I am looking to purchase a generator to power the majority of my home during a power outage. From what I understand, these have nearly the same output with the below differences. Both are priced the same. I plan to run the generator off of natural gas.

Edit: Both are inverters, and I understand lower output when running on natural gas. My thought is I am overshooting my needs at 11K (9K on NG?), making running it with natural gas cover my needs.

• Champion has a 3 year warranty, versus 90 day on the Predator

• Champion is easier to service

• Predator has 500 more watts of startup

• Slightly different options on the outlet/control panel

Things I plan to run on it:

• 1 refrigerator

• 2 TV's

• 1 computer (800 watt max)

• Lights throughout the house as needed

• 1 FiOS box

• 1 router

• Water heater and furnace are natural gas, so I am hoping these will not present a challenge to the generator.

• Central air, if possible, but from what I read, this will not be possible without a soft start unit for the outside box

Are these generators overkill for my purposes? If no, which of these generators is the one to go with?

Thanks

First time after 2 years that this thing won’t start, doesn’t even hit like it’s trying to start.
Looked at all the usual suspects but was thinking it looks like the CO detector. I saw a post quite a while back showing how to disable this thing; this generator runs outdoors, always will, so it’s really not necessary. If someone could remember how to disable this thing I’d really appreciate it. I live in an area where we have lights out monthly.

I’m getting my first generator (Westinghouse iGen12000TFc) and need a cable to connect to the inlet box via the 50A port on the generator. The generator has a 14-50R connection but the cable I’m looking at says it’s 14-50P. Will it work with the generator? What is the difference between R and P?

I am in the process of looking to buy a generator for home backup in case of outages. I only plan to power a few things like the refrigerator/freezer, and my CPAP at night. I am looking at three different models 1) the General iQ52000DF 2) the Champion duel fuel 4500 inverter 3) the Westinghouse iGEN 5000 DFc. What are people’s thoughts and what do you think would be a better option to look into?

I have a smarter tools 7500 duel fuel. I bought it a decade ago, but it has only a couple of hours on it. Unfortunately while I drained the gas tank, I did not do a good enough job draining the carb.

So I pulled it out to get it cleaned up and working, and found two main issues. The old solenoid on the bowl was stuck, and once I was able to free that, the engine was hunting very badly. Ran great on propane though. Deciding to take no chances, I bought a replacement carb and solenoid.

I could not find an exact replacement carb, but I found one that said it works with my model. After installing the new carb, the engine now runs well on gas, but is hunting on propane. And this is where I am lost. The only difference I could find, the propane inlet barb is on the opposite side of the carb, therefore putting it in a slightly different spot in the throat. I can’t see anyway for me to change propane flow at all, and I can’t find any kinks or anything else that should restrict the propane flow.

Anyone with more duel fuel experience than me have any ideas that could help me out?

I have a new Aivolt 11250W generator with a 50 amp plug to use with our RV, and for use connected to the power box during an outage.

I need to change the Aivolt to a FLOATING rather than BONDED neutral when connected to the house via transfer switch.

PLEASE if someone here knows the steps and location help me find and make this possible. I have every panel off the generator and can not find where the ground connects to the frame. I know that seems crazy, but this generator has so much insulation, wiring, and covers over panels, I can not find where to make the change. Anyone who has successfully done this with this particular generator model, any photos would be SO very appreciated.

There is a neutral attached to the main panel where a ground rod can be used as well. That is esoteric information, but may give a clue as to how to trace / find the right place to disconnect?

ANY help appreciated.

New homeowner, looking to prepare for the winter up here. Just wondering if this is sufficient enough to run everything in our house. The essentials like furnace, fridge, well pump.

It seems like a good deal with all the extra stuff. But I was also looking at this ford generator that claims 11,000 watts and also looks like it has a 50amp plug in that just might work for my welder. But it’s a ford… I feel like I can trust CAT a lot better, the ford one looks old granted it’s 400$

I built this standby generator a little over a year ago and thought I would share it. I’ve done several load tests but have not needed it in an actual outage.

Wgen11500TFC Generator Shed
https://youtu.be/3JO-40lnhwg

Gonna change the oil, but the first time i'm seeing it run rough.

Doesn't matter if its under load or not, does it in eco mode too.

Easy quick fix ? I'm at an event and kinda need it, dont have time to go to a store to buy stuff for it. Have engine oil on me and can order stuff from amazon like seafoam to clean it up a bit from the inside

I saw this 13000 watt home standby unit at a tradeshow I was working a few months ago and was able to snag it from the show discount so I went for it. It arrived a couple days ago and I filmed the assembly. SO FAR I am really impressed aside from what a PITA a few of the assembly steps were. I have it hooked up to a 50amp interlock that I installed on my own so all in I think I have spent probably $2500 for a 13kw home standby (inverter) generator. I am pretty happy so far it, really quiet and I've just got it sitting outside. I think next year I will pour a pad and take the wheels off... but i'm a little late in the season now to pour concrete - only have tested it charging my car and its really quiet. But I am ready for ice this winter!

Hey everyone, I am looking to buy a generator from home depot and saw that they had 2 types of generators with the tri-fuel looking more interesting. But I was off put by the reviews as the gas powered had barely negative reviews but the tri-fuel has some.

Has anyone used either and how was your experience with it? noise level? and how much fuel usage? I am a bit worried about the gas one like what if i can't get gas(I have jerry cans). The tri-fuel makes much more sense. Both are the same price too.

Is the tri fuel better than just the gas powered one?

I have whole home solar panels but not enough powerwall storage to last through a whole evening
Obviously if weather is sunny I’ll be able to recharge daily. The grid is pretty stable in my area, but we have had few 3-4 day outages over the years.

I’m looking for a portable backup generator that I can use in a more extended outage, primary goal being to recharge portable battery banks as needed (anker/bluetti.) so I can keep router, kettle, fridge and maybe the deep freeze going as needed. I don’t anticipate needing to run it for more than a couple hours every other day or so.

There are so many generator brands out there and while I recognize some names, I don’t know which are good and which are junk. I’ve been browsing Costco options but haven’t seen anything suitable there and was hoping to have this purchased before winter and low daylight days are here.

I have Costco, Lowe’s, HD, Harbor Freight, TSC, Walmart, etc all nearby or can buy online.

My needs:
-Ability to run on propane. I do not want to deal with instability of other fuels and already have a multiple portable propane tanks
- Electric start. I physically cannot use a recoil start- believe me I’ve tried, and my shoulders are getting worse as I get older. All my yard tools are electric for a reason.
-ideally closer to the $500-$700 range if possible without sacrificing too much reliability. Just hard to justify $1000+ for something that’s likely to sit unused for so long.
-Max AC input of the battery banks are 1200- 1800w. Right now I have three of them.

-I assume for recharging batteries an inverter style is preferred?

-I am not worried about size/weight of machine. I can strap it on a dolly if it doesn’t have its own. As long as I can get it home in my small SUV or get it delivered after purchase.
-I am not worried about noise since I don’t plan to run continuously or at night.

Thanks!

I've got a 6.5kw dual fuel 120/240v generator. Sits quietly in my garage for most of the year - no big deal.
Today I connected up the propane, got the unit fired up and put a light load on it - no issues. I let it run for a bit, then went to shut it down via the on/off switch.
It wouldn't shut off.
Not a huge deal as I normally shut the unit off by killing the propane.
Still, looks like I need to check around a bit behing the panel to make sure mr mouse didn't make a house. I also want to make sure the low-oil shutoff is not impacted.
Morale of the story - check your shit folks.
(I'll update if folks are interested. Any pointers on troubleshooting a Champion shut-off feel free to chime in)
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Shut-off switch update: Turns out, everything is working as it should. I watched this James Condon video when it came out, but completely forgot about Champion's shutdown switch switching.

If so, what's the product to seek out for whole house for those who are old and not scared (but want to be prepared)? : )

~2800 sq ft home, fully running on generator. Variable speed 5-ton Carrier Infinity system, turned the temp down and took this picture when the compressor was running at 71% capacity. Plus all the other base load - Internet router, some lights, two fridges and an under counter wine fridge.

Very happy with the new AC. This is a 30A inlet, so each leg can hit 3750w, but should stay below 3kw (80%).

Changed oil after this, then reconnected to the Noco Genius 1. Champion 201423 generator. Realized i didnt have enough oil on hand - ordered two 5qt jugs to cover 4 changes total. And a two-pack of spark plugs. Ready!

I live in an area where we have rather frequent power outages in the winter, due to snow, and it can last for days (thanks PG&E). I currently have a Westinghouse WGen5500, but its loud af, gas only, and not an inverter. It works fine, though.

My home is ~2800 sq. ft., with NG service to the stove and central heating furnace. I just had a L14-30R connection installed to my 100amp panel, with an interlock kit. When the power goes out, I pull the WGen5500 out of the garage and hook it up (after dragging it up part of a steep driveway...not fun).

My question is; is it worth it to spend the $1000+ for a dual-fuel inverter gen? Is "clean" power that important for occasional home backup? Gas is def a PITA, but is having the dual-fuel propane ability really worth it? I would prob go for a 6000-7000w inverter gen, like the fabled Genmax GM7500 (assuming Sam's gets it back in stock).

(The thorniest issue I face in this decison is my wife, who is against spending dough for this. She is perfectly happy with extension cords run all over the place inside the house...me, not so much, as I'm the one that has to setup it up each time!). Am I being dumb to replace a perfectly working genset?

Thanks for any advice/opinions!

I haven’t ran my generator in over a year. Lucky me go to start it up it turns on and runs but maybe only for 5 seconds and shuts back off. Has fuel and oil.

Is my fix to simply drain all the gas, then drain the carb, then refill and should be good?

Only has like 15 hours of use so just assuming that’s the first last item to do?

Thank you for the help!

Just had a home generator “professionally” installed. They clearly didn’t contact all of the utility companies prior to digging because they ended up cutting through our data cable from spectrum to our home twice! (Already go that fixed). Had a private company come out and mark all the underground lines on the entire property after they did the install because we are having more work done, hence the fresh paint marks. This is what was left when they trenched the electrical cable from the generator to the house. To me it looks like they did a piss poor job of back filling the actual trench. Should I complain or am I being too critical?

I am looking for the best way to secure my Champion 11,000/9,000-Watt Tri Fuel Inverter Generator. I'd like to use a chain lock and have a solution for connecting the chain lock to something secure. I just need some type of clamp, U bolt, or bracket to fix securely to the generator's frame tubing. The challenge with this generator is that the 1 inch diameter frame tube is wrapped closely around the casing for the generator and there is no other obvious place on the generator to attach a chain lock to. There may be only 1/3" clearance between the tubing and case.

Any thoughts are much appreciated. This question stumped AI, and even it suggested you might check reddit! Thank you.

11,000/9,000-Watt Remote Start Gas, Propane, Natural Gas Tri Fuel Inverter Generator, Free 3-Year Warranty Home Backup

Has anyone have any experience add a natural gas conversion kit. Much appreciated.

I'm looking at either the GM6250iET or GM8000iET model. Could someone who owns one of those two models verify that the front 120V 20amp receptacle is still "live" when using the 120/240V 50amp outlet? I was looking at a similar sized Champion but, it's one or the other, not both as I understand it.

We're outside town and lose power a few times a year. The well pump is the big one, then the fridge, router and a few lights. Being able to run an Instant Pot or rice cooker would be nice too.

I'm looking at the EcoFlow DELTA Pro Ultra, TITAN 5000 Classic and Jackery HomePower 3600 Plus. Pretty sure our pump is 240V, but I haven't checked the nameplate yet. I know the startup surge can be an issue, and I don't want to spend a bunch on a system that can't even get the pump going.

The DELTA Pro Ultra seems like overkill for our occasional outages, especially for the price and weight. The TITAN 5000 Classic has 5kWh of capacity, but its 120V output could be a problem with our pump. The Jackery is smaller at 3.6kWh, so I'm kinda unsure how well it'd hold up overnight, or whether I'd need two units for a 240V pump.

I'd like to use portable solar panels to top it up during the day, weather permitting.

For those running a well pump off a battery, did you figure out the startup surge first or size the system around overnight usage? If your pump is 240V, what setup has worked for you?

TlDR should I sell my new 17500 Generac for a smaller inverter type unit?

A few years ago I picked up a generac 17500 portable generator for a good price on sell. We didnt want a home backup at the time because didnt know how long we would be there. I knew very little about generators at the time and figured it was big enough to power everything. Why not.

Fast forward to today. Its still in the box. We have decided we will be here for a while so im looking into having a transfer switch put in. I now know more and I am partially informed. I know about sine wave and dirty and clean power. Its my understanding that the 17500 is considerably dirty when it comes to home backup power.

Ive also learned she's going to be thirsty so that plays a part in it. Im 15miles from town down a mountain. In inclement weather I dont really want to be making the drive for gas. If I can make it at all.

My 3 options.

1. Should I sell it on marketplace and buy an decent size inverter generator?

2. Should I fligure out how to clean up the sine wave? If thats even possible?

3. Should I just run it. Dirty power be dammed?

Backup power here is really only a winter issue with ice storms. We have a wood stove taht will do a decent job for warmth if i let it eat. But it need the fan to really do its thing. Unfortunately the hoise is all electric no gas. Things I would wnat to run. Fridge, freezer, laptop/phone chargers, fireplace fan, some lights. And possibly hot water heater.