without electricity for 48 hours now

Stupid question: If I were to buy a honda inverter generator for dry camping and possible emergency use, how would I get the furnace fan to run if needed? Should I expect to find a plug extending from the furnace? We also have a woodstove that I can conceivably heat the house with in a pinch as long as I have a bit of electricity to run the blower (that thing has an obvious plug).
 
brewer12345 said:
Should I expect to find a plug extending from the furnace? We also have a woodstove that I can conceivably heat the house with in a pinch as long as I have a bit of electricity to run the blower (that thing has an obvious plug).
Click to expand...

The central furnaces I've seen are hard-wired, no plug. I just cut into ours near the furnace, added a box with an outlet, and then put a plug on the furnace end. This let me plug in my Kill-A-Watt meter to check currents/watts on the motor, and I could plug it into my inverter. Assuming the inverter could handle the surge current, which might be a few seconds at 15~20 amps (3/4 HP motor). I never tested it.

-ERD50
 
ERD50 said:
The central furnaces I've seen are hard-wired, no plug. I just cut into ours near the furnace, added a box with an outlet, and then put a plug on the furnace end. This let me plug in my Kill-A-Watt meter to check currents/watts on the motor, and I could plug it into my inverter. Assuming the inverter could handle the surge current, which might be a few seconds at 15~20 amps (3/4 HP motor). I never tested it.

-ERD50
Click to expand...

Sounds like it would just be simpler to run the woodstove with the blower hooked up to the genset as necessary. Of course in a real pinch we could simply hook up a genset to the camper and hide out in there. Hmmm...

Looks like a Honda EU3000 would do the trick. At 78 pounds I might just be able to get it into the bed of the pickup for dry camping purposes as well. Too bad the things are north of 2 grand.

Can gasoline with Stabil be stored for a very long time (months or years)?
 
brewer12345 said:
Stupid question: If I were to buy a honda inverter generator for dry camping and possible emergency use, how would I get the furnace fan to run if needed? Should I expect to find a plug extending from the furnace? We also have a woodstove that I can conceivably heat the house with in a pinch as long as I have a bit of electricity to run the blower (that thing has an obvious plug).
Click to expand...

Or, you could install a transfer switch or transfer panel to power more of the house. The hardware isn't expensive (this simple manual transfer switch allows you to safely energize all your home's circuits from your generator: cost is $100). With this system there's no danger you'll electrocute your neighbors or the power crews by energizing the main lines with your generator. All you'd need in addition is the receptacle for the 30 amp cord from the generator.
PROS: Flexibility- you can run your wood stove blower or gas heater blower, provide power to your fridge or freezer, turn on lights in a room just like normal, etc.
CONS: Flexibility-allows users to turn on too many things at once and overwhelm the generator. Also, this is a heavy-duty wiring project that most folks (or insurance companies/code authorities) would prefer that a licensed electrician perform.

For more bucks you can install a more sophisticated panel that has separate breakers/circuits powered by the generator. rather than powering the whole house.
 
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brewer12345 said:
Looks like a Honda EU3000 would do the trick. At 78 pounds I might just be able to get it into the bed of the pickup for dry camping purposes as well. Too bad the things are north of 2 grand.

Can gasoline with Stabil be stored for a very long time (months or years)?
Click to expand...

I wanted one of those Hondas, too, but couldn't really justify it, cost-wise. We wound up selecting a cheaper (and louder) Champion model that can be used to run a few things at the house, can run everything on the motorhome, and the AC unit on the boat. The RV has an old Onan built into it, but it won't power the roof air, hence getting the new generator and a carry rack for the trailer hitch.

It was a simple solution, but is still yet another small engine for DH to maintain around the house. With hurricanes being a reality here, I'm glad to have a way to run the well pump and enough household stuff to get us by in emergencies.
 
brewer12345 said:
Can gasoline with Stabil be stored for a very long time (months or years)?
Click to expand...

According to the label on Stabil if you double the dose it will keep gasoline stable for two years but I think that's pushing the envelope.

For my generator and snow thrower since I don't know when the next time I'll use it is I drain the entire fuel system, including the carburetor bowl, so evaporation/gunk isn't an issue. It may be a few years before they're run again.

For the mowers and such I just empty the tanks and run them until they quit. That still leaves a bit in the carburetor bowl but since I'll be using them in six month or so that hasn't caused any problems.
 
Recipe for a "poor man's air conditioner"

Battery operated fan and lots of spare batteries. Plan B - a lightweight piece of cardboard to use as a manual fan.
Bowl of cool water (or ice if stores have it)
Damp cloth in a small bowl of water

Put water or ice in a shallow cake pan. Arrange the pan of water so the fan blows over the water. Use books to adjust height of bowl or fan as needed.
Keep face and wrists and other body parts damp with water.
Wear lightweight cotton or nothing at all. :blush:
Get long hair off neck and shoulders.
Sit in front of fan (or use cardboard as a fan).


Hope you get power soon. :flowers:

A battery operated spray bottle fan similar to this design saved my bacon at Woodstock 99. Other concert-goers were passing bottles of water to me so I could keep spraying a mist over the crowd near me.
http://ep.yimg.com/ca/I/brianswholesale_2214_209313845

Here is a list of how to keep cool in a heat wave with no power. I like the damp towel idea.
http://www.wtop.com/267/2925605/Tips-for-staying-cool-in-a-heat-wave-without-power
 
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Regarding the stale gas and storage issue - does anyone make a smaller size generator like this that runs on natural gas? I would prefer that to keeping all that gasoline around and having to dump it in the cars once/year and refill the cans to keep it fresh.

The only NG units I see are the big whole-house models. I've got gas piped for the grill now, so that would be convenient, if the line is big enough.

-ERD50
 
I have three 5-gal gas containers that I "rotate" during the summer months when cutting/trimming the lawn, where the equipment averages a bit over a gal. per week. I don't use StaBil in those containers during the summer.

I'll add it in late fall since my usage will be limited to my snowthrower and generator (5500 normal/8250 peak), if needed at all.

It's enough gas to keep the generator (12-gal tank) to run a bit over 24-hours at a full load, which would cover the majority of our outages over the last few decades, for emergency use.

We're looking at installing a whole-house generator (Generac) over the next few years (due to the changes due to global warming and strain on the existing grid) and just using the current portable generator to get by at this time. Besides, we're old pharts and don't want to put up with the BS of being without power :cool: ...

It's like the lines from the movie "Fried Green Tomatoes":

[Evelyn is cut off in a parking lot]
Evelyn Couch:Hey! I was waiting for that spot!
Girl #1:Face it, lady, we're younger and faster!
[Evelyn rear-ends the other car six times]
Girl #1:What are you *doing*?
Girl #2:Are you *crazy*?
Evelyn Couch:Face it, girls, I'm older and I have more insurance.
 
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Got home Monday from vacation to a refrigerator that had been out of power for 4 days in 100 degree heat. :sick:

Tossed everything and scrubbed with baking soda. We have pans of baking soda on the shelves with the new food. Any other great suggestions for suppressing the smell? Fridge doesn't appear to have condensate pans like the old days.
 
travelover said:
Got home Monday from vacation to a refrigerator that had been out of power for 4 days in 100 degree heat. :sick:

Tossed everything and scrubbed with baking soda. We have pans of baking soda on the shelves with the new food. Any other great suggestions for suppressing the smell? Fridge doesn't appear to have condensate pans like the old days.
Click to expand...
Welcome back :flowers:

Here's an article that may be useful.
Removing Spoiled Food Odors from Refrigerator | ThriftyFun
 
travelover said:
Got home Monday from vacation to a refrigerator that had been out of power for 4 days in 100 degree heat. :sick:

Tossed everything and scrubbed with baking soda. We have pans of baking soda on the shelves with the new food. Any other great suggestions for suppressing the smell? Fridge doesn't appear to have condensate pans like the old days.
Click to expand...

After Hurricane Katrina, residents down here learned a LOT about removing spoiled food smells. Although refrigerators here sat in similar heat for longer periods before evacuees could empty them, still I would imagine the problems would be about the same.

In general, there are a lot of home remedies: charcoal, baking soda, bleach, cleaning, recleaning, recleaning again... even gelatin as is suggested in Freebird's link. I guess I tried about a dozen suggested home remedies, personally; all the remedies that I have ever heard of before or since. Plus, F. helped me by applying real muscle to the cleaning efforts beyond what a woman could provide (and I cleaned after he did, a number of times, as well).

But overall, what we found down here is that these remedies will only work for maybe 20% of refrigerators if they are sitting for weeks in 95-100 degree weather. The reason? You can remove every detectable trace of spoiled food smell from the exposed surfaces inside the refrigerator, until they sparkle and do not themselves smell, but after an extended period of time, the smell gets into the insulation inside the refrigerator walls and door and you cannot even begin to remove that type of smell. Even the "Martha Stewart" type women down here failed if/when that happened, though some refrigerators never had that happen and women owning them had great results after essentially minimal effort, and by that I mean just a couple of cleanings, baking soda, and charcoal. When the smell has penetrated the refrigerator walls, one can get rid of MOST of it but there will always be some faint, lingering smell. Even after months it will remain and it never leaves. You may never want to put food in it again unless it is sealed tightly in Tupperware or equivalents.

In that case, what many down here did was to sell to someone for use as an extra "beer refrigerator", since canned beer will not suffer from the faint, remaining smell. People are often glad to get a bargain beer refrigerator.
 
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brewer12345 said:
Looks like a Honda EU3000 would do the trick. At 78 pounds I might just be able to get it into the bed of the pickup for dry camping purposes as well. Too bad the things are north of 2 grand.
Click to expand...

I bought my Honda from here: Yamaha & Honda Generators, Power Equipment, and Toro Zero-Turns WiseSales.com

Quite a bit cheaper than the local shops, they have the EU3000 for $1899, with free shipping; ( $500 off of retail price)

(You need to register to see pricing).
 
samclem said:
Or, you could install a transfer switch or transfer panel to power more of the house. The hardware isn't expensive (this simple manual transfer switch allows you to safely energize all your home's circuits from your generator: cost is $100). With this system there's no danger you'll electrocute your neighbors or the power crews by energizing the main lines with your generator. All you'd need in addition is the receptacle for the 30 amp cord from the generator.
PROS: Flexibility- you can run your wood stove blower or gas heater blower, provide power to your fridge or freezer, turn on lights in a room just like normal, etc.
CONS: Flexibility-allows users to turn on too many things at once and overwhelm the generator. Also, this is a heavy-duty wiring project that most folks (or insurance companies/code authorities) would prefer that a licensed electrician perform.

For more bucks you can install a more sophisticated panel that has separate breakers/circuits powered by the generator. rather than powering the whole house.
Click to expand...

+1
Back in the 80s we had lost power in our CT home during the winter for 3 days. I bought a Honda generator and installed a transfer switch to power my heating system, water pump, fridge and a few lights. I kept the generator in the garage and ran power from the generator to the opposite end of the house (in the basement) where my electrical panel was located.
 
Just a comment on generators. Undoubtedly, the Honda and Yamaha inverter generators are the highest quality, but they are kind of a mismatch for home emergency use. They are many times as expensive as garden grade generators because they are designed for thousands of hours of continuous use like powering a carnival booth or similar application, whereas a home backup generator will sit for months or even years and then may only run a few hours or days at most. Also, inverter generators have lower surge capacity, which is often the limiting factor when sizing a generator to start home electric motors.

IMHO, a bigger bang for the buck is 4000 - 5000 watt 3600 rpm generator and maybe an inexpensive transfer switch like this Gentran Vintage.
Gentran Corporation: Generator Transfer switches for home & business

I've noticed that Craigslist is full of generators for sale that are virtually new and some even come with a transfer switch where an upgrade has been done to an automatic system.
 
Just a thought:
Don't automatically assume you won't get a good deal from your local Honda dealer.

When I was looking for a home generator about three years ago, I scouted prices all over the internet, and found the absolute best price by far at my local Honda (car) dealer.

Got the EU6500isa (6,500 watts) for about $3,200. Current list price is $4,500.

Fantastic generator. Extremely quiet and reliable.
 
I am not really in the market for a backup genset, but happened to see this smaller 7KW unit that runs off NG or a propane tank.

For less than $2K, it comes with an auto transfer switch and will turn itself on/off in the case you are not home during a power interruption. I have read a report from a user who said the installation cost was less than $500. It will turn itself on weekly (why not monthly?) to exercise itself. It burns 1 gal/hr, and weights near 400 lbs.

Some users say it's quiet, while others say it's loud. I guess it all depends on how far you install it from the house. If I lived full-time up in my 2nd home where we might get trapped in by a snowstorm, I would have considered it. I could install this far from the house and hidden among trees (the wiring might cost as much or more than the genset!), but then some thieves could haul it away without me knowing for a long time.

Thought I would mention this.

41dMCOVhXAL._SL500_AA300_.jpg


And here is a competing unit, of about the same price.
BGG_40301A.jpg
 
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braumeister said:
Got the EU6500isa (6,500 watts)
Click to expand...

After nearly three years, we finally had the opportunity to use this Honda generator for real the other day.
Power was off for about four hours, from 4:30 pm to 8:30, meaning suppertime and getting dark.

Running in the attached garage (exhaust vented outside), we pretty much couldn't hear it, and it used around half a gallon per hour to handle the refrigerator, microwave, a couple of fans and a couple of lamps.

Very glad to have had it handy.
 
I forgot that Costco has been selling a Champion 2000W inverter generator for $500. Two of these can be paired up for more power, just like the inverter generators by Honda or Yamaha. Reviews found on the Web were generally favorable. Also, Costco does not usually sell lousy stuff. Half the price of the Honda, so is worthwhile to check out.

By the way, if you buy this from CampingWorld or Cabelas, it will be yellow in color and costs something like $700. Or you can buy it in red color at Costco for $500.

s7_523966_999_01
 
NW-Bound said:
I forgot that Costco has been selling a Champion 2000W inverter generator for $500. Two of these can be paired up for more power, just like the inverter generators by Honda or Yamaha. Reviews found on the Web were generally favorable. Also, Costco does not usually sell lousy stuff. Half the price of the Honda, so is worthwhile to check out.

By the way, if you buy this from CampingWorld or Cabelas, it will be yellow in color and costs something like $700. Or you can buy it in red color at Costco for $500.
Click to expand...

I read an indepth article on an RV forum about Champion and though a Chinese manufacturer, they seem to have an excellent reputation for engineering and quality control. The Honda inverter generators are outstanding, but the price is commensurate.
 
I realize this is super late for a reply, but the answer is yes. There are a few "tri-fuel" (i.e., gasoline, NG and LP) generators by default, including, for example this one at Home Depot.

There are also conversion kits for popular gasoline inverter units (Yamaha and Honda) and you can buy them pre-converted as well.

ERD50 said:
Regarding the stale gas and storage issue - does anyone make a smaller size generator like this that runs on natural gas? I would prefer that to keeping all that gasoline around and having to dump it in the cars once/year and refill the cans to keep it fresh.

The only NG units I see are the big whole-house models. I've got gas piped for the grill now, so that would be convenient, if the line is big enough.

-ERD50
Click to expand...
 
How strange it is that this thread was just revived today. It caught my eye since we had some bad thunderstorms pass through our area earlier today and lost power. We've been on our generator for about 3 hours now. It's the first time I had to run it this year, which is pretty good around here.
 
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