Sizing Your Generator

[maxwelhse]

Correct me if I’m wrong but I thought electric water heaters only ran one element at a time. I don’t remember the rhyme or reason right now.

I can't speak for every water heater on the planet, but the instruction manual that came with mine said it would run the bottom as maintenance and then kick the top one on as needed to boost it. So, under load, I assume that means they both turn on when you're actually using the thing. It also called for a breaker of the size to allow it to do that.

 

[maxwelhse]

I'm a primitive camper, so if I have to deal with cold showers (I take baths in the lake), I could certainly do that. My only concern about running cords is that I"m going to have to have a door or window(s) open to run cords from the genny to all the appliances. That's why I want the transfer switch and be able to use the breaker panel to "allocate" where the power goes. I could survive without AC too as long as I can run a fan.

Do you take baths in the lake when it's 40 degree water? I mean, not saying you can't or don't, but F that if it's me. In the winter my well water is pretty freaking cold. I guess you can go try it out right now and see if it's something you could live with for how ever long you think you need to.

As far as cords, I just run them all through the garage-to-house people door and bungee it as shut as I can get it. I only count on my genny to pull the refers down and that takes about 6 hours if the deep freeze is anywhere close to over 32 when I catch it. After that, I'm on my own again and I unplug the cords and shut the door. So... Maybe my system isn't what you want, but that's what I do.

I'll also put it out there that I approach my generator, and suggest that others consider the same, in maybe the opposite way of what most people think of. To me it's been a big heavy chunk of expensive floor space that I almost never need to use (twice in 12 years). I'm happy to have it, but I don't want to tie up any more money or space into something I virtually almost never need or use. I'd rather just have some other layers and backup plans to go without it if I need to. Spending big money on all the fancy transfer switches and stuff just made less and less sense to me the more and more I thought about it. YMMV and all of that.

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

I can't speak for every water heater on the planet, but the instruction manual that came with mine said it would run the bottom as maintenance and then kick the top one on as needed to boost it. So, under load, I assume that means they both turn on when you're actually using the thing. It also called for a breaker of the size to allow it to do that.

I’d have to check mine sometime then. Maybe I misunderstood too. I thought my breakers were sized for one element.

 

[maxwelhse]

I’d have to check mine sometime then. Maybe I misunderstood too. I thought my breakers were sized for one element.

I started thinking, maybe mine didn't work that way...? Ran over to Lowe's website and check the first random electric water heater Q&A. First question is exactly on this topic. 10 answers... all arguing with each other.

Probably something you should double check in any owner's manual for an electric water heater given the "resources" I just found.

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

I started thinking, maybe mine didn't work that way...? Ran over to Lowe's website and check the first random electric water heater Q&A. First question is exactly on this topic. 10 answers... all arguing with each other.

Probably something you should double check in any owner's manual for an electric water heater given the "resources" I just found.

My curiosity got the best of me. So I google electric water heater circuit diagrams. This link demonstrates how I thought they worked. Like you said, I don’t know that this is standard for every heater on the planet but it makes sense.

How Standard Electric Water Heaters Work | Whirlpool

 

[Chase515]

We switched the dryer, stove, and water heater to gas. It made choosing a generator alot easier.

 

[maxwelhse]

My curiosity got the best of me. So I google electric water heater circuit diagrams. This link demonstrates how I thought they worked. Like you said, I don’t know that this is standard for every heater on the planet but it makes sense.

How Standard Electric Water Heaters Work | Whirlpool

At this point I'm willing to just back the train up and change my answer to an I was wrong and absolutely an I don't know.

Glad it never became an issue for me and really glad that house I'm in now has gas. Even if it is running just one element, that's still a ton of juice.

 

[maxwelhse]

We switched the dryer, stove, and water heater to gas. It made choosing a generator alot easier.

Indeed. I'll put it out there that my house had an electric stove too so part of my preps now is a little camping stove and plenty of gas bottles for it. Bought it all on clearance at Meijer for not much cash at all.

Worth mentioning that I also used the thing for several days as my only burner and I liked it quite a bit better than the electric range. I was sad when I had to put it away!

 

[churchmouse]

Indeed. I'll put it out there that my house had an electric stove too so part of my preps now is a little camping stove and plenty of gas bottles for it. Bought it all on clearance at Meijer for not much cash at all.

Worth mentioning that I also used the thing for several days as my only burner and I liked it quite a bit better than the electric range. I was sad when I had to put it away!

You can easily adapt those stoves to larger bottles.

 

[maxwelhse]

You can easily adapt those stoves to larger bottles.

I have a gas range in the kitchen now but it has been on my mind to get a bottle adapter for the little guy. In the several days I used it I only used like 1/2 of one of the little camping bottles and I think I have like 20 of those.

 

[churchmouse]

I have a gas range in the kitchen now but it has been on my mind to get a bottle adapter for the little guy. In the several days I used it I only used like 1/2 of one of the little camping bottles and I think I have like 20 of those.

We used to camp a lot. Still have "ALL" the gear. 2 Coleman dual burner stoves. I have a Tee that will run both stoves off a Gas grill bottle.

 

[maxwelhse]

We used to camp a lot. Still have "ALL" the gear. 2 Coleman dual burner stoves. I have a Tee that will run both stoves off a Gas grill bottle.

I really want one of these, but not for prepping... For making an absurd amount of breakfast all in one go, diner style.

I suppose I could justify it as an emergency expense...

 

[churchmouse]

I really want one of these, but not for prepping... For making an absurd amount of breakfast all in one go, diner style.

I suppose I could justify it as an emergency expense...

I have seen these and now I am Hungary dang you man.

 

[maxwelhse]

I have seen these and now I am Hungary dang you man.

I'm about to toss some Mexican in the oven... Muhahahaha!!

 

[bwframe]

I knew better...

I just drained the old fuel out of my small generator, cause it would not start after setting for likely more than a year. Solved the issue and it's running now.

I thought I had Sta-bil in the genny, but I'm not sure? Maybe I did have Stay-bil in it, and it just went beyond the two years?

I hardly ever use this generator. Power has to be out for long enough to threaten the freezers thawing, so I've only had to fire it up seriously once in the last ten years.

Considering how little use this generator gets, would it be smarter to run it dry and keep it dry until needed? I do have 30 gallons of gas cans that stay mostly full, as rotated.

 

[lonehoosier]

Sorry to hear that, glad you were able to get it up and running quickly. All my gas power stuff gets drained as much as I can with the pump and then I put a splash of stable and then run dried. Works for me for 25 years now. I've rebuilt a lot of carburators for people that had stable in them.

 

[churchmouse]

Sorry to hear that, glad you were able to get it up and running quickly. All my gas power stuff gets drained as much as I can with the pump and then I put a splash of stable and then run dried. Works for me for 25 years now. I've rebuilt a lot of carburators for people that had stable in them.

But did they do it correctly. Run the stabil into the carb and then shut it down. Not just pour it into the tank.

 

[bwframe]

I didn't look at the gas drained from the tank, but the gas from the carb bowl was noticeably yellow colored.

I thought I might burn the couple gallons of old gas drained from the genny tank in the car. I've successfully burnt 3 year old gas in the car before. After seeing the yellow stinky fuel from the carb, I used the old fuel to kill some weeds in the gravel drive. (JK... ...not today EPA...)

I need to come up with a genny fueling/measuring routine that gives 5-10 minutes run time for testing. If I run the tank/carb dry, what would be the schedule to refuel and test?

 

[Chase515]

After playing out the scenarios in my head about how long a generator could potentially sit between uses. I bought a png tri fuel conversion kit for my Generac 8000 running 10000 starting generator. Keeping it empty makes more since to me. Less chance of gumming up the carb. I weighted out the pros and cons of running it on natural gas or propane vs ethanol gas. Potentially more valve wear with natural gas or propane due to lack of lubrication from gasoline. But it'll take 2-3000 hours of use with natural gas or propane for that wear to show. Not sure i'd ever run a generator on ethanol crap more than 2-300 hours before seeing problems.

 

[lonehoosier]

But did they do it correctly. Run the stabil into the carb and then shut it down. Not just pour it into the tank.

I'm sure dozens of people didn't do it wrong but I can tell you I have never rebuilt a carburetor for someone that drains their gas.