Generators 2023: Do you have one, what's the wattage & what equipment will you run with it?

[MartinM]

I have multiple batter backups, lots of solar panels, and a portable generator, but the cities here never lose power. And I mean never, I know people in their 30’s who’ve never experienced a power outage of any kind ever. BUT you just never know, and I’m paranoid..

 

[MartinM]

Sure till you lose battery than you need the generator to charge it back up. Our home solar has a 20 k generator that keeps our battery’s full despite the weather lol. California wants green at a
costs even thought the best solution is a hybrid

@Big E it’s far more polluting to make lithium ion batteries than an equivalent internal combustion generator will ever emit. But that’s not what makes the news. Not to mention their very short lifespan relatively speaking, and they’re virtually impossible to properly dispose of. I’m not saying they don’t have their place, I use them, but rhetoric =\= truth.

 

[Big E]

@Big E it’s far more polluting to make lithium ion batteries than an equivalent internal combustion generator will ever emit. But that’s not what makes the news. Not to mention their very short lifespan relatively speaking, and they’re virtually impossible to properly dispose of. I’m not saying they don’t have their place, I use them, but rhetoric =\= truth.

Yes, I'm aware of this

The poster said he couldn't use a gas generator.

The portable power stations don't create noise or pollution when in use. I'm not well versed but I believe some of these don't even use lithium batteries. The large type ones are a fine upgrade for home, RVs, construction, ect.

For $1000-to 3k you can buy a large enough one to fit the needs we have during power outages.

 

[Big E]

Sure till you lose battery than you need the generator to charge it back up. Our home solar has a 20 k generator that keeps our battery’s full despite the weather lol. California wants green at a
costs even thought the best solution is a hybrid

Some of these also have hookups you can use at EV battery stations. Most people don't have home generators nor can spend that type of money. The Power stations provide a middle ground.

 

[14 foot reef]

As dedicated reefkeepers, we understand the importance of preparedness when it comes to our saltwater reef aquariums. For those who use a generator for backup power during unforeseen outages, we'd love to hear about your experiences and insights!

If so, we're curious to know what size generator you use and which essential equipment you power with it. Whether it's keeping your circulation pumps, heaters, protein skimmers, or even lighting systems active, we're eager to learn about the setup you have in place.

Please answer the following:

1. Do you have a generator to keep your reef aquarium running during power interruptions?

2. What wattage is your generator and what equipment do you intend to run with it?

35 KW Propane entire house generator and qty - 67 - 400 watt solar panels installed. My power requirements are completely covered. Worth every penny !!!!

 

[snorklr]

22k Generac whole house...propane...got the water cooled one cause it turns 1/2 the rpm as the air cooled ones and therefore uses much less fuel...one issue i've run into here in N.C. is although you want a huge propane tank setting in reserve the propane companies dont like to supply large tanks, get annoyed when you arent regularly using propane (all electric house) and wont refill the tank till it gets down to at least 60%...so getting them to top you off before a predicted weather event wont happen...and they say you dont need a big tank cause they will just come out and refill yours...meanwhile you know dang well that if we have snow or an ice storm they wont be able to get the truck to your property till it melts on its own (snow removal in this part of the state is handled by sunlight)

 

[Syntax1235]

9k watt Duromax dual fuel inverter via a manual 30 amp transfer switch that runs the entire tank, heat pump, furnace, with plenty of room for other stuff.

 

[YOYOYOReefer]

it’s like 30 grand to set up full solar with generator and battrys at 300 a month the diy power plant pays in 6 years then you own cheap power for Lono after

 

[mfinn]

I use a Predator 8750 watt electric start with a wired gen tran.
Runs about 3/4 of my house including my hotwater heater and both my reef tanks.

 

[oreolk]

20kW briggs and stratton fortress whole house generator. Go big or go home.

 

[Gundy]

We have a pretty big house so we installed an Generac 3200 KW water cooled unit. We can run the entire house on the generator with no restrictions. I’m seriously thinking of installing solar with a battery backup system. We live in Utah so the cold weather and snow is a concern for solar.

 

[jtone_philthy_aquatics]

We’re getting a whole house generator installed shortly but for now I rely on a portable generator. After roughly 14yrs or so in the hobby I’ve learned that u should always have a plan b! I’ll feel even better once we have the plan c in place. Having a generator is a necessity for reef keepers regardless of where u are located. Happy reefing everyone

 

[TangerineSpeedo]

There are quite a few battery operated Power Stations, which make no noise or create emissions...........they aren't cheap but are portable and can be recharged quite easily with a car, portable solar panel or if the blackout is local you can recharge off a regular outlet at a friends house.

While power stations are great, they are not feasible in an extended emergency situation. If you do not have electricity in your area because of earthquake, fire, flood, grid outages etc. You may not have access to ATM's, gas stations, groceries etc. If you own your own home, solar may be an option, but it is expensive. Some of us rent or live in a condo or are afraid insurance companies will cancel policies if they install solar panels on their roof. Someone can buy a 2k generator for less than $500 and that could run basics in an emergency.
California is all about "NIMBY" (not in my back yard). They think that pollution doesn’t cross their border. Instead of promoting technology that is cleaner and more efficient, they push it off to others in unregulated areas. They like to "outlaw" without suitable replacements. But also they like to tell us what we can or cannot have while promoting exceptions for government agencies. Police cars have smog exemptions, the fire trucks are diesels that most are over 20 years old, that by another California law are illegal. They do not make solar powered Jaws of Life.
I drive a 35 year old truck, people laugh when I tell them it has done less damage to this planet then their Teslas...
Again I am all for reduced emissions, If we reduced many unnecessary plastics we would go a long way to reduce waste and pollution. It always seems that while we are trying to solve one problem we are creating another, sometimes more damaging.

 

[devocole]

I have a 6.5 KW generac, natural gas. Does anyone have a battery in front of it so that when the power goes out the tank continues to run without a momentary shut down. The specs say it is electronic safe, but I had my Neptune and trident need servicing right after install. Also it resets the power levels on my return pumps every time the power goes out.

 

[devocole]

I have a 6.5 KW generac, natural gas. Does anyone have a battery in front of it so that when the power goes out the tank continues to run without a momentary shut down. The specs say it is electronic safe, but I had my Neptune and trident need servicing right after install. Also it resets the power levels on my return pumps every time the power goes out.

 

[BZOFIQ]

I have a 6.5 KW generac, natural gas. Does anyone have a battery in front of it so that when the power goes out the tank continues to run without a momentary shut down. The specs say it is electronic safe, but I had my Neptune and trident need servicing right after install. Also it resets the power levels on my return pumps every time the power goes out.

Only inverter type generators are truly safe for all sensitive electronics.

 

[14 foot reef]

I have a 6.5 KW generac, natural gas. Does anyone have a battery in front of it so that when the power goes out the tank continues to run without a momentary shut down. The specs say it is electronic safe, but I had my Neptune and trident need servicing right after install. Also it resets the power levels on my return pumps every time the power goes out.

All my sensitive electronics are plugged into UPC units. So all my equipment instantly switches to the UPC's I have 4 of them. Then my whole house 35 kw generator starts up, and after a minute of warm up it flips house to generator power. I've never had any sensitive equipment fail with this set up.
I have found that this is the safest way to run a generator with expensive sensitive electronics.
I have easily $50,000.00 worth of sensitive electronics hooked up this way for 10 + years. No failures yet.

 

[LightingBug]

I have a 6.5 KW generac, natural gas. Does anyone have a battery in front of it so that when the power goes out the tank continues to run without a momentary shut down. The specs say it is electronic safe, but I had my Neptune and trident need servicing right after install. Also it resets the power levels on my return pumps every time the power goes out.

That is exactly what I do -
see my post on this thread earlier.

Tank -to- Battery UPS that has solar - into the wall outlet - all electric then goes to my whole home Kohler LP generator.

 

[bakbay]

I have a DIY battery backup + MP40 (one setup for each tank) that will last me 36+ hours, no heater though. SoCal weather is not that hot/cold so we've be good. Additionally, I have a Honda 2000i generator that can we use to power our fridges, cable modem, TVs, and cell phones. As a matter of fact, we lost power for ~3hrs last Saturday night and the MP40s ran w/o issues - zero impact to both tanks.

I've looked into whole-house Tesla solar + Power Walls -- it's cost prohibitive @ ~$80k w/o re-roofing. Re-roofing will be $100k+ since our roof can't support the panels. It's super annoying...I want to go solar but can't justify it! Therefore, I'll continue to burn through gas and make the utility companies rich! Sad but true.

 

[flashsmith]

The down side about solar to me was when you need any kind of roof work you the homeowner pay to remove all the panels and reinstall everything. I'm content with my 3500 watt dual fuel inverter generator and a 2500w inverter that I run off deep cycle batteries. I'm in a hurricane prone area and the biggest issue is finding fuel of any kind after a storm. Another issue with solar is unless you're planning on dying in your house it's not worth the cost currently in my eyes. If you wanted to sell and you were still paying for your system you have two options. Pay it off and walk away or hope the buyer wants solar and will pay it off or assume the loan payments.