Generator ?

[muggle0981]

So i dont have a generator-at some point it is on my bucket list just to get for fish tank-that is all-nothing else-run tank

A real crappy situation-results in i could get this generator at not a lot of $$

Would this be sufficient?

 

[VintageReefer]

Plenty for any reef I can picture in a typical home

It’s 5,500 running watts. Your heater would be your biggest power draw - a few hundred watts.

Calculate / estimate the number of watts your tank and other needs consume. And then the generator manual should estimate how long a tank of gas should last.

My generator is 4550 running watts and is good for 10 hours at 50% load.

I would only need to run less than 1000 watts, so I would expect 12-14 hours easily from a tank of gas

Smaller generators are probably more efficient than larger ones fyi but yea that could run a typical reef tank easily

 

[VintageReefer]

How big is your tank? And how many hours do you want to be prepared for ? I might be able to give you a better option

 

[muggle0981]

180g

Just thinking if i ever need one for s random power outage

Knock on wood has not been an issue

 

[DaJMasta]

You can probably estimate your maximum power consumption by adding up the rating for each device on your system, and then adding some overhead (maybe 25%?) for expansion or misestimation gives you a baseline for the minimum you'd want, but when you've got a generator, maybe you want to keep other things going (fridge? freezer? wifi?), so figure out what the goal is and look for that.

Beyond just the generating capacity, you may prefer a specific fuel for ease of storage or operation (propane vs. gas vs. multifuel), and you may want to consult an electrician about connecting it to house circuits or similar should you want a more permanent solution. There are also natural gas whole house generators which will automatically switch themselves on, but they tend to be a fair bit more pricey and require an installation. More recently, there's also some reasonable battery back up options, potentially with solar charging too.

As a baseline, no-frills power generator, though, you need a unit that can cover the power requirements you have, a set of cables with enough current rating to connect it to your system's power, an idea of which cables need to actually be exchanged in advance (keeps you from guessing in the dark), a way to get and store fuel, and a schedule where you test the generator - most standard units need to be run once every few months to keep things lubricated and operating properly. You'll also want a good outdoor location (covered is often fine, but ventilation is necessary) to keep the generator while it's operating.

 

[VintageReefer]

If you need need something for a few hours which is the typical outage, battery is a great option, and one I use. You don’t need lighting or heating of power is out for less than a day. But you do need circulation and flow.

I just picked up my 4th battery backup generator, I have one for every tank now

This one is $250 and has 537.5 watt hours of capacity. To determine runtime the formula is
(.85 x watt hour capacity) / running watt load

I can lower my dc return pump to 20 watts, and then run my tank with filtration/circulation only for…
(.85 x 537.5) / 20 = 22.8 hours

Plus it is also an inverter, and ups. It will automatically switch to battery power in an outage in 10ms in event of an outage. It can charge phones and run other devices as well. It has a built in 300w fast charger and the unit can recharge itself in about 2 hours. It can also hook up to solar panels to recharge if you want down the line

Amazon.com

 

[BeanAnimal]

I have owned several (5-6) generators, and used many dozens of them over the years in all types of settngs. All generators are not created equal. Cheap gensets don't put out clean power and are hard to start, and often don't live very long (for various reasons).

As far as portable generators go, there is nothing better or comparable to a Honda. The Honda inverter type are super easy to start, have built in fuel pumps (can use external fuel cells if you want) and put out super clean power. Your 10 year old kid can carry one and get it started if need be. Two can be paralleled for double the output (you won't need that). They are super quiet too.

If you can't afford a whole house standby generator, I would (without question) spend the money to buy the Honda Inverter. It will outlast you.

As for power, those big gensets waste a lot of fuel if you don't need their full capacity... I used to run the fridge, upright freezer and aquarium on a small Honda and at just over idle speed. The Harbor freight 8kW used to be tasked with the same duty... the neighbors 10 houses away could hear it running and I was constantly putting fuel in it.

In any case, I have a 20kW whole house standby now, but keep both small Hondas for emergency and travel, etc. They are amazing little generators.