Backup generators?

[Rhinoww]

Curious as to those of you that have gotten backup generators for the house. Did you go with an interlock/transfer and a dual or Tri fuel that you stored in your garage and pulled out as needed (cheaper)? Or install an instant on NG system? Given the increase of electrical demand and lack of new generation coupled with the radical downsizing of FEMA, it seems prudent to consider at least some level of independence. I have been without power for five days before and it sucked. My mom’s 20 Floor condo flooded and killed the electrical panels and the generators there - that was nearly three weeks. So yes, some experience. 

Thinking of going with the cheaper, more hassle system, with a large portable generator but curious what folks have experienced. 

[riderpride]

I look forward to the responses. I've strongly considered adding a full-size as a backup for the house as I only have a little Honda 3200i for the trailer. I've had friends go without power for over a week in hurricane season and I'm sorry to hear of your mom's situation - 20 floors would be a nightmare.

What size are you thinking of running? 5000, 7000? And how far will it be from the house if it's a portable one? While it will have some mass due to the necessary wattage, gennies do have a nasty habit of growing legs. Even ones 'securely' chained. 

Good luck in your journey!

[Duxnutz]

I’ve gone the other route. Looking for a house battery. 

[Rhinoww]

17 hours ago, riderpride said:

I look forward to the responses. I've strongly considered adding a full-size as a backup for the house as I only have a little Honda 3200i for the trailer. I've had friends go without power for over a week in hurricane season and I'm sorry to hear of your mom's situation - 20 floors would be a nightmare.

What size are you thinking of running? 5000, 7000? And how far will it be from the house if it's a portable one? While it will have some mass due to the necessary wattage, gennies do have a nasty habit of growing legs. Even ones 'securely' chained. 

Good luck in your journey!

Have not fully sized it yet. I have a new soft start 5 ton ac. Would love to be able to support that - but that might put me into something over 12,000. Most of the whole house models are likely going to put me around 20,000- but that’s without any real management of use. Ultimately I want enough to cover some basics - a number of fridges, router, TV, washer dryer, furnace and a bunch of miscellaneous around the house. Could get there by selecting circuits with a switch. But AC would be really nice to have so will probably size for that. Took a look at the install papers as my unit is under a year old but it only referenced amps for the circuit so some more digging. 

[BrightonCorgi]

We have a Gerenrac on the Cape house, and it works like a charm. It self-tests every month and the switch over is nearly seamless. Cape Cod gets several power outages and can be quite lengthy. It works off the gas line. Highly recommended.  

[Rhinoww]

16 hours ago, Duxnutz said:

I’ve gone the other route. Looking for a house battery. 

Talked to a buddy who looked at a battery option. Neither of us have the proper facing roofs/obstructions so only batteries. His quote for three day managed supply was several multiples of the whole house install. I have a ecoflow to power my router and one fridge, but that will barely last overnight and if the sun isn’t bright my portable solar panel won’t do much.

[pohlmad]

I’m in the US and travel most weeks for work and wanted something easy for my wife to operate of the power goes out while I’m gone. I bought a large dual fuel portable generator, Westinghouse WGen9500DFc, with 12,500 peak and 9,500 running watts. As it relates to fuel on the portable, propane gives slightly lower power than gasoline (11,200/8,500 on this model) so just plan well. I have it hooked up to the house via a transfer switch that pushes power to AC, furnace, refrigerators & freezers, sump pumps, and internet (how could we survive without it 😂). This model has push button start and a remote key fob. My wife can stay in the house, start the generator with a key fob, then transfer power via the transfer switch. 

Although this seems like a good solution on paper, the transfer switch panel confuses my wife and the generator needs one or two switches flipped before remote starting. Easy but not perfect. Therefore, I recommend going to a full house generator that is completely hands off, turns off and on by itself, has its own dedicated fuel line (natural gas/propane) and can power even more items in your house.  In my experience, it’s worth the additional investment. 

[Rhinoww]

9 hours ago, pohlmad said:

I’m in the US and travel most weeks for work and wanted something easy for my wife to operate of the power goes out while I’m gone. I bought a large dual fuel portable generator, Westinghouse WGen9500DFc, with 12,500 peak and 9,500 running watts. As it relates to fuel on the portable, propane gives slightly lower power than gasoline (11,200/8,500 on this model) so just plan well. I have it hooked up to the house via a transfer switch that pushes power to AC, furnace, refrigerators & freezers, sump pumps, and internet (how could we survive without it 😂). This model has push button start and a remote key fob. My wife can stay in the house, start the generator with a key fob, then transfer power via the transfer switch. 

Although this seems like a good solution on paper, the transfer switch panel confuses my wife and the generator needs one or two switches flipped before remote starting. Easy but not perfect. Therefore, I recommend going to a full house generator that is completely hands off, turns off and on by itself, has its own dedicated fuel line (natural gas/propane) and can power even more items in your house.  In my experience, it’s worth the additional investment. 

Thanks. Super helpful. Other than travel with my wife, I will be spending a lot more time at home starting in September. Funny, I was looking at the Westinghouse trifuel model IF my 1/2 connection for my grill could provide enough NG. Trying to balance the hassle free/cost ratio - and hassle free seems to be leading the theoretical race. Next come the actual quotes though…which will likely be a September exercise.

[MrBirdman]

One tip I’ve learned the hard way - make sure the generator plays nicely with your AC unit. I have a 21kw AC generator and upgraded to a high end Lennox AC - only to find out later they don’t like “dirty power” from generators and, short of buying a new DC generator, there’s nothing to be done. I’ve also heard of some Sub-Zero fridges having the same issue, which is why we’re used a different brand for my upcoming remodel. 

We usually don’t lose power long enough in the summer for the AC to be a major issue (though our summer storms are getting worse with climate change), but now I have a ridiculously oversized generator for my needs. Don’t go bigger than you actually need! Damn thing uses well over a gallon of propane an hour even at near-idle speeds. 

[Rhinoww]

2 hours ago, MrBirdman said:

One tip I’ve learned the hard way - make sure the generator plays nicely with your AC unit. I have a 21kw AC generator and upgraded to a high end Lennox AC - only to find out later they don’t like “dirty power” from generators and, short of buying a new DC generator, there’s nothing to be done. I’ve also heard of some Sub-Zero fridges having the same issue, which is why we’re used a different brand for my upcoming remodel. 

We usually don’t lose power long enough in the summer for the AC to be a major issue (though our summer storms are getting worse with climate change), but now I have a ridiculously oversized generator for my needs. Don’t go bigger than you actually need! Damn thing uses well over a gallon of propane an hour even at near-idle speeds. 

Thanks. New Trane 5 ton ac less than a year old. Great tip on compatibility. 

[GVan]

We live in Florida and are usually in the direct path of a hurricane about every three to four years. We have a whole house Generac with automatic switching running on a 1000 gallon underground propane tank. With some AC Management I can power essentials in the house for ~ 30 days. This may be an extreme example and way more than you want. A few things that I would recommend you consider as you are making your decision on a system:

• Whether you go with propane or gasoline - talk with your fuel supplier on response times for worst case scenarios (Hurricane / tornado) and normal storm scenarios.  They have a lot of experience in how long it will take to resupply you and that will determine how much fuel you need to keep on hand.  We ended going bigger because ten years ago, there wasn't much of a price difference between 500 and 1000 gallon tank.  Another driver for the size was the outdoor kitchen and water heaters are propane.  In a worst case scenario, we plan on doing all of our cooking outdoors with propane.  
• As far as fuel goes, I recently wanted to buy some more metal safety cans for gasoline (hurricane clean-up) and was amazed that 5 gallon safety cans now cost $95 to $150 each.
• One of our biggest "comfort issues" is hot water for showers.  We have propane hot water tanks so we are good on all the hot water we need -- but, the igniters require electricity so they too must be on a circuit on the generator.
• We decided we only needed A/C in the Master Bedroom for sleeping.  So, only one A/C unit is on the generator panel.
• That's another big planning issue -- how is your house wired?  We have a 4-panel, 240v system with only two panels running off the generator.  I have the ability to switch loads on and off to manage power and fuel consumption on the generator.
• Don't forget refrigerators and freezers.  I have one deep freezer that we fill with meat before every hurricane.  If not needed, we eat it over the next few months.
• Security System and outdoor lights / cameras are on the generator.  After a big hurricane looting can be a problem.  My neighbor's have noted that after our area looses power (one time for 4 days), I still have my outdoor lights working at night.

I'm sure there is a lot more that I can tell you.  DM me if you want to talk.

[Rhinoww]

Great points on the dirty energy. Called my HVAC installer. Unless there is a regulator the warranty is voided. Also soft start is a $350 install. They still deferred all KW demands for the AC to the generator folks. 

[Wookie]

I went with a whole-house Kohler (their largest air cooled resi-generator).  Natural gas powered. If you are willing to stomach the expense, it's a nice amenity to have. I've used smaller gas-powered units in the past and they work fine but are a hassle.

[Ford2112]

A friend of mine lived off grid in the mountains for a number of years and ran a Honda for 2 years straight every day to power his house. 

[MrBirdman]

On 7/1/2025 at 8:21 PM, Rhinoww said:

Great points on the dirty energy. Called my HVAC installer. Unless there is a regulator the warranty is voided. Also soft start is a $350 install. They still deferred all KW demands for the AC to the generator folks. 

Glad I was able to help! 

On 7/1/2025 at 7:30 AM, Rhinoww said:

AC would be really nice to have so will probably size for that. Took a look at the install papers as my unit is under a year old but it only referenced amps for the circuit so some more digging. 

If you do decide to go with the whole air conditioning setup for your generator, you'll need 18kw minimum even with a slow-start, preferably 20kw. Starting the compressor on a 5-ton unit can require up to 15kw, after that the load drops. But you have to factor in the fan and the possibility your fridge is running during startup. In the 8 years I have had my current AC/generator setup, I have only had one prolonged outage during the summer that became miserable - I keep my house pretty cool so there's a 12-24 hour window before things start to get uncomfortable. But I live in PA and our prolonged outages often happen outside the hot months. Other factors to consider are fuel source - if you aren't on mains gas, do you have a big tank? 

Ultimately, you know how often you tend to lose power and for how long, so consider that when sizing. I personally feel like a more cost-effective and simple solution is getting one of those portable AC units for the bedroom - they aren't super effective, but they'll keep you cool enough at night. During the daytime it's easier to manage. I did my TFA training in a dorm without opening windows in July - when the building's AC broke for an entire week I quickly learned about the delights of cold showers. 

Good luck! Let us know how you make out. 

[comptalk]

Back in Oct 2012, we had a really bad storm and we were out of power for 4 days. It was horrible. Since then, I've purchased a Generac NG whole-house generator. It's wonderful. In case anyone is wondering, it's a Generac Guardian  22kW Standby Generator System (200A Service Disconnect + AC Shedding) w/ Wi-Fi.

[El Presidente]

I have no idea what you guys are talking about...but I love this forum and what I learn (potentially). 

[riderpride]

46 minutes ago, El Presidente said:

I have no idea what you guys are talking about......but I love this forum and what I learn (potentially) 

Indirect temperature control of our humidors. Everything else is secondary.  

Cheers!

[tbelle7]

I have a Generac NG system for the entire home. We have needed it twice and glad we had it. Hassle free.

[Rhinoww]

I picked up a second solar battery backup yesterday that’s enough for another fridge for a half day or so. A bluetti (if any US based folks want an 8% off coupon lemme know - they have a decent sale rn and a referral program for first purchase). 
So I have a very minimum covered now in an absolute emergency which also lets me take some time going through options with a goal of a plan by winter. Still need to get some prices on a whole house system…but that seems to be where I may be headed unless prices are truly absurd. 

[Rhinoww]

7 hours ago, El Presidente said:

I have no idea what you guys are talking about...but I love this forum and what I learn (potentially). 

Among the many reasons this forum rarely disappoints. 

[clone1008]

I recently upgraded my smaller portable generator with a larger portable. We live in Florida and every couple of years need it for a couple of days. I decided to go dual fuel but mainly use gas. I bought the Duromax XP13000HX and had an interlock and 50 amp inlet box installed. Used it last year for 4 days and it pretty much ran my whole house including the AC. Another thing that helped a whole bunch is I installed a soft start on my AC unit to lessen the startup load on the generator when it turns on. 

Here's the company that makes the soft starter.... MICRO-AIR

[Chas.Alpha]

15 hours ago, El Presidente said:

I have no idea what you guys are talking about...but I love this forum and what I learn (potentially). 

If you lived in Florida for a couple of hurricane seasons, you would not only know exactly what they’re talking about, but you’d likely know all of the specs for each model of generator available! 😳