The Generator I Chose For My House!

[@youcanthide004]

I got mine shortly after you got yours. I've been running everything's going. I'm in the process now putting in the 50 amp receptacle to run the whole house. Far very impressed seems to be a beast !!!

[@Hvacmaniac97]

Nice video ❤

[@robalexander7348]

Well Curtis, i am Pleased the hurricane by passed your area and all is safe. Your Generator set up will be very handy if needed. Stay safe over there. 👍 Au

[@bchrisl1491]

I've been watching your channel for some time. I never miss a new clip. I've got a Briggs and Stratton 14kw whole house stationary unit, runs on propane. It might be a little quieter , but it is designed to be outdoors during a during a storm. Fuel stagnation is not an issue, as it runs off the main house tank with a 500 gallon tank. That would give me a two week run time if it started when full, more than enough time to get a fresh load delivered. The Predator does not look suitable to be outside during a hurricane type of rainstorm with blowing rain. #4 is a good choice for the cable, the resistance of smaller gauge wire is a big factor as the power loss is the resistance divided into voltage drop squared. Both my heat pumps have soft start and they are not noticeable when they start, but the well pump is a two wire unit without soft start, and it makes the LED lights inside flicker. Next pump will be a three wire with a soft start. My unit's transfer case has load shedding relays one of which I run the control circuits for the emergency heat. The relay is a double pole so both the upstairs and downstairs circuits can be shed at the same time, but in ten years they have never come on, even in times of recovery.

[@youcanthide004]

I didn't know B&S made a 14,000, I know they make everything else larger and smaller, how's it holding up?

[@rockychristakes951]

Cool Curtis! Good luck to your team tonight and Roll Tide

[@HVACGUY]

Go Dawgs!

[@boatingcharlie1]

Hate being without power. I got a Yamaha inverter generator several years ago and have been building a solar system capable of running refrigerator, tv, lights, network, and small window AC. So nice to have power when bad things happen. Like your setup but yea that thing is loud.

[@patrickinottawa27]

Love the house Curtis!

[@HVACGUY]

Thanks

[@kens.3729]

We Opted to go with a Natural Gas 15kw Generator back in 2006 because ALL the Gas Stations were also without Power so we were unable to Find Gasoline close by.

[@HVACGUY]

If I had natural gas, I’d certainly hook it up. It makes a great option.

[@donaldhoudek2889]

My original generator died in January of this year after 24 years of starting 2 times a year, January/June. I would put about a quart of gas in it, start it up, check to make sure it was still producing electric power, and let the engine run until it used up all the gas. Never had a carburetor issue in all that time. This year there was no spark, purchased a new Westinghouse 12K, will only use propane (have (2) 30# tanks always full on the travel trailer. My son is purchasing the same Predator, wow it is loud.

[@TomLawson05]

Great video Curtis I installed a generac last year dose a good job thanks again

[@jthonn]

All those generators are loud, comes with the territory. I have seen people put car mufflers, cover them up (which is bad) and no avail, still loud. You have a great setup there, all comforts of home even if you lose power.

[@rickbarnett9729]

I got couple bags 💼 f concrete and to eye bolts made a slab and I have a chain to lock to the eye bolts of course I also on the top part I measured and made a little roof to set on top with overhang so if it’s raining has little extra protection

[@helmsajr]

Hey Curtis i got a 35 year old Coleman power mate generator still works 4000 watts. It's small it does the basic stuff in the house i have back up Cyber power upc on computer stuff and TV. To protect the electronic. THD on generator is 17% which is high. Thanks for all the great videos.

[@fegolem]

I have an amazingly identical setup. It was weird reading about yours.

[@helmsajr]

Nice it works

[@bayouslots3143]

Nice set up, you may not notice issues with the higher THD until later on. Your control boards on appliances may start going out. Watch you clocks to see if you time starts to change slower or faster will also be a sign.

[@OcRefrig]

Good video ! Been using a Regular inverter ( not sine wave ) for about 15 years in my truck to power a Laptop & Printer for invoicing. no issues ever. Most Stuff these days has a Transformer or power supply on the cord etc that cleans up the power. so that's why i believe stuff has no issues these days. Question --- Just being devils advocate here. Where do Put the Generator if You have 3 Ft of Water in the Yard & 100+ Mph Winds ? Have You Tested the Generator if it Gets Wet ? Will it Run in a Storm ☔️ outside or Quit ? All Things to test & think about.

[@HVACGUY]

If I have 3 feet of water, I’m not going to be here.

[@theElderberryFarmer]

There are "umbrella" kind of covers that you can get for a genny to allow you to run it while it is still raining - but if you have wind blowing with rain falling, it's best to not run the genny until the weather stabilizes. Like Curtis says - if you have that level of flooding and winds that high, you should be someplace else. Safety first - stuff can always be replaced, but not so with family and friends and pets. Take care and God Bless.

[@JustinKais]

usually means you ignored the evacuation order and chose to do something dumb like ride out a hurricane at home. when you hear hurricane XYZ killed # of people, this is why.

[@stevencossaboon3237]

Good video Curtis.

[@HVACGUY]

Thanks!

[@my-yt-inputs2580]

Roll Tide! Last December I got me a Cabela's branded generator from a local Bass Pro. $1000 one for only $400. Only dual-fuel however. 1250/10125. I still haven't even installed the battery and ran it yet. lol. I had a new Service Entrance installed with a Generator Switch. Out issue here is the occasional ice storm.

[@jaygosch8705]

One warning for anyone making their own cord - make sure the neutral is connected securely at both ends. I watched a video where a guy made his own cord, but the neutral was so loose he could pull it out of the plug or outlet with no effort! He had his neutral and ground tied together (bonded) at the generator. His ground was carrying the current that should have gone through the neutral. He heard you should unbond the neutral and ground, so he did that. His generator started making an odd noise and his living room filled with smoke! When you lose the neutral, you have half your house electrically in series with the other half. If both halves have equal load, you won't notice much. The 240 volts will divide in half to give 120 volts to all your outlets and lights. But, if you turn on a high power device like a microwave, hair dryer, electric heater,etc. The half of the house where that device is connected will get much less than 120v. The problem is that the other half of the house will get much more than 120v! Anything plugged into that half will most likely be damaged! And, if you have any surge suppressors on the circuits with the higher voltage, they will try to clamp the voltage to a safe level, overheat, and burn (especially if the surge suppressor casing is plastic). That's why the guy in the video i watched had his living room filled with smoke. The plastic case for his surge suppressor was burning! Fortunately, he was home and noticed the problem immediately.

[@HVACGUY]

Thanks for sharing. Didn’t know all that

[@richb4099]

I assume you were able to return the inverter/generator you showed that didn’t work. Most of these portables are loud and it’s because they are open with no covering around the engine to dampen the engine and metal vibration. The interlock is the best and safest setup when using a portable. Glad you escaped damage from the hurricane. It really did some damage in some areas of the south!

[@jkbrown5496]

In addition to the generator, you need to prepare to have appropriate extension cords. If you don't have a generator connection/panel as you do, you should consider how you'll get the cord into the house. Try to avoid through doors/windows which can risk fumes getting in. A through wall pipe that you could open can work. I've seen a product which was a generator power strip installed inside the house, wired so the generator plugged in outside. The powerstrip only had power from the generator plug. An expense but he "solar" generators sold (big battery/inverters) can be put in the middle to provide power without the engine generator running when using light loads then charged up occasionally. This will let you manage when the generator noise is happening.

[@bobboscarato1313]

Many people got flooded really bad!

[@scottmaz4063]

I'm going with a Generac. Propane

[@MrsOveata]

With a remote start and stop. You don't want to go out in the rain to power down.

[@TomLawson05]

Have a generac love it

[@PhilipNation-xm5lh]

For what it's worth, we have a Kohler 20KW that's fully automatic. It's been a good unit for 14 years with no real issues. They are close to $20k now. Yikes.

[@Garth2011]

I'm sure there is a method to add a muffler on those. Honda generators have threads on their exhaust ports for doing this. Usually a muffler set up has a long flexible pipe that attached to the generator and a muffler at the other end.

[@jasonmushersee]

june 2014 derecho took power out 4 1/2 days my coleman 6200watt draws 6 gallons gas every 10 hours gas stations were all closed had to go 2 counties away wait in line at the pump my 2 chest freezers would not come on come to find weeks later generator was putting out 51 Hertz

[@HVACGUY]

Hmm

[@rickr6908]

Thanks for doing this video. It was very informative. You have a very nice setup. I hope you don't have to use it.

[@MrsOveata]

What is the total watt output of your AC, including the fan on the air handler?

[@HVACGUY]

About 2.7 kW

[@BAMACOASTAL]

Great game tonight. ROLL TIDE!

[@TofuInc]

A-iPower makes generators that are slightly better quality than the Harbor Freight generators at the same price point. After switching to a inverter generator I will never go back. Something nobody really talks about on the inverter style generators is the sealed gas tank. With it sealed the ethanol gas and carburetors gumming up from old gas becomes a non issue. My smaller SUA2300i, I just started it up before the storms hit. It had 2 year old regular 87 10% ethanol gas in it, no additives. It started the first pull. It is kept in a semi conditioned garage though.

[@cheooo07]

What happened to your Duromax 16000 imverter? Did you returned it or fixed the issue?

[@HVACGUY]

Returned that thing

[@marlawhite3682]

Just wondering how u fared in the hurricane. What City are u in GA

[@HVACGUY]

I’m in Albany GA. About 90 miles from Tallahassee . We were very lucky

[@jamienoel]

Why not get one of those whole house automatic generators?

[@PhilipNation-xm5lh]

Likely because they cost $20,000 for a 20kw system! His is 1/20th the cost.

[@johnc.9133]

They are far more expensive. You're looking at $12k to $15k installed for their lower end units.

[@antoniosagamuccio7370]

Don't forget that you will lose about 11% of your output going from gasoline to propane, and a little more for natural gas. I have a 9500/12500 dual fuel I run solely on gasoline. I have two 30 gallon drums for fuel, to which I add STP carb cleaner and Stabil additives. I do not run it out of gas when I finish using it, for power outages or semi-monthly testing. That fuel also feeds the mower and snow blower so I need to refill the drums about twice a year. I keep the generator in the equipment shed with the exhaust vented outside which cuts the noise around 85 to 90 percent. It's hardwired underground to the main panel in the basement in the house about 90 feet away (requires floating neutral on generator). When the power goes out I go to the basement, push the remote start for the generator, wait about a minute for the generator power indicator in the panel to light up and then switch off the main breaker and switch on the generator breaker (mechanical interlock). I do have a soft-start on my 2.5 ton condenser, and that is my only 240 volt load.

[@davidskaggs9914]

I have a similar generator for my house ...thinking about doing solar soon...do you have any solar?

[@HVACGUY]

Yes, about 4 kW

[@keithsac2542]

When you unplugged the generator cord with the generator running, was the cord still powered ?

[@FredD63]

I would say yes as it’s a male plug and not a female plug these are known as suicide plugs but maybe it was unplugged at the generator first …

[@keithsac2542]

@@FredD63 This was a rhetorical question. The cord was still plugged in the generator and the switch was on. I was just letting Curtis be aware of the live cord.

[@FredD63]

@@keithsac2542 Ah Gotcha 🇺🇸👊🏼👊🏼✌🏼

[@donc.3522]

He is not using a suicide cord. The end that plugs into the house inlet is female. No risk of electrocution.

[@donc.3522]

The end of the cord going to the house inlet is female, not male, so there is no risk of electrocution.

[@jimbergen5232]

I never see / hear you talk about soft starts I was thinking about getting one installed since I have the 7000 Honda and think it would need it. Also, there are some other pages that mention that a soft start could help the Compressor all year. What do you think.

[@HVACGUY]

That’s because I’m not convinced they are a good idea. Personally I don’t have much experience with them, and there’s more bad press than good about them. What I do know is that the systems weren’t designed for a slow start, and it has the potential to be harmful.

[@jimbergen5232]

@@HVACGUY I was like 50/50 about getting one ( Micro-Air ) I did get the transfer switch and plug, I am going to install it soon. Also, I have 2,300 sq house and I think I have a 4 ton and my Honda 7,000 might not be able to start my HVAC system , I do trust your advice and will keep it mind.

[@TheGgin]

@@HVACGUY Nice Generator video! Just for a data point, I been using a Copeland SecureStart soft started since 2014 on a 3 ton Carrier Heat Pump with ZR scroll compressor because I was curious when I took a course back then from Copeland and they offered two for one...these are expensive. So far still running. They are made by a third party company, but Copeland says they are for their compressors.

[@teeknowstech]

Hvac guy. What did it cost you to make the cord for generator

[@dflenn9423]

Hi Curtis, I noticed that it is NOT an inverter, Genny, but you still run your TV, fridge, etc. Also, is your neutral floating? Thanks

[@HVACGUY]

Not a floating neutral

[@denverbraughler3948]

A genset having high tolerance of THD is good.

[@nicolasmuniz9452]

Did you buy the warranty, my neighbor dragged me into Harbor Freight and I saw a line as long as the store bringing back engines, generators etc for replacement, I felt the air filled with human cheapness.

[@PhilipNation-xm5lh]

My thoughts exactly. Those knock off Honda engines usually don't do so well if used much. They claim to have great warranties but my neighbor found out the hard way.

[@JustinKais]

Nice generator but man that is a loud one.

[@iamnoone.]

Is this the generator that went belly up on you a little while back

[@HVACGUY]

With my first one the gas solenoid wasn’t working, but they exchanged it - no questions asked. There was another brand though that I just took back and got a refund, didn’t want another one.

[@MichaelP-ns]

Running sensitive electronics on crap power isn't something you're gonna see immediately, it's just gonna eff up the components and they'll die quicker.

[@theElderberryFarmer]

An inexpensive solution is to plug sensitive electronics into a UPS that puts out pure sine wave power. Keeping electronics plugged into a UPS is a good idea even when using grid power (which is often not nearly as 'clean' as you might think). Take care and God Bless.

[@MichaelP-ns]

@@theElderberryFarmer UPSs tend to freak out on crap power because the frequency isn't exactly 60hz, those with piss poor THD like he said his had are the worst

[@ThorneRising]

I just love the “crap power” club folks. Those generators run close enough to 60Hz, it’s going to be a normal sine wave because you know, rotating magnetic forces. I would be a little more concerned about the “inverter” generators as those take the sine wave, rectify it to DC and then invert that back to AC. That’s a lot more to go wrong than a straight up generator head which incidentally is the exact same scaled down version of a utility generator.

[@MichaelP-ns]

@@ThorneRising I just love retarded folks that think a square sign wave is "normal" and think anything but 60hz exacly is "close enough" and that inverters are somehow worse. There are some dumb shits in the KZbin comments but you are top tier moron. Congratulations on reaching that level of stupidity.

[@MichaelP-ns]

@@ThorneRising Takes a special kind of window licker to think "close enough to 60hz" isn't crap and that a square sign wave is "normal". Congratulations on reaching that level of dumb.