RYOBI 6500 Watt Generator | Can it power my WHOLE house? | 2022/001

[@Wheeler18]

I'm no expert, but anyone watching this video, be aware that you have a very important break in for a new generator you have to perform before putting it to work like this, and you also need to let it come up to temperature before puttload on it, and throw the breakers WAY slower, maybe 5mins between additional load. rest is awesome. thanks for sharing!!

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Great advice!!

[@nodak81]

None of that is necessary. It's a bunch of old wives tales. Just like the myth that you need change your car's oil every 3k miles. I own nine generators and never did any of that with any of them. Zero problems. One is 17 years old with well over a thousand hours on it. It's not a Ferrari, it's meant to go to work right out of the box.

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

@nodak81 I'd agree on the break in part, but that can easily be done during monthly operations checks. Throwing a breaker slower would change anything as stated.

[@gabrielsousa-bd5fm]

*Love how quite it is, New **Generater.Systems** maneuverable enough would be better with a little bigger wheel*

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

It's pretty easy to move around.

[@Scrotum_69420]

It's easy to move, but it's a pretty loud generator.... I have 2, they are arguably the best generator you could buy for under $1,000

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Agreed, most don't realize just because this one is labeled and branded as Ryobi, it's actually a Briggs and Stratton.

[@Scrotum_69420]

@@DadItYourselfDIY that's why I bought 2! Once I seen the price and who actually made it - Knowing if something did go wrong it's cheap and easley fixable, even by a common person.

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Word!

[@n0h278]

I have never seen this much RYOBI in one place bought by one person. This is amazing. Intrigued to watching more of your content.

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Thanks!

[@roltol7539]

you should not stick to a brand, brands never make 100% quality, some of tools ok, some are better from competitor brands, so you need to pick wisely. Ryobi is not made for durability... its made to be cheap..

[@KenMac100]

Sponsored ?

[@shikaotewarrior]

You haven't seen my garage. =)

[@shikaotewarrior]

@@roltol7539 Not sure where you got your information about Ryobi being cheap because it's obviously incorrect. I have lots of Ryobi tools that work great.

[@aday1637]

We just did this at our home in Texas and as a result of last winter's famous outages. Hopefully, we'll never need to use this but if we do, it's there. We also have installed a basic solar system to power just the refrigeration and freezers for a day or 2, if needed. I highly recommend this video to homeowners. The cost is minimal and the peace of mind is priceless.

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

I could not have said this better!!!

[@danteerskine7678]

@@DadItYourselfDIY good video man. A heavy duty diesel generator would be fine, something like 15 KW but the problem is that they're barely transportable

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Yup. The advantage of my setup is that the generator is still a portable asset for ny construction business is necessary.

[@Wormanatti]

Make sure to start that generator at least twice a month. Let it run & power an item while regular maintenance running. They can go bad from none use. Be it the carb or magneto I think the part is called.

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Great advice!!

[@Wraith35]

You have just saved me thousands of dollars from installing a Generac system. Thank you sir!!

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Just make sure it is sized correctly for your house you on-demand and resting loads.

[@jaylawoodard9901]

I needed a unit kzbin.infoUgkxOTeIs0vv4_9B5hsmnLsk9r930uDQLu_Y that I could store in my home when I wasn't running, so it being light and running on propane were key requirements. I can store the propane tank/bottle outside yet store the generator in my home when it's not in use as I will never put any gas in the engine. It is so light, and on echo mode, which I expect is how it will be used most of the time, it is pretty darned quiet (certainly compared to all the generators I hear in my neighborhood after each power outage).Many of the previous reviews had me concerned that it would be difficult to start on propane, but I have to say, I had absolutely no problem at all. I primed it first using the choke...3 pulls, heard the engine want to start, flipped it to propane, and one more pull and she started. I ran it for 2 hours the first time and plugged it in my fridge. And when I was done, I put the propane tank away and carried the generator to my basement for next time.I could not be happier.

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

It does!

[@Ryobifanatics]

Steve from Ryobi Fanatics here, This video is great! I just purchased this generator yesterday and I’m definitely going to set my home up this way. Like you my power is interrupted almost every time the wind blows.

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Thanks Steve..

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

So, hopefully, this comment will answer some questions until I am able to do a follow-up video: Currently, this generator runs on gasoline. The literature says 10 hours of run time on a full tank. I plan on doing the carburetor upgrade for propane/natural gas in the future. While this will give me virtually unlimited run time, the engine is not as efficient, so putputload can be affected. - This generator is 6500 watts, and it is sized for MY home. I did an energy audit, and it can run my home at full load, including my 240v appliances (water heater and clothes dryer) simultaneously. Not that I would need to run the dryer during a blackout. The water heater for sure. - I DO NOT have Air Conditioning in my home. This is a huge factor in choosing the right size generator. In my area, it only gets up to 80 degrees in the summer. My furnace is a natural gas-fired heat only with a 110v blower. I have two window A/C units as well, those both run on 110v wall power and are well below my power threshold when in use. - My Hot Tub is a 110v unit plugged into a standard 20amp exterior GFCI plug on my patio, if it exceeded my power requirements, I would just unplug it, but as you saw from the video the generator handled it easily. I have no plans on using it during a blackout. - The electrician charged me $300 for the installation, including the local permit and parts. My breaker panel is located inside my garage on the exterior wall. so the installation of the interlock and exterior receptacle was easy and used minimum materials. Longer runs from a more centrally located panel, etc., would have increased this price threefold. - The generator has a bonded neutral and is correctly bonded and grounded to my home electrical service for safety purposes. - I am in the process of redoing my shed. At that time, it will be mounted, covered, and secured. The design of the generator provides some weather protection, the fuel tank makes a a "roof" over the engine, but I can easily place a piece of plywood over it for additional weather protection in case of rain. In the meantime, I store it in the garage, and when in use, it is chained to my gas meter to prevent theft. Fortunately, I live in a neighborhood of active and retired military members. Theft is not a real concern. - When running on normally load, the generator sounds like a larger lawn mower. so its not "noisy" I am fortunately that my neighbor and I have opposing exterior walls, neither of which have doors or windows in them, so the noise is limited by that. a sound enclosure is in the works as well. - Yes, I am aware I must TWIST the connectors. If I missed anything, please let me know. - Scott

[@louismays7810]

We have a 5500w husky generator its old junk tbh. I want to get them a bigger brand new one and run it like yours is but we are not rich theres no $ in this place ty 4 video

[@TOURMANBOB]

Well no where do you mention your generator is an inverter generator (which from looking at it, I don't think it is). From my research, it is imperative to only hook the house up to an inverter generator as most appliances have a myriad of computer boards in them, and anything with Total Harmonic Distortion over 5% can destroy them. If you plan to use this kind of regular generator, try to find out what the THD is for your own protection. Most non inverter generators run around 15% THD, the utility is about 5% THD, and most inverters are less than 3% (with top of the line Honda's being less than 1%THD) .So pure sine wave "clean" electricity for all your appliances and computers. They are also incredibly quiet.... Most people buy the regular open frame non - inverter models as they are very inexpensive. But the cost of replacing things that can get damaged by using them can be far more. Just saying......

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

This is awesome feedback, and I think you are correct. This is NOT an invertered generator. Fortunately, I only plan on using it in emergency situations only on my home. We are very fortunate that most blackouts only last a few hours and it's more of a convenience. I'm going to look at line filter options.

[@TOURMANBOB]

@@DadItYourselfDIY Well, one way you can protect the regular computers in your home is to have them powered through an APC power supply that acts like a filter against dirty power. So when the power goes out, the computers will stay on long enough for you to power them down. In my office, I have four business computers all going through the APC 1300 watt power supply for protection against surges, dirty sine wave power and sudden shut down. As for power itself, I am running my home backup through a Generlink switch with a Honda EU6500 watt inverter generator which has a THD of less than 1%. This protects all the appliances in my home, which being relatively new, are chock full of computer boards which need protection. The Generlink unit itself also provides surge protection coming in to the home. The only problem with the Honda generator is the price....$7000 Canadian..yikes!!!!! I realize many people use "dirty" generators for home backup, and I don't want to appear to be overbearing, but it IS a thing that most people forget about, and it's just as important as proper voltage and frequency ( perhaps more so). Our last power outage up here in Southern Ontario lasted four days and I put over 50 hours on the generator, so my personal usage is turning out to be anything but infrequent. And I honestly don't know if infrequent usage of a non inverter generator is any kind of protection but I doubt it.. I'm sure millions of people get away with doing it with no harm done, so realistically, who knows. But that's the theory nevertheless......

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Good stuff!

[@MrDarkside1355]

Guy has more ryobi products in one place than my entire home depot

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

I'm trying!

[@skylane1829]

Also, consider a soft start capacitor for the A/C so it absorbs the surge instead of the Generator. It works perfect. It’s great to have them standing by.Thanks for sharing your video.👍

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Thanks for the tip. I do not have A/C, but lots of people do, and this is a great suggestion!

[@CannonFodder873]

The AC compressor unit usually CONTAINS one, unless they're a design I haven't seen....they're probably the MAIN reason most outdoor units fail.

[@onlythewise1]

ya if i got a billion dollars i buy everything on earth to

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Wouldnt we all.

[@Incindio13]

@@onlythewise1 The soft start kits are only a few hundred dollars, worth it's weight in gold on those hot Summer nights during a power outage!

[@oSTYNCLSYo]

Twist the plugs clockwise after plugging in to the house and generator, it locks the plugs so they can't vibrate or be pulled out.

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Yup.

[@rosewoodsteel6656]

I have two panels in my garage, so unfortunately, your solution didn't work for me. I ended up installing a separate, manual transfer panel/switch and routed the circuits I needed from both panels, to the third panel. To secure my generator and protect it from the weather, I trenched over to my rear shed and installed it there, along with a louvered fan and exhaust piping for venting the fumes and keeping a steady airflow across the generator. During hurricane Sandy, thieves were stealing generators by pushing running lawn mowers next to generators and rolling the generators away.. I don't live in Louisiana, but thieves can be found anywhere.. Thank you for the time and effort put into the video. Great job!

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Creative solution

[@CoachP79]

@@DadItYourselfDIY I have a 6500 generac that we got and I have two panels would run it to only the down stairs panel. What is the load it could handle? What would I need to look for from my power company??

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

@CoachP79 It really depends on your needs. My house has all gas appliances, so not a bunch of 240V devices. No A/C either. Start with the big things and go from there.

[@iiinsaiii]

Tip: run your generator in your yard and in a shed and install an attic exhaust on the shed. Trust me, if it becomes a prolong situation. You don’t want to keep that generator out front, it will walk away. In a shed will keep the sound down. Remember “ the nail that sticks out gets hammered “ now you need to figure out, if something happens ( in the world we are in now ) and the grid goes down. How long would you like to run? Are you going to keep running all night? Are you going to just run during the day? Then you need to figure out how much gas you want on hand. Because remember if the power goes out, so does the gas station and if they do have power. Get ready to wait in long lines. Sorry for the rant, just trying to help. 😂 Just your local Prepper ✌️

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

All great advice!

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Umm... I live in civilization, not in a post-apocalyptic walking dead world. Get a grip.

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Ok! So apply the comment to him! 🤣🤣

[@LeFraudHasChokedInSIXFinals]

@@DadItYourselfDIY I just deleted the comment. Thanks again for the excellent video.

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Thanks for the compliment.

[@brianr101010]

You really are RYOBI brand loyal. Respect. For my "Whole home" generator I had been running a 5,500 watt standard run 6,875 watt peak run obsolete generator with a 20 amp connection plug and now I have but haven't connected my new Westinghouse 9500DF duel fuel 9,500 watt standard run 12,000 peak run generator with a heavy duty 50 amp connection plug. I have partially figured out how to make the system fully automated like a "standby generator" using propane fuel to avoid fowling the carborator. I have a way to automatically start the gen during a power outage, but still trying to find a safe dependable way to automatically switch from mains power to gen power.

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Nice!

[@micahthompson3762]

You covered it nicely. The power cable locking into placed was mentioned below. :) And also mentioned was using LED's. I have separate LED recessed lighting powered by solar. I picked the lights up from a Restore for 2 each and batteries from a guy who replaces medical/gov. facilities equipment really cheap with 9 years life l We also have a couple generators as well. With back up gas grill and wood stove, we can manage for a little while. Enjoyed your video.

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Thanks. I have replaced all the lightin in my house with LEDs as well.

[@shenmisheshou7002]

We recently had a bad ice storm and power was out for a bit over two and a half days. I had put in an interlock and bought a 6250, 5000 watt continuous inverter generator after the big freeze in Texas. There were only two house in my neighborhood of 160 homes with power, myself and the woman that lives across the street who put in a full bore backup generator after the big freeze two years ago. I could easily run everything in my house on my generator except if the toaster and microwave were running at the same time. We had all of the normal conveniences of every day life. Since then, four of my neighbors bought generators and are having interlocks installed. It really worked and it worked well.

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

What a great story, and you paid less than her. You should upgrade to an 8K and sell yours to a neighbor.

[@shenmisheshou7002]

@@DadItYourselfDIY I had at various time run extensions to neighbors so they could keep their fridges on and run their on demand hot water heaters. The heaters are gas, but the ignitor is electric. They did not realize that you could simply unplug them from the outlet and plug them into an extension and take a shower! Family of four and they were super grateful. They have a fireplace so they could make heat, but hot shower, saving the food, and being able to charge their phones was all they needed. I let them use my Wi-fi of course.

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

I've done the same!

[@koolaidman239]

Just went through Ian with this thing. Powered my whole house. LIKE A CHAMP.

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Nice!! Glad you're safe!!

[@jamesmcrews]

I'm still using it in Ian. I'm using it now! I thought about selling this after 4 years of not using it too

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

That's the thing about a generator. You do t need it, until you do.

[@koolaidman239]

@@DadItYourselfDIY thank you man.

[@illumination101]

Got the generator yesterday, got to get the electrician out now to install my dual breaker and receptacle and everything else. I live in Southern middle Tennessee and weather's been brutal this winter 19° nights/days. Wish me luck

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Awesome! I hope your install goes as easy as mine!

[@paulpivaral4832]

How much your tech guy cost you for breaker work ?

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

$300 including materials. My breaker box is on an external wall in the garage.

[@doclees11]

This was good to know you can power what you need with such a small and cheap generator. My new house build will have this set up for those rare times. Plus that is a convenient portable for other jobs.

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Exactly. Im a handyman, so ot has been pulled into service in other tasks for sure.

[@doclees11]

@@DadItYourselfDIY We are building on florida panhandle an have been deciding what type of backup power to install. After talking with the realtor I've been assured that power outages are rare and only a coupe of days after large storms. This is a bunch cheaper that a Generac battery or whole house generator.

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

A much cheap option.

[@edw297]

@@doclees11 Yep, but in Florida, you are going to have A/C and this just ain't big enough to handle it. While you may find that if you add up your loads and they are under 6250 W, you really don't want to rely on a generator running at full capacity for many hours or days, let alone the fact that they suck gas and the gas stations will be closed. Whole house permanent generators can give you a lot of advantages, automatic switchover being a huge one (can you expect everyone in your household to be able to plug in the generator, switch the breakers, start it and then watch the fuel?) whole house generators commonly start the generator every week for a test and to blow out the bugs and the Florida humidity. And then they tend to run off of natural gas which means that you generally don't have to worry about anything, they just start and run on your own. Oh, and on a portable generator, you should always power down the generator before adding gas, unless you want to become a human candle!!!! And no matter what you use, watch the manufacturers specs on maintenance. You may have to change the oil every 20 hours! That not a big deal on a lawnmower, but it certainly is on a 24x7 generator

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Great advice!

[@manandatractor]

I'm glad that you stated at the end of the video that it would be prudent to evaluate your whole house power consumption before sizing the generator. Not all homes are equal and in many cases a 6500 watt generator would be woefully inadequate to power the entire home. I live in the sticks and have a 10kw generator (50 amps @ 240 volts) peak wattage at 13,000. We have to prioritize what is important like the well pump, HVAC, refrigerator and freezer, lights, etc. We have propane hot water and cooking appliances, so that helps to avoid the electrical overload. It will add up fast and you may have to do without some things for the duration of the power outage. I guess I'm just suggesting caution to those that want to "wing it" and make a bunch of assumptions.

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

You would be amazed how many have called me a liar, because they compare their home to mine without know the specifics of my home.

[@manandatractor]

@@DadItYourselfDIY Under normal circumstances, in an average all electric home, the hot water heater, the stove, and the HVAC would put you way over budget on a 6500 watt generator, so I can see where the reaction would come from.

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Absolutely! I'm fortunate that I have a gas furnace and stove. My dryer is electric, but I guess we can go without laundry during an outage. The water is electric for now, but managing power usage during the outage, we should be able to have hot water without having to sacrifice other necessities.

[@DustynMooreZero]

I completely agree with your comment. I'm way out in the sticks too and our entire house is powered by nothing other than electricity so I had to prioritize what to have ran on a 6 circuit transfer switch (2 circuits of which are joined from 20amp + 20 amp). wattage adds up quick and water was a main priority so the well pump was a must along with some of the kitchen and living room. haha but I can see people out there that just wing it and don't think about these things until a mistake is made.

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

It's super important to know your actual demand when sizing your generator. I got lucky!

[@ralphgreenjr.2466]

I have had standby generators for 25 years (4 different residences). I currently have a Generac 24Kw with switching gear, propane fired. Generac is first rate as they will do an electrical assessment of your peak demand to determine the right size generator for your application. My set up will power everything in my house and pole barn to include my Lincoln welder. Switching gear is a must, as it will monitor line power, engages when the line power drops, and shut down when power is restored. The Generac does a weekly run test. It is not cheap, but you get what you pay for. This my 3d Generac.

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

This is a perfect scenario. My setup was about $1200. You probably spent $15000

[@ralphgreenjr.2466]

@@DadItYourselfDIY Close $12,000. I was in the Army and we never lived in the city. When I was gone (frequently) I wanted my wife protected. I have set up and had installed 5 generators counting my sister in laws. I live on a farm in the county.

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

I was in the Navy so I know your method and madness!

[@bubbatime]

Leave the water heater off. It pulls like 4000 watts. I would only power the water heater 45 minutes before you plan on taking a shower, and then turn it back off after showers are done. And the hot tub? really? Save fuel, turn off those ridiculous loads.

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Great tips. I forgot the Hot Tub was on. During a blackout, it would normally be off. Made for good content though! 🤣

[@supremeautomotive6749]

I don't think it would have that much of difference with these generators they run full throttle all the time so you are burning the fuel just use it.

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Agreed

[@MrTaylorfenoglio]

@@supremeautomotive6749 the actually don't. They ajust the rpm based on the load itself. Most inverted generators do this

[@supremeautomotive6749]

@@MrTaylorfenoglio this is not one of those generators. This is a full throttle the whole time

[@konnehabu3911]

This generator worked like magic , it's not big but it taking all these loads, just wow😮

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

I'm glad it work well for you!!

[@timbookedtwo2375]

My wife and I bought a 6.5kw inverter-generator to power our house when the grid goes down. We have only tested it and not yet had an actual grid down situation in which the generator was needed. The tank holds 18 liters (we live in Europe), and the generator can run at full load for 8 hrs, according to the manual. We have not yet tested that. We need to keep A LOT of gasoline on hand. Besides it being a fire hazard, it is also a pain to rotate the the gasoline because it does go bad afer a while. We first wanted a dual fuel (propane/gasoline) generator because propane keeps "forever." Our stove and oven are powered by propane. Our electrician and automechanic both told tus hat the propane where we live (in a southern European country) was too "dirty" for internal combustion engines, so we went with just the gasoline version. Looking back, I probably could have bought a filter or made one for the propane. Another reason for not buying a dual fuel generator is that they are not popular (yet) here. They are all US imports, and warranty, parts and service are not guaranteed. So that was a no-go. We want a backup for our backup (inverter-gernerator), so we are pricing an 8-10Kw photovoltaic system that will power our necessary appliances (freezers, fridges, water pump,lights, small electronics etc). Since we live in southern Europe sun, or lack of sun, is not a problem. Still, the system will have the capability of charging or topping off the batteries with a generator, for which we have a small Honda inverter-generator that is very fuel efficient. The PV system will be expandable, so as we get the funds we can build it out to where we can be 24/7 fully off-grid. Generators are good as long as fuel is affordable - and available. Yours was a good video, and I enjoyed watching it. You gave me some confidence that out 6.5Kw inverter-generator will power our house if necessary. Keep up the good work!

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Thank you for the comment!

[@tomf4547]

Damn right about fuel prices. At £9 a gallon I cancelled my order for a generator when I realised it would cost £2500 a month running constantly 😭

[@dancoulson6579]

It's true that fuel is very expensive in places like the UK. But in more developed nations where the petrol is cheaper, it can be a good backup solution.

[@tomf4547]

@@dancoulson6579 more developed countries 😂😂. Tell that to Biden, must admit though, Johnson is trying his best to bring us back to the iron age. (unless you're in his special club).

[@rosewoodsteel6656]

Tim, my generator also runs on gasoline. I use a fuel additive to preserve our reserve gas and simply dump the old gas into our autos when it is time to rotate. This has served us well. As an added benefit, for those living in hurricane prone areas, the reserve gas can be used to get your family safely out of town. No long lines at fueling stations.. One last note, propane does not have the energy content of gasoline, so the generator will produce less wattage than it's gasoline powered counterpart.

[@tonyb7748]

Got the same generator in the back of my Avalanche just for power outages.. I back it up to the home and run it from the bed when needed. Noticed you had a AvY so I figured Id share . Love that truck and mines got 182k now on the 5.3 .

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

I'm at 182! as well!!

[@tonyb7748]

I plan to have a fresh engine and transmission this year with some rust abatement and body work done. I cant justify spending the money on a new one.@@DadItYourselfDIY

[@rlewis8821]

Good video. The other reason to call a licensed electrician to do the work is that insurance co's are always trying to find excuses not to fork out claims money, so if you have a fire or something you may have a hard time getting paid if they find out the work wasn't done by a licensed electrician. I didn't hear you say central A/C when you switched the circuit breakers back on. I can't run my house on 6.5KW if I am gonna keep the A/C running which in my neck of the woods is a must during the Summer.

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Im a GC, and know my limits. No A/C in my house.

[@Incindio13]

Get an appropriate generator and look into installing a soft start kit in your outside unit. I did it and everything runs great, including my central AC. Watch some videos and do your homework.

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Great advice for those with A/C

[@antiontaylor262]

Great informational video for someone new to generators. I'm a novice Ryobi guy & looking to go this route with one of their units soon as I already have their 40v power station for light use during power outages.

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Thanks! The great thing about this video is the information and setup applies to any comparable generators.

[@yellow_panther]

the 2 main problems I see are 1) how to secure it against theft, as the sound of the gen will definitely attract thieves and 2) what do you do when it starts raining?

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

I can chain it to my vehicle or to my home. I eventually plan to build a shelter for it.

[@kennethlowe6337]

Yea chain that joker down. Ilive 20 miles south of new Orleans and after Katrina and Ida people would steal a lawnmower and wait for people to turn off the lights and go to bed and then they would take the generator and leave the lawnmower running so if you woke up you would hear that motor humming.

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

You have to applaud their creativity.

[@edw297]

It is pretty apparent when the generator is stolen. No more power.

[@yellow_panther]

@@edw297 AND no more generator engine noise ...

[@markymark8665]

Great video. I bought a dual fuel Champion portable generator. Don’t care for having to keep a large amount of gasoline around and as others have said, if the outage is widespread the gas stations are down too. I also got a kit to allow it to run on natural gas. So, Tri- fuel if you will. I have a NG quick connect on the back of the house for my grill and bought a 25’ extension hose to connect to the generator. Should be able to run indefinitely on NG. I also got a tank of propane as a backup plan. Scheduling the electrician to add the necessary hardware soon.

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

I need to do the modification on mine for that!

[@darwinjina]

Thank you for the warnings and safety. I saw a video a few days ago were a DIYer installed a EV plug in their garage. (I think the bait was that it cost $60 or something like that). No warnings. Anyways, he filmed himself working the wires in the fuse box, and I got real anxious. (Instantly melted a drill bit decades ago when working near a panel and still haunts me)

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Gotta keep the Safety Police happy!

[@lydiawellington8117]

The cost.

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

$300 for the permit and electrician, $900 for the generator.

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

I'm assuming the electrician was using a carbide hole saw.

[@TheWilferch]

The L14-30 , 4 prong connections you show being connected to the house and to the generator......you pushed them in but you should "push-and-twist"..... to engage the "L" shaped prong you showed being on the ground spade (7:09 -7:31).

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Pinned comment addressed this.

[@neilbrookins8428]

Very informative video and good safe design. One thing you didn’t mention is that the order you turn on the breakers does indeed matter. Specifically you should turn on the ones with surges such as refrigerator and window air conditioner prior to large loads such as water heater. Doing it in the wrong order ( water heater, then refrigerator) will put extra unnecessary strain on the generator and also cause strain on the refrigerator too due to voltage sag.

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Great advice

[@barryporteous4904]

@@DadItYourselfDIY Just like Apollo 13!

[@childishtombino1275]

Refrigerators and Air conditioners will cycle anyway, so you can turn them on in whatever order you wish, they will still be turning on and off throughout their time being connected to power. I'd argue it doesn't matter - so long as there is room for that inrush in your generator.

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Id agree.

[@neilbrookins8428]

@@childishtombino1275 when you first turn on the generator it will be preceded by a power outage during which time the refrigerator warms up and the room with the air conditioner warms up and the water heater cools off. This means all three devices will be calling for maximum power right away. This is not the same as when the generator has been running for a while and they cycle on randomly. Therefore, my advice regarding power on sequence is still helpful from an optimization point of view; even if it’s not technically required it still reduces surges.

[@leetownley6625]

Out side where you have it is easy to come up missing. ( chain it and lock it to something stable) don’t use ethanol gas it will gum up the carburetor, or empty all gas after use and run it dry till it goes off by it’s self. Propane is better chose( just my advice). Great information! God Bless

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Thanks for the feedback !

[@darrenjohnson379]

Add Seafoam when ever possible to the gas. It’s superior in helping keeping the gas stable and thins it out to help not gum up the system along with cleaning the system. But I use LNG for my Tri fuel and propane for the dual fuel.

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

@darrenjohnson379 Great advice!

[@rusack7174]

Especially with LED lighting that's prevalent today, most bedrooms provide very little in the way of electrical draw that they can be brought online with hardly any thought. Obviously too, nothing uses less energy than that which is turned off. It's the big energy users such as electric water heaters, dryers, electric furnaces, ranges/ovens (electric heaters of any type) that present the greatest demand from a generator. Factor in startup current too from refrigerators and freezers.

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Exactly.

[@cbc9002]

Dude. Thanks for video. We just got hit by Ian in Orlando and have no power. We got the same generator and have our 2 frigs running . Now seeing this I'm hooking up my house. It's smaller but good to know we chose the right one.

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Good deal! Glad your safe..

[@Incindio13]

Also using a soft start kit like the Micro-Air Easy Start can also allow you to use a portable generator to run your central AC. Watch some videos on it, I have one on my 2.5 ton AC unit and use the Duromax XP13000HXT generator and I can run my whole house and AC no problem. Do your homework and make sure everything is sized correctly for your application. Just something to think about if you hate being hot during the Summer during a power outage, especially at night.

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Nice! Great advice!

[@SniperX611]

This is a great tip, thank you!

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Glad I can help!

[@sergioj2587]

Hello, i have a 5 ton a/c unit and i just purchased a Duromax Xp15000HX, i was under the impression that i can run my A/C with no problem but that i see your comment di i really need soft start kit? Thank you

[@TheWilferch]

Nuanced question on an interlock installation.....Most generators sold today come from the factory as "bonded" neutrals vs using "floating" neutrals. This makes sense as a lot of generators are used "stand-alone"....like on a construction site. However, when you tie-in this generator to a house circuit, you have a neutral circuit that doesn't switch on-and-off as you cycle your panel between line power and gen power, and bonding exists then in 2 locations. The neutral is always "there" both ways and can cause parallel circuit feedback ...... which ..... apparently trips the generator's-own GFCI breaker. No power supply. Not good. So we have a tough choice to make. 1.) Go "inside" the generator and "break" the bonded neutral and create a floating-neutral. This is as simple as finding a wire... disconnect and loop upon itself....removing it from the same nut that holds the ground. However, this 1.) violates the genset warranty and 2.) causes a possible safety problem if the genset ever gets used again as "stand-alone" unit. Going to floating neutral suggests we should add a safety tag to the genset saying..."Unit has floating neutral. Not suitable for stand-alone power until neutral is bonded"....or some-such. 2.) Or...... we leave the bonded neutral on the genset...and wire up to deactivate the ground connection on the power line that connects the generator to the house. Just be mindful of this cable and never run a car over it or damage it in any way. In either case, ....we won't have 2 locations of bonded neutrals which cause problems...and the GFCI outlets on the genset won't trip....and we have power from the generator...as we intend.

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

This is great info for sure!

[@TheWilferch]

@@DadItYourselfDIY ...even better....my original note to you above "lifts" the ground from the genset to the inlet box...to solve the parallel path feedback issue. BETTER would be to "lift" (break) the ground from the inlet box to the main panel, instead of from the genset to the inlet box. This provides a better risk protection of the box when there is gen power...as the inlet box is "live" during gen power and "dead" during line power.

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Interesting thought. I left all that up to the electrician.

[@TheWilferch]

@@DadItYourselfDIY ..well...it's important....and just as much so, for folks looking here and needing to do the same....cheers.

[@mitchmintz111]

Nice job. The one thing not mentioned in all the video is the quality of the generators output. There are different types of generators, some put out ‘dirty’ power that some of the sensitive electronic equipment have issues utilizing.

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

It is not an inverter.

[@rosewoodsteel6656]

Good point, Mitch. When I was looking for a generator, that was a major concern for me. I ended up with a Generac XP8000E, which has a small amount of harmonic distortion and is compatible with sensitive equipment. It has a 8,000 watt run capacity and 10,000 start capacity. Unfortunately, I don't believe they are available new, anymore.

[@wheelie642]

I am a negative Nancy. I did the math. Generators are fuel hogs. Expensive to run and the tank needs refills often. I wish they had bigger fuel tanks. They are good to have if power is out for less than a few days for the fuels costs and running back and forth to the gas station for all the fuel. I am looking to make a purchase. I will buy a small efficient on fuel unit. Then use it to run bare minimum appliances heating and cooling. This decision I feel will suit my needs whether I need it for a few days or a few weeks. My 2 cents. Last note: They are noisy as hell. You might need and want to build an enclosure. Good videos for that are all over KZbin I would go so far as to recommend when it’s winter time get the house up to 75-80F then shut off the generator while you sleep.

[@rosewoodsteel6656]

@@wheelie642 The beauty of generators is there are units that fit most anybody's needs. If a smaller generator serves your purposes, then great! In my case, I wanted a larger unit. I have it situated in a shed, and exhausted to the rear woods, behind my house. With the shed door shut, it isn't very loud at all. I have a number of 5 gallon fuel cans, which I rotate on a yearly basis, so I only re-fuel when three of four of the cans are empty. When the fuel is nearing it's "expiration date", I dump it into one of our cars or the John Deere. If needed, the generator can run full time for over a week. If the fuel is used conservatively (Gen not running at night, etc.) the run time can be extended for as long as needed.

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

A great point here.

[@Bubbajgb]

did not not see putting a ground in. Understand that a copper ground needed to be pounded into the ground and then wired directly to the generator. Am I correct?

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Was not required by my city or permit.

[@charles-hu8ru]

6500w is equal to a 240v 30 amp circuit. Just because you flip a breaker for the oven doesn't mean it will run an oven without tripping a breaker on the Genset. Most ovens have a 240v 50 amp ckt. Your hot tub is probably a 240v 30 amp. That's all that will run once the heater kicks in on the hot tub. These videos where people run their whole house off of a small genset can be very misleading. Lights, some receptacles a refrigerator and if your lucky a microwave all at one time. Anything else you have to start shutting other things off.

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Great information, I'm aware that as I increase the load on the generator, it my trip. That said, there are just things I wouldn't do during a blackout, run my over and dryer are two of them. My Hot tub is 110v 20amp. I tried VERY hard not to set high expectations and reiterated on multiple occasions that this is MY house, and meets MY needs, not Thanks for watching.

[@ronnierocha9894]

@@DadItYourselfDIY your generator should of came with a chart on what you can run for that gen

[@akbychoice]

-30 our power was out for three weeks. Kept the house warm with a 1800 watt Coleman running the furnace, the fridge, tv and white led Christmas lights strung throughout the house. No well water after the pressure tank ran down but we were ok. Cooked on a camping set and hauled water to flush the toilets. Sponge baths were a thing.

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

I hope I never have to go that long without power.

[@SlimTortoise]

Great stuff and done correctly, As for me living in France when we have a power cut, I just isolate the power intake, (in France we have a additional box as electric is controlled and brought by power level ie Max 6 kWh limit in my case, you can have it set to 3kwh or over 18kwh at 240 v standard) I just trip the large red button then connect my generator to a standard plug socket, then turn things on that do not exceed 15 amps max , this covers the basics like lights, one fridge, TV and internet, it's only a 2500kw generator used for other things. I agree it's not as professional as your system, but for us red necks 🙂 in rural France it works well.

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

You do what works for you. Befor this I had a little 1500 watt unit, a power strip and a bunch of extension cords.

[@boonecountygenerators3052]

That's a good explanation of the breaker panel interlock and why it's important. Also good to remind people to not run a gas engine in your garage (though it should be common sense). Now on the more practical side - 1) There's no need to turn off all of your breakers. Just turn off the double breakers with the big numbers on them (30 or more amps). Things like central A/C, electric water heater, electric stove, electric dryer, hot tub. 2) You'll need a generator with at least 5000 watts continuous to run an electric water heater. Turn that breaker on only when you need it, and avoid using other high load appliances while it's heating water. Then turn it back off. 3) Remember, any electric appliance whose job it is to produce heat is going to create a significant load. Things like a hair dryer, toaster, coffee maker, microwave, stove, etc. Certainly you can use these things but be mindful of the load and try to stagger their usage so you don't have more than one of these devices running at once. 4) Your most important devices (well pump, sump pump, refrigerator and freezer) can start up anytime. Avoid loading your generator near its capacity so it has plenty of reserve power to start those critical motors when needed. 5) A "Kill A Watt" meter costs around $30 and is a good investment for anyone with a generator. Plug it into any outlet and it will display your AC frequency which indicates if your generator is running at the correct speed (should be around 60 hertz in the U.S.). It will also give a voltage reading (120 volts +/- 5 volts is fine). This will give you the peace of mind that your generator is running correctly.

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Dude! This is awesome. I am probably going to do a follow-up video to address some of the comments and questions... Thank you for your comments!

[@boonecountygenerators3052]

The thing is, there aren't many hard and fast rules. It's all a matter of load vs. capacity. If all you can afford is a 3000 watt unit, ok. It will run your well pump, refrigerator and chest freezer but probably not much else. On the other hand, if you have a 10,000 watt unit and you're on municipal water and have a gas fired water heater and stove, you can probably crank up the A/C and use any appliance you want without concern. Knowing the wattage of your high load devices helps you manage limited power without tripping the breaker on your generator.

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Agreed, that's why I made that specific comment in my video. This one is good for me and my house. You'd be amazed how many comments I received on Facebook, discounting the generator and my message, because I didn't power up and run my A/C units. Ummm.. I'm 40 miles south of the Canadian border in Washington State. We done have or need Air Conditioning! Hence why 6500 watts is good for me. If I was in Texas, I would probably need 10K or more! 🤣🤣

[@winstonsmith935]

I do exactly the same with water, and it’s free. 90% efficiency. With an IN Stream 1.5 kw Hydro Electric Generator, runs 24/7 365 days if required, feeds and charges my battery bank. Of course this was all pre planned before I retired, 3 Acres with a Year round Stream, and enough power to run my Hydroponic Pumps in the greenhouse. Living in BC, Canada which has abundant Hydroelectric Power, so I joined the club. It’s free hydro power.

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Very nice! Thats ingenious. Im right down the road in Washington on Whidbey Island.

[@winstonsmith935]

@@DadItYourselfDIY you are lucky too , find your acreage with a stream, and your on your way.

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

I live in the "Burbs"

[@dennisswaney644]

I'm surprised Ryobi doesn't let you use either 18V or 40V batteries to start the generator, though you might have to use a few of them in parallel for enough current.

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

They offer a battery start model.

[@mannyp812000]

I have pretty much the same set up that I used Christmas week because of an outage now it’s my back up because I bit the bullet and got a whole home generator..but definitely great to have options for backup power if you can

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Totally agree!

[@gzunbekannt]

Is there a chance you rework the Generator so you can use the excess heat (which should be about 90°C, if it is water cooled) for heating and instead of the water heater while it is running? Would save you quite a lot of fuel, especially that heat is there as soon it is running.

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

This is a air cooled engine, but Im sure with enough engineering it could be done.

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Maybe a shed or garage shop for sure. But who is working in the shop during an outage!

[@deanfields2003]

What’s the procedure for turning things off , ie. when you have to turn off the generator to re-fuel?

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Really no different than if you lost power. But now you know it's coming, so TVs, computers, or anything that you would consider "sensitive" so be off line or on battery power during these types of power swaps.

[@wmcomprev]

For those who may need to run a central air conditioner, you can go with a smaller generator if you install a soft start kit in the outside unit. This will handle the increased load at startup by using a capacitor in the soft start kit. So, your generator would then only need to be able to handle the running load, not the starting load, of the compressor. A hard start kit will work also, but it's harder on the compressor than the soft start kit would be. The hard start kit dumps the increased starting amperage into the compressor all at once, whereas the soft start kit controls the flow of the extra amperage.

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Hreat advice.

[@1kymoonrunner]

I installed a micro-air EasyStart on my 4 ton unit and can run my whole home with my predator 9500....water well 3 refrigerators and two freezers....power goes out often in my part of South Carolina and I am on the very end of the line sometimes it is several days...when I start the generator we don’t even notice a problem...I’m also running it of a 60 gallon auxiliary gas tank.

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Nice!

[@johnclyne6350]

I have the Honda EU 7000is. I tried to start my Trane 2-1/2 ton central air with everything else off in my panel. It stalled my generator & tripped it’s 30 amp 240 volt breaker. I watched the watts climb on the digital readout. Even though the surge is rated for 7000 watts. It’s been documented over & over again that the EU 7000is is more over rated than the 7000 watts. If pressed it will deliver up to 9200 watts. However at 9201 watt it will open auto. I saw the load climb past the 9200 watts & it stalled the engine out. I was surprised it couldn’t start it? I did some research & saw someone on KZbin start a 4 ton central air with a hard start capacitor. I had my A/C guy out to clean my condenser & he installed a hard start capacitor for me. With that installed. I was able to start the condenser. Then slowly add load from the rest of the house. I buried the thermostat on the central A/C so it can’t cycle off. (Otherwise it might trip the main on my generator starting again). With everything on my house draws 3650 watts. I ran my entire house after Isais for three days while we were without power. I burned 22 gallons of gas. I was hooking up customers who had very noisy Generac 10 K generators. They were burning 10 gallons every eight hours. I couldn’t believe all the empty fuel jugs that littered their yard?

[@decanterus8561]

In florida generators and AC are a hard pull and faster use of ⛽ and to avoid the long 4 hr gas lines use ceiling fans.

[@ecomm7048]

Absolutely love this channel! Please look into doing some small marketing to grow your channel. There's ALOT of potential here. In a society with so many people without dads. Men who are getting married and realizing their wife isn't liking how handy he is not. Single women who don't have a man. Men and women who just want to learn to do it themselves.

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

You are so right!

[@jasonswift7098]

Nice video mate, I see that in USA back-up generators that switch on automatically when there is a power outage run off of propane or LPG where as here (Australia) they are normally petrol or Diesel powered.

[@philipjc1]

Here in Florida there is a company called Generac. They specialize in home generators. The preferred fuel is propane because it does not loose it power over a long period of time compared to gas or diesel. You can also find Generac at our local Costco. I have wired my home wired the exact same way, but my investor generator is a Honda eu3000is. Put out about 28amps. You can’t beat a Honda for reliability and quit operation.

[@zaxmaxlax]

You mean industrial generators? Those are mostly diesel for a number of reasons. Diesel motors run at a lower RPM(less parts wear/vibrations) also Diesel is cheaper than gasoline in most countries and more fuel efficient. Also, no spark plugs required.

[@Darkice77]

Mine runs off my gas line to the house so i never have it fill it. Its awesome. Power goes out and it almost instantly turns on. Power comes back and it shuts off.

[@eugeneraynard5993]

In Aus the neighbours would complain about the noise from the generator, houses are quite close together in suburbia

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

My neighbor is two meters away. What gives them the right? Its a blackout. Hopefully they are running a generator also..

[@philrogers8160]

Up here in National Grid territory when I was looking to put in a PTO generator. National Grid required a 2 knife switches, so there would be no feedback into the lines.

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Their version of an "interlock"

[@LTTUSA]

I’d recommend installing a volt and amp meter panel to monitor output and usage draw at any time. You will thank me later. 👍

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

This is a great suggestion!

[@patmaton837]

Very clear about installing. Easily understood. Will refer to in future

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Thanks for the feedback!

[@misamsung6191]

Good video but if I may make a suggestion for the future. When turning on breakers use your left hand and turn away from the breaker panel. Even though you aren't dealing with lightening sometimes stuff happens and it is better to be facing away from the panel than facing towards it.

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Good hint!

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

I could, but it makes for a bad video shot.

[@misamsung6191]

@@Joe-by8jh It would really depend on the panel, the way the door opens and which way the breakers travel. Being that most people are right handed it wouldn't be a good idea to use your right hand. BUT if circumstances permit and you are left handed then go for it.

[@CannonFodder873]

Closing your eyes is enough, if you're worried about arcing. Their isn't enough "fault current" available at your service entrance to blow the panel cover off. They're "designed" that way....to "contain faults".

[@misamsung6191]

@@CannonFodder873 Stuff happens I've had a 20 amp breaker blow. Sure the panel should protect you but is that something you are willing to risk. Particularly when a bit of caution is all that is needed.

[@PedroMartinez-nl1gr]

Great info, agree with some comments below, some sort of enclosure for security and noise reduction. Here in Florida, many generators grow legs and in the morning you find an old lawnmower in place of your brand new generator, the reason you're sleeping and keep hearing the "generator" not knowing you've been robbed. I have a gas generator with an automatic start, not sure what to call the switch but kills the electricity going to the breaker, and supplies electricity to certain places in the house (has it's own breaker).

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Transfer switch

[@PedroMartinez-nl1gr]

@@DadItYourselfDIY Yeap, exactly that's what the electrician called it -👍 Semper Fi

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Transfer switch

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Oorah Devil Dog!

[@PedroMartinez-nl1gr]

@@DadItYourselfDIY Semper Fi brother 1987 - 1995

[@pajones6803]

Great video! Doing the same at my house with the same exact Ryobi generator. Question. The 30 AMP cord you use for the gen/transfer outlet...what is the max wattage? It seems like a 125/250V 7500 Watt will support but will it? That generator has 8125 starting Watts. Would that factor into my cord or am I good with that 7500 W cord and my gen being 6500 running watts? Thanks.

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

I got the cord at Harbor Freight, and don't have specs on hand. My assumption is 7,500 would be more than adequate.

[@EastCoastScott]

match the cord to the breaker on the generator. If its a 30 amp breaker, you need 10 gauge wire and if its only 20 amp, 12 gauge is what's needed. Just remember, at 240v, the output of the generator is only half that if it was running 120v. I wouldn't run your range or dryer and water heater only if necessary, you will overload the genny, just remember..... to find out amps, divide the watts by the voltage and to find watts, multiply amps by voltage. ex -> Your stove at 240v on a double 40 breaker = 9600 watts, the maximum for a regular 15amp plug is only 1875watts if . My genny does 83 amps at 120v and 41.5 at 240v and I have an air fryer/oven to use if power goes out just for this reason. I wouldn't even attempt to run the range unless you're putting out a lot more amps. Great things to have, just recently upgraded mine to a 10k running from a 4k.....see how thirsty this beast will be when I have to use it compared to the old smaller one

[@stevemorris3710]

Cables need to rated for maximum continuous loads, they don't need to be rated for surge/starting 🙂

[@rupe53]

@@EastCoastScott ... the power cord you buy will match the plug configuration. IOW, a 30 amp plug will be a 30 amp cord. (#10 wire) You have to know your limits on appliances. The idea of having the stove connected will be to use one or maybe two burners at most, and intermittently at that. An electric water heater should not be a priority because that will suck up most of the gen's capacity.

[@jvazquez53]

Been doing that since the early 2000s, I live in the Caribbean= "hurricane alley". Our last two hurricanes left us without power for more than 4 months. Our power goes out so often that I have three generators, two Hondas EU7000is for night time alternating those every other night and a 9000 Firman. That 9000 is for daytime use. All do run the whole house. Trick is to "play with the watts". If I'm running a high demand item, I turn something else off. The water heater, I'll run it for no more than 15 minutes and while it's running, I'll turn the AC off. Something a simple as a coffee maker draws a LOT of power. Those extension cords are very easy to make and cheaper than the pre made ones. Hope that stove is gas and only uses 120 volts. Advice about the generator, if you want it to last a long time, use synthetic oil. I had a Yamaha generator that was over 20 years ago. The head (the part that generates electricity) died. The engine is still fine, it's becoming a go kart.

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

You have become a Master at this!

[@johnclyne6350]

Hi Scott, Glad to see you discovered a way to repower your house after the lights went out to your home. Wind is the culprit to causing limbs to break & fall on the line knocking out your power. How do I know this? I’m a power lineman. Like you I have an “interlock” kit in my circuit breaker panel. However my choice of generator is far & away much nicer than yours. We have the Cadillac-Honda inverter EU 7000 is. Unlike yours I can pick up my entire house with my rollout. However if I want to power up my central A/C? I have to use your method to drop everything out & only pick up my air handler/ condenser. After I pick up the surge or what we call “cold load pick up”. I can start turning on the other breakers to my house. You read that right. I can run my entire house including my central air for my house. Thanks for letting everyone know about this inexpensive way to power up your house.

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Great feedback. My father was a lineman!

[@johnclyne6350]

@@DadItYourselfDIY Was? I hope he is still alive? The old timers were really rugged individuals. That was when men were men. Now pretty much everyone is a hydraulic lineman. We still climb poles but not everyday like they did. I have the utmost respect for the old timers. They were jam packed with a ton of wisdom. More than a school teacher in my opinion. Please send my regards to your old man.

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

He is retired now. Living his best life. 50 years with San Diego Gas & Electric

[@johnclyne6350]

@@DadItYourselfDIY Fifty years? God bless him then! He deserves it! I hope he has hobbies to keep his mind occupied? Not many lineman get to work that long especially from his generation. Between smoking, drinking & unhealthy eating habits. Many don’t live past their last day. Some die with their boots on. Some die from cancer. It’s a tough job both physically & mentally. Getting called in at night. Sitting down for dinner & the power company needs you? Or worse yet while you watch your children unwrap presents under the tree & they call looking for you. I know first hand. I live it! I’m in my 36th year. Kuddo’s to your old man for persevering! My hat is off to him.

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

He moved up in the company and retired healthy and happy. He travels alot these days!

[@howtodoitdude1662]

Is this a new method? 20 years ago I installed a transfer switch panel. I have dedicated breakers for specific rooms. Your set up is nicer because you can pick, choose and switch which breaker to use. Thanks for sharing!

[@loveydovey4u]

It must be. My brother had his house done last year and the electrician installed the same thing. I have the old panel setup

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Customer choice.

[@tcap7917]

I did the same set up years ago. As I learned from Superstorm Sandy fuel supply can become an issue. I had a pretty good reserve but we had no idea how long this outage would last. I have a 5500watt and 2800watt generators. If I know I wont be needing the higher amps I run the smaller one . Less noise and less fuel.

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Thats always a fear of mine. I am considering doing the natural has modification to mine, so I gan run it off tge house line.

[@tcap7917]

@@DadItYourselfDIY Unfortunately for many in the flooded areas the gas was turned off because of home fires.

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Yeah thats a thought, but hasnt happened here yet.

[@pepermintpilot1694]

@@tcap7917 Is there a generator available with an option to run propane as well as NG. This would allow you to have some bottles of propane, which as you know has a much longer "shelf life" than Gas (Petrol where I'm from)

[@tcap7917]

@@pepermintpilot1694 I have since converted the gensets to tri-fuel and no longer use gasoline in them. I dont have natural gas at my home but I do have a good supply of LP tanks. I removed (not required) the float in the carbs because they wouldn't have fuel in the bowls as a cushion and thus deteriorate over time from vibration. If I needed to run on petrol I could easily reinstall the float. Note: Running on Natural gas vs LP and petrol reduces the output of the generator by about 15-20%.

[@Slappies007]

I'm running my whole house on generator except the stove and geysers. Kettle and hairdryer is good to go as well 👍

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Good deal

[@tommygron4636]

We built a small housing (More like a doghouse, or a large chest) for our generator, designed to be open when running but still protecting it from the elements like rain. You can also open it completely for easy maintenance) With a concrete slab and rubber feet on the generator it also keep the noise down a bit. Obviously, it also got a lock, so it won't disappear. Anyway, it makes things quick and easy when needed to be used.

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

I'm thinking about this same setup.

[@CrazyPalidin57]

Put sound insulating material on the inside of the generator house and extend the exhaust to a pipe so that it leads out to where you will just hear a little bit of exhaust sound.

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Great idea!

[@kevinc8026]

I've had mine for 4 yrs only has 20hr ran my old Lennox hvac 3ton (from 2007) no issues.. I had to replace it this year will be doing a new test very soon on a carrier 3 ton. One would think it would be more energy efficient but let's see

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Mine has less time than that! It's like I scared away the ower outages!

[@liquidalloy]

Fantastic video dude! thank you. Being a recent home owner, this was very helpful.

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Thanks!

[@pamelaperry5382]

Great video. Please help! I have the exact generator, and I have one small space heater and a table lamp hooked to it If I try to connect anything else to it the lights go out. How can I enable my generator to work more efficiently. Thanks

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Space heaters use. ALOT of power I'm assuming it's in the 5000 watt range. Try using an LED bulb that will use much less power.

[@TheoSmith249]

Would be nice to have a load (amp meter)

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

That would be a nice add on.

[@thebearsden1701]

Great vid...I also install a power line filter to my furnace power outlet ...your furnace electronic PCB doesn't like waveform distortion from your generator ...this will help clean it up a bit..also make sure your generator has 240 out...older ones only 120 v..

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Great advice!

[@kurtracer22]

Great video, I have basically the same set up. Do you have a part number for that breaker block-off plate for the panel box?

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

homedepot.sjv.io/NKeXeP

[@Incindio13]

Those interlock kits are panel specific, you have to get one designed for your panel.

[@skeets6060]

We ran off a 5.5kw for 2 weeks several years ago, furnace, water well, wood stove fans refrigerator and freezer, so yeah if you dont get silly it will do you well

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Exactly!

[@jdesmo1]

Hi, I see 2 problems here. 1. You didn't twist-lock the plugs into lock position, need to twist clockwise when connecting to the wall and the generator. The way you did it , they can back out and spark or fall out which is dangerous. 2. This unit can't handle central AC system. So in summer, definitely not a 'whole house' solution.

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

1. Got me. I went back and twisted it, but didn't film it. 2. This generator is sized for MY house, I dont have A/C. But if I did, I woukd add a soft start to it.

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Especially when you don't have A/C. My goal is lights, hot water, fish tanks refrigerator and freezer. Internet is nice with TV.

[@jdesmo1]

@@domunicas haha, not if you lose it for multiple days in the heat of the summer, like can happen here every few years in hurricane season

[@PJvaleting]

Thanks Mr Ryobi . Glad the fish and fridge are running now time for a cold beer and watch the fish 👍

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

You got it!

[@jamiestarr1022]

Hello. Great video. Very good information and set up. Question: I have heard that running electronics like TV, internet router, even newer refrigerators, can be damaged unless you have an inverter type generator. Did you notice any problems with your electronics? Thank you.

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

No issues. But I have heard that as well.

[@rupe53]

newer electronics have low voltage power supplies internally. (they are usually 12 volt DC) I have never seen any harm done by a properly functioning gen set. OTOH, I have seen gen sets with a failure that caused the voltage to be in left field (300 volts+) and that will do damage. BTW, I repaired gen sets for 25 years so have a little experience here.

[@buixote]

There are a number of good household energy monitors available... "eyedro" is one, but you have to put current clamps around your mains... if you've got a smart-meter, there are wireless options, and your utility may even give you some data. Once you've got the ability to monitor your usage, you'll see the spikes from the microwave, the AC, dryer, etc. This will help you decide whether 6kW will do the trick for you or not. Speaking of HVAC; heat-pumps take orders of magnitude less power (500W vs. 3000, in our case). One caveat I've heard is that once you pass 50% of the generator's rated capacity, the quality of the AC degrades, and can be a problem for "sensitive electronics"... so if you're doing this *regularly*, keep that in mind. Batteries are another thing you might want to consider... even if you end up using a generator to recharge them... you can run the generator at high-output, charge-up the batteries, then turn the generator off. For short outages, the batteries will suffice, and you can recharge them off the grid. This also works for "time-shifting" so you can charge your batteries at off-peak prices. Growatt/EG4/Signature Solar is the way *I've* gone... they, and David Poz have some good videos on this equipment.

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

It seems the power cells are going to be the future, just need the price to become more competitive.

[@KATONKA...]

Westinghouse 10,000watt runs my entire house with 3 freezers and 2 fridges. I have stove, heat, water heater, pretty much everything gas that can be, so the dual fuel generator is more than sufficient... "keep the faith people and keep on keeping on"

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

That's a lot of freezers and fridges!

[@KATONKA...]

@@DadItYourselfDIY in the country with hunting fishing and trespassers👍

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Ahaha!!

[@1995babyj]

Great video this is what ive been searching for on youtube. Not just an unboxing video 😊

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Although I'm a huge fan of Ryobi, the generator is interchangeable in this video. Thanks for watching!!

[@MrMike-fn4hi]

Those are TWIST lock receptacles, you did not twist them... they can vibrate out on the generator side. Be sure to always properly seat the cables.

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Im aware. Forgot to film that part.

[@activeinfinity1]

I have the same generator. Can I put the pump to the well, stove, fridge, freezer, hot water heater, and tv, lights, and computer on it?

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

It depends on what the electrical load is with all those items. I'm on city water and have a gas stove, so for me, yes. I'd definitely see what the draw is on the pump for sure.

[@garybrown7044]

10 guage flexible cord is NOT rated for a 30 amp continuous load. 25 amps is a push. an electric water commonly has 4500 watt elements, all the 10 guage cord can handle. generator should have been connected with a 6 guage cord.

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Good to know!!! It's what the stores had in stock.

[@rupe53]

a large (50+ gallon) will have more draw but typical 30 gallon water heater will be on a 30 amp breaker with just over 20 amps draw, which will be fine on the #10 cable, which what you get with that plug configuration. That said, powering an electric water heater with a gen set is an EXPENSIVE way to do things. A little education on personal power management goes a long way with a gen set.

[@Scoop_Cannon]

Great video, but quick question. How long will a gallon of gas run the house for? Is it efficient enough to be worth running?

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Full tank about 10 hours on an average load.

[@thomasbrady2618]

Awesome video man! How much did your electrician charge for all of that?

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

$300

[@philipjc1]

Great video. I notice you have a slight breeze. That is what we would call it in Florida. If that breeze is taking you’re utility down then the utility needs to improve their system.

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Agreed

[@bubbatime]

The cords are twist locks. You push them in and then TWIST clockwise to lock them in. I didn't see you do that...

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Agreed..

[@vllee29]

About how much would it cost to install that 240 volt twister receptacle and work to configure the breaker box with additional input breakers for the generator?

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Answered in the pinned post and your other comment.

[@keithharrington8715]

To all oing this type hook-up, let me suggest you use paint pens to colorize your breakers. Green for "gott have em's"....(heat controls and fridge) Yellow for "niceties".....(sometimes loads like the water heater or a freezer....switching between them for your comfort. Red for "no damn way"......is yor family so bad, you cannot watch just one TV for an evening? And yeah, your porno studio video shoot could wait for a day or two, yes? Just a dab of paint that does not cover any breaker information.

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

This is golden!!!

[@electromech7335]

The porno video production area is getting the green pen! 😅😅

[@getliquified]

Aren't you supposed to break in the generator prior to using it?

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

The magic of television..

[@CJ-rg4qu]

Awesome video man! It was nice to see how you configured your panel to work with a cheaper setup instead of an expensive auto-switching setup. I've wondered how that would look as that's exactly how I'd want to set mine up too. Thanks!

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Glad it helped!

[@jaywronker7636]

I've run generators for years after storms here in Florida.. Just be aware that air cooled gens usually have an amount of time they can run, then require shut off and to cool down

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

That's a really good point!!

[@doug.s6289]

When you plug in the generator to circuit box....you can twist the connectors to keep them in place and not undo from vibration.

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Missed that in the video.

[@rosewoodsteel6656]

I was waiting for someone to comment on that. :)

[@chuckconnors615]

Do you have the ryobi garage opener w the ryobi batteries for back up power 🔋??? If so , how many cycles do you get when you have no power?? How much batteries amperage do your swpable batteries carry?? Thanks

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

I do not. They stopped making them when I bought this house.

[@garrynicholl8777]

Would u be able to run gas furnace fridge and freezer and lighting

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

I am

[@andyb6120]

Think you should of added a sensor on the grid input so you know when the power is back on & save yourself loads of money & un needed wear & tear on the generator when not actually needed. You could have shut the curtains & 5 minutes later the power is back on but you run the generator till the next morning!

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Wasn't aware it existed. Ill look into it.

[@andyb6120]

@@DadItYourselfDIY A simple Buzzer Etc across the incoming live & neutral? costs less than a couple of quid with a switch to turn it off when power restored then turn it on again when a power cut occurs. No expensive electronics needed. Easy

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

I found this one on Amazon. amzn.to/3Qjek3Z

[@andyb6120]

@@DadItYourselfDIY Add a relay & you then get a notification when the power goes off when your in the Garden for the afternoon having a BBQ. You could also take it to the next level & get a GSM module for around £65 to send you a text when the power condition changes.

[@mikegemmati1375]

How are you able to tell when the power comes back on? Once it’s on, do you turn off the breaker, then the generator?

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Neighbors or the power company sends a text alert. It's reverse order. Circuits off, generator off, interlock over, main on, circuits on.

[@concerned_2023]

How do your neighbors feel with a noisy generator. Homes appear close. How long do you run it. I have a Honda 1500 and a construction 3 or 4000 dual generator. The Honda is used mostly for fridge/freezer.

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

I haveva small 1500 as well. All of my neighbors have generators. The longest I've run it is 5 hours.

[@deannasander7668]

Question. My generator isn't an inverter type and hope to install a transfer switch. I was told that back up power to certain things like my pellet stove, can only be inverter because of the circuit board can be damaged. Is there any other way around that so I can still get heat to my house?

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Get a Uninterruptable Power Supply. It's battery backup for electronics. It charges when the power is on, and will act as a power filter when on generator power. They are under $100 amzn.to/4h6ghz4

[@RUBENRODZ010]

I would like to see the generator performing while the stove is being used. If you have nothing going on you’re stove there’s no load to the generator. It would be interesting to know. Very Helpful video though!

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

My stove is gas. 110v. All day? Water heater was on. Pulls 4500 watts when both elements are on, which happens rarely, and I will turn off if necessary during an outage. The only other 240v appliance I have is a clothes dryer, and we will not be doing laundry during an outage. So that just leaves the refrigerator and random 110v circuits throughout the house.

[@lavaweb1]

A lot of friends in So Cal could use this when the power company cuts our power every time the wind blows... Great idea!

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

I forgot about the brown outs!!

[@lavaweb1]

@@DadItYourselfDIY They like to call them "PSPSs" or Public Safety Power Shut offs, I call them, "utility companies are sick of paying damage settlements for the wildfires they are starting so instead they are going to turn their aging, outdated equipment that we keep overpaying for off before it starts another fire" Is that too long of a name? :P

[@lordnetsplits3192]

Didn't they ban generators in California ?

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Well, most people know the "why", they just don't agree with it!

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Thankfully I'm in Washington!

[@MrTnesmith]

Thanks for the review. You have a lovely neighborhood.

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Thanks! It's pretty new 2013.

[@TeslaBoy123]

thanks a lot for sharing this video very informative for homeowner bcz power can stop flowing at any minute if someone isn't prepared is a nightmare if is winter and heat is needed for power a furnace or a water heater

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

Exactly!

[@BMXican83]

Who would you recommend as the electrician to perform the install? I live in your area and would like to stay local and utilize your recommendation.

[@DadItYourselfDIY]

On Whidbey Island? Dylan at Pivo Electric or Matt at Currents Electric