#917 8k generator is too small to run our place. Electric dryer, hot water heater, well, forced air furnance a/c, chest freezer...
I have a 15k generac on wheels. It’s probably 4-5 hundred pounds. Engine is a twin cylider vanguard pressure oil system. Relatively small. Stands maybe 40 inches with a molded fuel tank on top, 24 inches wide and 3 ft long.
Impressive! Can you say what state that you live in? ...why you opted for such a large generator.
Slide...
You are blessed to have such a huge generator, until its time to feed the beast.
For someone thinking of investing into a backup, a gas drier or indoor clothsline and a gas water heater with a wood stove means a 2kw generator is enough.
And they can feed their 2kw all week for what your 15kw burns in a day with everything shut off.
Central gas fueled heat only takes 1kw to run, if its hot a fan takes around 200 watts.
Fridge or freezer is 600w and the run 15 min a few times a day.
Adaptation works much better than brute force. Unless of course you already have that bigger hammer.
Fire up that beast 20 min three times a day, life is good.
> #917 8k generator is too small to run our place. Electric dryer, hot water heater, well, forced air furnance a/c, chest freezer...
That electric hot water heater is the culprit. Both the starting and running wattage for that is around 4,500! (https://energytoday.biz/blog/how-big-of-a-generator-do-i-need-to-run-my-whole-house). Both my hot water heater and furnace is propane.
I’ll be running my entire house on an 8k generator. That may or may not include the central A/C unit I’m going to be getting.
This includes my sump pump, refrigerator, freezer, well pump, furnace, lights, computers (1 desktop and 2 laptops), I could even run my pool pump. The entire house. Stove is gas as well.
There would be a scheduled time for the running of our electric clothes dryer (6750 starting, 4500 running watts). Even something like a microwave is 1500 running watts.
I just need to be smart about it. Generators, especially fixed whole house generators are getting very rare. The only thing they had left was WAY more than I needed, it would have been a waste to operate it. To get one people need to really dial in how much wattage they use and not underpower their house (bad stuff happens) nor overpower their house (you’re wasting money on the unit and fueling it).
-SB