcore alternative energy because I believe in ESG or any of the nonsense. I love the tech because it allows individuals to be energy independent. Less reliance on a corporatist relationship between utility companies and the state.

[@chuxxsss]

Morning Ray, from tomorrow. lol Australia is a day ahead.

[@tiredofeverythingnew]

Thanks for sharing your experience and knowledge Ray.

[@will_ren]

I have that same generator and really like it.

[@MaximC]

Thanks, Ray.

[@typxxilps]

We got such generators instead of inverter just to charge the battery and the EV. The chargers can live with that sine wave and it does not look as bad as many think cause we have checked it over 24 hours.

[@BeastMovies]

Standing in the sun with all those lovely solar panels and using a gen? Blows my mind.

[@bobblack3870]

@Lee - I think the issue is that his solar shed is not fully configured, otherwise the grid OR generator would run an AC powered battery charger, and the batteries could simultaneously invert their DC power into AC for the house. With that configuration, the AC powered charger and solar MPPT (or charger) could simultaneously team up to supply DC power to the batteries. As he mentioned in his prior video, life has not permitted him to complete the solar shed setup.

[@9111logic]

Another interesting video, thanks Ray 🙏

[@TrunkThunderLithium]

Hey Ray best way to help stabilize gasoline the longest is to put it into a pressure sealed blacked out container. When using stabilizer never use it soon as you buy the gasoline. Wait the time for the first dose an again do the second or you'll jeopardize it's structural integrity an it could go bad quicker. If done properly you could easily store gasoline up to 2-3 years depending also on climate also. When you add stabilizer during the (I recommend every 3 months do a qt or half the amount you would of done on the bottle directions an add octane booster right before your close to that time before it hits it shelf life. Only possible way to extend gasoline to the absolute max shelf life. I've tested this theory with a lawnmower with a crap spark plug. I know from texting gasoline will go up to a year without issue if stored properly. Anything past that you need additives in order to prevent other issues like knocking or late/weak detonation. Im sure.yiy already know this all ray but this comment is also for the other guys an gals. Love the content! Your wife is awesome to film you like she does an support you the way she does with your little projects. Unfortunately what also comes with this kind of prepping is the second amendment prepping. No good if.yiu can't protect all you've built an invested into. Cause ppl will come an they won't always be kind. Much love!

[@Dutch_off_grid_homesteading]

Heya, it's good to be prepered and you show us that after that hale storm and to have more lairs of priperdnise I think is a good idee

[@mannyfragoza9652]

If i had my own home id def by a bigger Generator than what i have. I have a WEN 2000W Inverter Gen Rated Watts 1600 Surge 2000 .People when buying a Generator should be aware of the Rated Wattage and the surge. When i bought this Gen i thought i was buying a Gen with 2000 running watts because of the Model WEN 2000W, It should have been named WEN 1600 with an Asterisk in the Ad *2000 Surging Watts. I had first time buyers remorse to say the least when i found out the Running Watts was 1600.

[@redsquirrelftw]

I've been thinking of getting a generator too, looking at the smaller 1-2kw inverter ones, since the idea is to run a 600w 27v psu to top up my solar battery then turn it off. My solar is my backup but in winter it's not enough so I'd run the generator top top up as needed. I still need to run all the wiring for that but I do have everything I need except for the generator.

[@fduran6993]

You could use the tractor as a power unit connecting a power head to its pto. The tractor is regularly used so should not fail when it is needed. Also you could set a kind of hybrid system with batteries bank for the low current demand periods allowing the fuel engine to stop. Take care.

[@RayBuildsCoolStuff]

Modern Mcgiver

[@fduran6993]

@@RayBuildsCoolStuff For. your knowledge there are power sets that connect to tractors' pto.

[@peterking1134]

Ray, your sound is not clear. Sounds raspy! Great presentation. Yesterday’s blog was the same

[@EL90291]

Is there a breaker selector for (solar/generator) the main panel , available on the market, I know that on boat you can install a breaker selector that only let you turn on one breaker and the other off or the other way around .

[@RayBuildsCoolStuff]

I showed the interlock you describe in the video.

[@kennethalmond8922]

I just bought an 8000w Champion (model 100297) which is not inverter (dirtier power) My plan is to use it to charge the batteries of my solar system rather than power home circuits directly. It's max is ~7000w but probably 3000-5000w range for most efficient fuel -> kwhs. Will need to experiment. I got 8 x 15a @ 48v lithium chargers so I can turn on 3 or 4 or all 8 etc to vary the generator load from most efficiency to more rapid charging. Hopefully the chargers don't need inverter generator (cleaner) power.

[@dewayneshaw2285]

What would you charge me to build me for my e-bike I need a 52 volt and as many as amps as possible!

[@houseofancients]

question ray, why arent you running the genny through the gen port of one of your inverters? should charge your batteries, which would take away the need for not turning things on

[@RayBuildsCoolStuff]

Still haven’t commissioned the main system. Lots going on. Getting through it though.

[@infocentrousmajac]

I found you main interconnect circuit breaker panel rather interesting. The way all power sources interconnect I think would make an excellent video on its own! I saw that your design selection for the main grid circuit breaker is 200 amps. However, I could not see what value you chose for the solar panel array. I did see you have several breakout boxes on the back side of your main CB panel. I am assuming these are for the solar array. Finally, I don´t think you described HOW or where your battery layer is connected. I am assuming you hook it up in the house panel to select battery or one of the external sources ( solar, generator, or grid), can you comment on that? Thank you! Anyhow... GREAT INFORMATIVE VIDEOS!!! excellent content. Stay warm! cheers

[@RayBuildsCoolStuff]

Hope you find my earlier videos. I’ll be finishing this all up soon.

[@renepost452]

Hi Ray ever considered getting a Victron Quattro for integrating Solar, generator, grid and batteries into a single system?

[@RayBuildsCoolStuff]

I am building a large system with three Deye 8k hybrid inverters. Lots of videos on my channel of the build. Hope to finish soon.

[@renepost452]

Ah yes found the video, looks like a pretty big investment already. Going to watch it further now. Thanks for the content, really enjoying it!

[@bbrown_sc]

Why can't you run some of your house loads on your inverter solar panels? If you had your batteries and Chinese inverter's commissioned, do you think you'd need any of these other generator sources? Got to get that finished Ray. 😀

[@RayBuildsCoolStuff]

Yep

[@RayBuildsCoolStuff]

Yep

[@petertomas3665]

Hello mate, im a new subscriber so i havent watched many of your videos yet, just a couple. But i have a question, why you care to run so long time your backup generator ( weeks or months) since you are autonomus with solar panels ? Usually when we use solar we need the backup generator just for a few days in case of very heavy cloudy days. Where i live for example there is no chance to have heavy cloudy days for more than a week in a raw. As a matter of fact that happened only twice this winter for us. So, what am i missing ? Keep up the good work !

[@RayBuildsCoolStuff]

What I don’t stress is that the reason for this system is in case of catastrophic grid failure that could take months or years to rebuild. A Carrington event, terrorism or gross mismanagement or war could cause this type of long term grid outages with difficulty of finding backup fuel supplies. In this case we might need a month of generation in the course of a year. Most likely this would never occur but the consequences if it did make me prepare. I wear seatbelts in my car but never have accidents.

[@petertomas3665]

@@RayBuildsCoolStuff I see. So you consider in case your solar panels gets damaged too in a case of war or terrorism or somethin like that so you cant have power from solar. In that case it makes perfect sense. I hope i understood well because english isnt my language ! I am autonomus with solar too but i havent got a generator yet. Im thinking for a diesel one. I watched a very easy way to make biodiesel from used cooking oils and it seems a very good idea since the final product of biodiesel from that particular procedure claims to be even higher quality that those in the gas stations which means you can use it in your generator as well or even your car if its a diesel one. I havent test it yet myself but i will for sure. Either way keep up the good work, i find your videos very very informative ! Greetings from Greece.

[@BeastMovies]

We've used gens offgrid for 15 years and never lost any electrical appliance. Get a cheap surge protection extension lead. Wow, super cheap gen, I wouldn't run it past 3kw to 4kw max. Our 10 kw we only use 50%. Make sure you change the oil every few days.

[@patrickmckowen2999]

Great 👍 Why not propane Gen, stays stable for a long time. Cheers

[@RayBuildsCoolStuff]

This size inverter generator isn’t available in propane.

[@MaximC]

14:33 Wait, don't you guys in the US use 110-120V power grid? How so that you're talking about 240V here?

[@RayBuildsCoolStuff]

We use 240 split phase. Either leg of the 240 gives us 120 when combined with a neutral or for larger loads we use 240

[@MaximC]

@@RayBuildsCoolStuff Oh, I see. It's like when we in Europe have bigger things to power, we upgrade from 220V to 380V grid.

[@jalpa9642]

Another homestead I watch on YT its in OK., he's off-grid, copied a friends Solar setup, part for part, he's got 10- 200+/-..? W Panels...for the life of him he can not make Solar Power bcuz he don't know how, so he's bought these Predator 9000 and 9500 W Generators at harbor freight w/extended warranties. He's on his 5th one right now, he runs them 24/7/365, claims to change oil & filter when due, but I doubt that....! When 1 crashes, he returns it to h/f and gets another one, free..! =)

[@RayBuildsCoolStuff]

That’s a lot of gasoline.

[@RayBuildsCoolStuff]

That’s a lot of gasoline.

[@jalpa9642]

@@RayBuildsCoolStuff It sure is and then he gets these Solar Power Stations, he must have 12 different brands and they all do the same things... like Ecoflow, Bluettie, sunpower, etc...mr $$ bags..!

[@RayBuildsCoolStuff]

LOL

[@wslrichards]

It costs money to cut trees too...

[@RayBuildsCoolStuff]

It’s a lot of work but the cleanup starts Monday. Getting the grapple back today.