Invest in a Kill-a-Watt. They're quite handy to have around and well worth the $20 or so. Generators aren't really rated in watts, rather volt-amps, so you should measure the amps. Multiplying by two probably won't cover starting current for big motors, so make sure you keep that in mind.
" snipped-for-privacy@att.bizzzzzzzzzzzz" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:
I've got a Kill-a-Watt, but haven't really used it. Time to start that. It scares me that starting current for a fridge would be more than twice nominal current. I have to look what kind of circuit breaker the fridge is on. How long would the peak startup amps be required, since the circuit breaker doesn't blow.
My last installation was a kitchen stove I used flex-pipe instead of black pipe The cost difference between (the suggested) 3/4" and 1" was not worth worrying about, so I ran 1" to the stove.. It will also completely eliminate any fear that you can't run your heater and generator at the same time.
The Daring Dufas wrote in news:k4fmne$uo5$ snipped-for-privacy@dont-email.me:
Well, I've lived here almost 14 years, and things have gotten worse. In the last 2 years we've had 3 outages of around 48 hours each. We did fine through those, but it wasn't too cold during those. Our hot water heater is natural gas only, no electric power required. Stove top the same. But we are over 65, and I am not looking forward to a bad storm with real cold weather. Hence the questions.
The Daring Dufas wrote in news:k4fmne$uo5$ snipped-for-privacy@dont-email.me:
Oops, I forgot to say that automatic standby generators with the installation costs involved are a bit too much luxury for us.
Likely be 3-6 times normal current. Normal current should be 1.5- 2.5 amps. Defrost mode is what consumes higher steady current, and the compressor is off.
Greg
Those are nice styles, Onans, in partic. Too bad car makers don't make a "generator option", of some sort. The Chevy Volt would appear to be ready made for this... talk about quiet!
He could tap into mine if he was a little closer. The gas line at the bottom of my driveway is 36" in diameter, and 1000 p.s.i. House is 300 yards away, still within the 100% instant kill radius if the thing ever decides to blow up.
But yeah, I'm thinking 6000kw is a little robust even for Texas.
I'm not sure about start current. Most of the refrig I've measured, run about 4 to 5 amps, under load. Defrost can be 3 to 6 amps, been a while since I measured one.
Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus
Likely be 3-6 times normal current. Normal current should be 1.5- 2.5 amps. Defrost mode is what consumes higher steady current, and the compressor is off.
Greg
Inrush current is ferocious, but lasts for much less than a second. Circuit breakers don't trip anywhere near that fast.
I've worked on some fairly large generators like a 400kw pulled by a tractor trailer and some of the power plants on the islands had big EMD diesels. Heck there was one very old one that had a ship's diesel engine running it. It made a very interesting "POK ah POK ah POK ah" sound as it ran. I've never laid hands on a genset as big as a one megawatt much less a six megawatt unit. ^_^
TDD
I measured with killowatt. I thought they drew more, like 6 amps. Even my old 70's fridge is only about 2.5 amps. My newer 90's will draw 12-13 amps on defrost, or 1500 watts. Killowatt will also measure true power.
Greg
You can set up your IC engine car for at least 2k watts for @ $200-300 with an inverter. I looked into that and would use it before I bought a generator. Haven't followed the entire thread, but if Han is thing about powering his HVAC with a generator, he should check it out real good. Some HVAC circuitry is touchy about sine wave. I'll repeat what I said before, For a cold weather outage, I have 2 20k BTU of kerosene heaters. Really got them for the garage for winter work, but they burn pretty clean. The gas range burners put about 16k BTU total. Pretty sure the oven won't light without juice. Still haven't bought one, but ventless gas space heaters run about $200-300 for 30k BTU or so. If I don't procrastinate on that I'll put a T, valve and flex hose on the gas range line and tuck the hose behind. Connect the space heater if I need it. The range line is 3/4" and will easily handle everything. Summertime outage that looks to last like the last one - 72 hours or so - I'm taking off to a motel out of the outage area to wait it out. I likes my electricity. A battery radio and candles is too much like hard times. To hell with the food. I never have more than a bills worth in the fridge/freezer anyway. My plan is a lot cheaper than a generator for something that might happen once in 10 years. More dependable too.
That can work, if you have the gasoline to get there, and can find a room. Years ago, I discovered that my generator will run the AC in my living room window. That can provide some summer time comfort.
Cheaper than motel, and not as likely to come home and find my place looted.
Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus
Summertime outage that looks to last like the last one - 72 hours or so - I'm taking off to a motel out of the outage area to wait it out. I likes my electricity. A battery radio and candles is too much like hard times. To hell with the food. I never have more than a bills worth in the fridge/freezer anyway. My plan is a lot cheaper than a generator for something that might happen once in 10 years. More dependable too.
For the 2003 ice storm, and four day power cut. We didn't know how long the power would be out. Even with kerosene heater and burners on the stove, the trailer was really miserable cold by the second day. Day 3 or 4, I wired the furnace into my generator. The natural gas had stayed on, the whole time. Furnace was far more comfortable than portable heaters. Needed the fan action, to bring the heat down from the ceiling.
Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus
For a cold weather outage, I have 2 20k BTU of kerosene heaters. Really got them for the garage for winter work, but they burn pretty clean. The gas range burners put about 16k BTU total. Pretty sure the oven won't light without juice.
Still haven't bought one, but ventless gas space heaters run about $200-300 for 30k BTU or so.
If I don't procrastinate on that I'll put a T, valve and flex hose on the gas range line and tuck the hose behind. Connect the space heater if I need it. The range line is 3/4" and will easily handle everything.
Well in Texas, you're expected to think big
gregz wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@news.eternal-september.o rg:
THANKS!!
Smitty Two wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@news.eternal-september.org:
I am looking at real world scenarios, i.e. would generator "X" supply the required current to "start" my fridge? Without damage to either, obviously. So, if there is a 30 Amp current for 1 nanosec, that probably wouldn't mean anything, would it?
I understand that you're asking real world questions. You do need to size a generator for inrush expectations, which last longer than a nanosecond. Your fridge will not start if you don't.
However, you don't need to start everything you have at the same time, nor run everything at the same time. You can watch TV in the dark, and unplug the fridge while you use the microwave:
I don't know how you get to "at least 2K watts." Stock alternators are typically in the range of 100 to 150 amps, which translates into 1200 to 1800 watts.
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