Generator backup

[untamed]

Do I need to purchase an inverter-type generator to run pumps and heaters...or will a cheapo, never-connect-anything-electronic type generator work fine?

Who has backup generators? What model is it? Has it been tested running the aquarium?

[Gordon H]

Hey Brad,

I am just in the process of installing an emergency generator for our house, which has a dedicted circuit for the tank. It is a Generac 10kW Air-Cooled Home Standby Emergency Generator. It is likely complete overkill for the tank, but we have a number of power outages every year, so I was willing to put one in that was going to last a while and be good for Disaster planning. I expect it to be up and running some time in the next month or two. They have installed all the electrical and are just waiting for the concrete pad on which it will sit to be poured.

http://www.generac.com/Products/Residential/AirCooled/10KW.aspx

[mark]

See no reason to get a fancy generator.

I got a little 800W unit from Princess Auto for camping (seen them today for $133) and just so I not talking out my a$$, just finished running a Iwaki70 I have for a return pump, a 200W heater and a 28W PC for ~1/2hour. Had the generator outside, run a 75' extension cord back to the basement. The voltage and freq a little off (130v, 61Hz) but everything ran. Wife didn't even notice nor were the neighbours banging on my door.

Really believe that if the generator is for a emergency situation, don't need to be running the Ca reactor and your moon lights. In my case, I've got the heater and would think enough flow and aeration with the return pump only.

[MikeP]

Following along on this Untamed. See no reason to get a fancy generator.

I got a little 800W unit from Princess Auto for camping (seen them today for $133) and just so I not talking out my a$$, just finished running a Iwaki70 I have for a return pump, a 200W heater and a 28W PC for ~1/2hour. Had the generator outside, run a 75' extension cord back to the basement. The voltage and freq a little off (130v, 61Hz) but everything ran. Wife didn't even notice nor were the neighbours banging on my door.

Really believe that if the generator is for a emergency situation, don't need to be running the Ca reactor and your moon lights. In my case, I've got the heater and would think enough flow and aeration with the return pump only.
Mark what is the model number of your generator. I can't remember the last time we had a power outage that lasted more than a minute but for that price and emergency use only I would feel a lot better if I had a little generator like that ready to go just in case.

[Tom R]

Hi Brad

I have the same generator (950 watts) that Princess Auto sells and as a test I have run it for about an hour running my ampmaster (143 watts) a heater (250 watts) with no problems. As a precaution I used a surge protector to attach my equipment. A friend of mine is an electrician and he tells me that running most of our aquarium equipment will be no problem. He also said not to attach more watts than the generator can handle. I think I would think twice about hooking my big screen TV to it, but my fridge and freezer might get an hour here and their.

Tom R

[Slick Fork]

I picked up an 800watt generator from crappy tire this spring that puts out a true sine wave. Modified Sine waves and step waves are NOT suitable for running things like motors or lights. I think this one was only $400.

[mark]

Following along on this Untamed.
Mark what is the model number of your generator. I can't remember the last time we had a power outage that lasted more than a minute but for that price and emergency use only I would feel a lot better if I had a little generator like that ready to go just in case.

http://www.princessauto.com/_osn.cfm?CTRY=CAN&output=OSN&SRCH=1&SRCHAREA=OSN&T1=880W%20PORTABLE%20GENERATOR

[MikeP]

http://www.princessauto.com/_osn.cfm?CTRY=CAN&output=OSN&SRCH=1&SRCHAREA=OSN&T1=880W%20PORTABLE%20GENERATOR

Sweet, thanks.

[untamed]

See no reason to get a fancy generator.

I got a little 800W unit from Princess Auto for camping (seen them today for $133) and just so I not talking out my a$$, just finished running a Iwaki70 I have for a return pump, a 200W heater and a 28W PC for ~1/2hour. Had the generator outside, run a 75' extension cord back to the basement. The voltage and freq a little off (130v, 61Hz) but everything ran. Wife didn't even notice nor were the neighbours banging on my door.

Really believe that if the generator is for a emergency situation, don't need to be running the Ca reactor and your moon lights. In my case, I've got the heater and would think enough flow and aeration with the return pump only.

Thanks, that is really good feedback. That's along the lines that I was thinking and I wanted to hear of some first hand experience to ensure that the power provided by these things didn't destroy pumps and heaters.

[fishface]

hey Mark, so those generator's from princess auto really aren't that loud huh? this may be a silly question but how's the build quality on those?

[skylord]

hey Mark, so those generator's from princess auto really aren't that loud huh? this may be a silly question but how's the build quality on those?

My biggest concern with those....do they start ok after the first time? They all seem to start and run great the first time but when you need them 6 months later the power is back on before you can get them to fire.

Scott

[mark]

They're really not that loud. Would say quieter than my Honda lawnmower and been awhile since I've used the Honda generators fr work but probably not a whole lot louder than those. Either way can't see it being loud enough that the neighbours would complain or even think twice, but if they didn't like me running it in the middle of winter with the power out in the neighbourhood, well what can I say about them.

Build quality, seems okay to me. Maybe not as shiny as the Hondas and Yamahas I was looking at this spring but then they were $1200.

Reliability; remember it started after only a couple of pulls out of the box and figure for that was first time fuel in the tank. Might have run it for 1/2 hour playing around with it when first got it in Feb. Most of my camping was at powered sites or just figured run on batteries where there wasn't so unit sat until mid Aug. In August run it for the first time in about 6 months and then probably around a hour in total but no problem starting.

Yesterday it fired up for the test on the tank (having sat unused for ~ 2 months) and then it was only a few pulls and that was probably more me as had the choke lever the wrong way.

Yes the unit is cheap, but then maybe so am I. I justified it to myself as something to use to maybe charge batteries on the travel trailer and a standby for the house in the very rare time I might lose power in the city.

If I was buying a unit for a backup of a heart/lung machine or lived in a area with frequent outages or actually could see myself using it for more than a few hours a year I might consider the Honda or Yamahas but for my usage, my little Princess Auto unit is perfectly fine.

[fishface]

nice review and a good perspective...thanks

[Diana]

Last winter we picked up a coleman gas powered generator to run the tanks. We ran heaters and pumps, and for a bit ran the lights. We actually used it 2 or 3 times last year. It was about 700 bucks but well worth it, as it saved all our tanks.

:)
-Diana

[Raf]

only thing is...it is LOUD, crap *** loud... but saved our tanks. ;)

[eddtango]

I saw some inverters at Canadian Tire but don't know if this is appropriate for pumps and powerheads.

[mark]

I saw some inverters at Canadian Tire but don't know if this is appropriate for pumps and powerheads.

One caution about using the larger invertors from Canadian Tire (I've got the 1000W one here (http://www.xantrex.com/web/id/23/p/1/pt/29/product.asp)) from a battery only, is the low voltage protection. The one I've got shuts itself off at 10.8 vdc which really isn't that low for a deep cycle RV battery. Believe they are more designed to operate attached to a vehicle, where the vehicle is running (converting the alternators output to 120vac).