Ok, not sure if this falls into the Advanced “Saltwater” Discussion section, but this isn’t really water cooler chat for the lounge either. Hopefully someone can help with some questions I have.
I bought a generator after days have being terrified of losing it all. The look on KaptKen’s face as he repeatedly reflects back on the ice storm many years ago is was enough to convince me it’s worth it. On top of that my parents in Southern DE woke up 6am Saturday to discover their power was out and they didn’t get it back until 4pm Monday. That is enough time to do some significant damage to any reef tank kept in a cold climate.
First question:I will post others later.
If the power goes out now when can I crank this thing on? I’m guessing I need to wait until it stops precipitating outside, but what if snow is being blown around?
It is a Husky 5000 WATT Portable Generator. I purchased a 100ft 14Gauge indoor/outdoor extension cord that can handle 1025 watts, a 50ft 12 gauge extension that can handle 1875, a 2ft 12 gauge extension with a three way split and one portable GFCI.(I will probably return the 100ft after the store and get a shorter 12 Gauge) I cleared a space on my deck three times, so I can get the thing outside and will continue to clear that space.
“Most” generators should hold up to about any abuse the weather can throw at it. As long as its air intake and exhaust do not become obstructed then they should run until they are out of gas. Snow and ice shouldnt be an issue because of the heat. We leave ours in rain, snow, and ice for hours on end.
As far as the extension cords and all that go keep in mind that your only as good as your weakest link. Also, if everything goes back to a single point(IE one extension cord) that single cord must be capable of holding the entire load. Another thing to keep in mind with your particular model is that you will only be able to produce 2400watts from the standard “house” outlets on the generator. Thats 2400 total, not each. Ideally this would be enough for you, and if it is, the ideal scenario would be to run two seperate extensions cords, one from each outlet, to two powerstips. Then divide your load in half and you should be good to go. As long as you divide the loads evenly the breaker on the generator will trip before you overload either circuit. Unfortunately, the most power you can even theoretically get out of that generator in your scenario would be around 3600watts. Watts are a little tricky however and the best way to think about what you can and cant do is in terms of amp draw. If you need more than the 20 amps provided by the regular oulet your going to need a heavy duty jumper and power strip rated for at least 30 amps. The cheapest way to do this is to have your generator close to your entry point so that you can build your “powerstrip”. Three outlets and a 3 gang box will cost you a lot less than a heavy duty strip.
jon you can use it in any weather but i would cover outlet area with tape and plastic. also as mentioned by shawn. keep exhuast open and clear. use the heaviest cord as possible and the shortest run
[quote=“logans_daddy, post:3, topic:2662”]
Unfortunately, the most power you can even theoretically get out of that generator in your scenario would be around 3600watts. Watts are a little tricky however and the best way to think about what you can and cant do is in terms of amp draw.[/quote]
Just curious, why are you derating the generator by 38%?
[quote=“logans_daddy, post:6, topic:2662”]
Because im assuming Jon is using 120v equipment and the max load this generator can support is 30amps.[/quote]
That’s weird. Where did you see 30A? Specs I saw were:
Husky 5000W Portable Generator
Model Number #030436
Volts 120/240
Amps 41.6/20.8
I’d never depend on mfg rating on this type of generator, but I think derating it more than 20% is a bit overkill. Particularly if you’re not banging it with loads that make harmonics or whacking the power factor.
[quote=“Gordonious, post:7, topic:2662”]
Will it be ok to run it on my wooden deck? [/quote]
If it’s like this one:
You should be OK.
Everything Glenn and Shawn said I agree with, with the possible exception of how much Shawn says you can power with this unit. If the specs I looked at are different than the ones for your unit, then he might be right with the 30A.
[quote=“ronert, post:8, topic:2662”]
Particularly if you’re not banging it with loads that make harmonics or whacking the power factor.[/quote]
I understand the part about harmonics and I read up on power factor but how can you whack it?
Well, the two extension cords can only handle 2900 watts max. so that is your weakest link and limit, if you plug them into the two gen outlets directly and not choke them down to one wire. Like Shawn said.
More important is you should have a load management plan. make a list, tank by tank of all the electrical loads, in watts. Lights, sump pumps, PHs and HEATERS! and Prioritize them. you have to fit under your load limit. In winter, Heaters first, then sump pump or maybe just PHs in the tank, you can skip the skimmer, and a minimum amount of light for day. and disconnect all from the house outlets and then connect to the genset. turn them on a few at a time and watch the generator adjust. assuming it has load adjusting throttle control.
Good you have one now. be careful not to spill gas around it while refilling. Oh, my 5 day power outage crash was hurricane Isabell, back in the summer of 2003. so heaters were not needed. but i had no lights or circulation for 5 days. Xenia crashed first on day 3. that polluted everything. still most things survived the ordeal initially. but the surge of waste into the tank soured the sand beds, rock and filters. so it was like cycling a tank full of grungy new live rock with full load of corals and fish. most fish died from the ammonia. Zoos and softies didnt mind much, just slimed up and clammed up. acros went slowly after the power came back on… I think it most things might have made it but for the xenia crash and puke. they are most sensitive, and dumped a lot of dead meat.
the voltage drop is import because the inverters have a low voltage cut out switch at 10-10.5 volts. per the inverter specs above. But we can run a lot of stuff on 5 amps. or about 600 watts. a heater 300w, a Quiet one 3000 sump pump 40w, a couple Korolia 40w, a 4 bar T5 light strip 216w.
probably available for less from Walmart. cars have nice 60 amp alternators to charge it up faster. so dont buy a battery that weighs 100 pounds. you will have to carry it out to the car. and you dont have to run cords out to a generator through an open door when its below freezing outside.
That's weird. Where did you see 30A? Specs I saw were:
41.6 amps doesnt sound like an auctual load number but rather a design number. sort of like the difference in quoting HP at the crank instead of the rear tire.
a cheaper alternative for a single tank might be to buy an inverter
thats what i have and have been using for a couple of years. the best thing about inverters is they can switch automatically(you dont need to be home) and you can make them last as long as you want by adding batteries. on three batteries mine ran poweheads and heaters on two tanks for over a day before i stopped testing it.
I don't have the option of storing the batteries anywhere outside though and I was told you shouldn't keep batteries inside for storage
this his been brought up on this board before and dont want to go into it too deeply. all i will say is that IMO people like to have opinions about things they either have no experience with or only read about. almost all battery bank installations are indoors. we have battery banks at my work that would fill a garage and are kept right along side all of our other equipment at a site that is manned 24/7 by techs. can batteries be dangerous? of course. are you going to blow your house up with the amount of hydrogen discharged by the 2 or 3 batteries that you would use in a scenario like this? not even if you tried! you wouldnt even be able to ignite the hydrogen with an open flame. it would be about the same as you trying to ignite the air around you. batteries give off hyrdrogen when they are being re-charged in small amounts. the only time there is any real danger is when batteries are depleted and being re-charged in bulk mode. when you have a large amount of batteries, like my work installation, then precautions have to be taken to make sure any and all discharge is properly and thoroughly vented. for our applications nothing more than an open enclosure is needed. if you want to go above and beyond you could always open your windows after a prolonged power outage during recharge. almost EVERYTHING is dangerous. just something more than others.
back to your other point Jon about putting it on your deck. these things will vibrate like you wouldnt believe. shouldnt be a factor with limited use but something to consider if you ever have to run for several days. you happen to live in an area that is prone to power outages. everytime we go into storm mode outages seem to be in the same areas 90% of the time. where you live is very flat and prone to storm surges so it was a pretty good decision to pick up the generator. all you need now is to install an smc module that will notify you when you loose power via text message and your good to go!
[quote=“Gordonious, post:15, topic:2662”]
I don’t have the option of storing the batteries anywhere outside though and I was told you shouldn’t keep batteries inside for storage. [/quote]
And to add to what Shawn said - Don’t ever sit a battery directly on the cold concrete of your basement or garage floor. It will literally suck the life out of the battery. I always recommend putting it up on a wood block.
[quote=“logans_daddy, post:13, topic:2662”]
41.6 amps doesnt sound like an auctual load number but rather a design number. sort of like the difference in quoting HP at the crank instead of the rear tire.[/quote]
An actual load number would be whatever amps are drawn by a specific load at a specific voltage. I think you mean rating, as in breaker rating or switch rating. Those are usually nice even numbers, like 15, 20, 30, 40, etc.
And you’re right, 41.6 would be a design number. 5000W/120V = 41.6A Which means that this unit is designed by the manufacturer to put out that amount on a continual basis.
I’ll agree that motor starts (like a refrigerator), lighting other than incandescent, and computers need special consideration in generator sizing, but to derate the unit by 38%? And in Jon’s specific case (I’m guessing heaters and powerheads are all he really needs), I still don’t see the reason. Granted, the vast majority of generators I work with are about 1000x the capacity of this one (or larger), but the physics are still the same.
It really all comes down to what loads are hooked up to the unit and how tightly the power quality must be maintained. “How big and how long of a frequency (or voltage) excursion can be tolerated?” is the question that needs to be answered.
[quote=“kaptken, post:11, topic:2662”] More important is you should have a load management plan. make a list, tank by tank of all the electrical loads, in watts. Lights, sump pumps, PHs and HEATERS! and Prioritize them. you have to fit under your load limit. In winter, Heaters first, then sump pump or maybe just PHs in the tank, you can skip the skimmer, and a minimum amount of light for day. and disconnect all from the house outlets and then connect to the genset.turn them on a few at a time and watch the generator adjust. assuming it has load adjusting throttle control. [/quote]
+1 (actually, +4 … Ken has a bunch of good points … i’ve highlighted four …)
As for throttle control, ken, it’s likely no different than what’s on a lawnmower … high droop compensation
Im not derating the generator at all. I could be wrong, but the generators that i work with which are similar to these toggle between the two outlets. Meaning you can draw power from either the 30amp circuit or the 20 amp circuit but not both. The amp rating you provided tells me that this is likely the case here.
So, how would Jon be able to produce more than 3600 watts using a 120VAC system? Obviously im using RMS numbers for simplicity and realize that actual production numbers arent this clean. However, 30 amps is 30 amps no matter which way you slice it. The 41.6 doesnt mean much when your breaker trips! Of course, i could be wrong and this unit might allow you to draw simultaneously from both circuits. However, i think its unlikely simply because that would allow the potential for overloading the entire generator without any protection that im aware of that is not unique to the individual circuit.
