Generator vs power inverter...thoughts?

[Guest theconstitutionrocks]

I have both, and frankly I like my inverter better...my PV panels charge my battery bank, batteries are run through a seperate 15 amp circuit with enough outlets in the right places to get the job done. Yeah, I can't run my stove, dryer, AC or heater off it, but it gives me the basic creature comforts. If I need the big stuff I haul out the generator and run it for an hr or so to do what i gotta and then put it away.

 

Inverters are nice...lights, tv, laptop...no noise, no fumes

 

 

[xjsnake]

I have neither and wish I had both. Really need to buy a house so I can up my game...

[Guest theconstitutionrocks]

I have neither and wish I had both. Really need to buy a house so I can up my game...

one trick that works really well, in the short term, is to hook an inverter to your car (lighter mx 150 watts, hard wire it to the battery, or use the alligator clips to the battery. Then in an outage with and extension cord, you can push 120 into the house. WORD OF CAUTION...you have a limited number of watts/amps to play with so don't overload it (it will shut down anyway). The big one to watch though is that you car battey is almost always NOT deep cycle. It was not meant to take that abuse. if you use your inverter until it shuts off (at 10.5 volts remaining) you might still be able to start your car, but drain your battery like that 3-4 times and you will ruin it (eats up the plates inside or something like that)

 

You CAn use it as an emergency source but you should go out and run it once every hr or two for about 15 min to keep the battery charged. Be stingy with the stuff you are powering, LED or CFLs, not incandecents.

[Dane]

[quote name="theconstitutionrocks" post="1091296" timestamp="1389146505"]I have both, and frankly I like my inverter better...my PV panels charge my battery bank, batteries are run through a seperate 15 amp circuit with enough outlets in the right places to get the job done. Yeah, I can't run my stove, dryer, AC or heater off it, but it gives me the basic creature comforts. If I need the big stuff I haul out the generator and run it for an hr or so to do what i gotta and then put it away. Inverters are nice...lights, tv, laptop...no noise, no fumes[/quote] They are pretty nice but do not care for running things with motors such as drills and pumps. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[Hershmeister]

What about a natural gas backup gennie?

[Guest Lester Weevils]

Years ago decided I was too cheep to have a full house LP generac installed, and decided to build a low power, fairly long term batt UPS, and in case of long outages, run a portable genny for a few hours per day to recharge batts, run washing machine and keep the frigidare cold.

Toyed with wiring in a transfer switch and sub panel, but that gets spensive enough that the money is better spent installing a big automatic backup system.

But years went by without needing the gear hardly at all. Very few outages. Finally the 400 AH of agm deep cycle batts died of old age, wouldn't hold a charge, and I've not replaced them. And the "big" coleman genny is way too loud and too much trouble to drag out and crank for short term outages.

So after the tornado blitz a couple years ago, got a 2KW Honda inverter genny that isn't as much trouble to drag out and crank up. Also have 4 APS 1500 VA computer UPS and a statpower non-computer-quality auto switch ups that will run my cpap machine all night. It is a little "stronger" than the APS units but not a bunch.

I had (IIRC) the statpower and 2 APS 1500 VA units during the tornado blitz. Turning off the puters and running each one in sequence for low power draw, got a few hours out of each one, ran all night and into the morning, but the power came back on when I was cooking coffee on the camp stove thinking about dragging out the coleman genny.

We have a good bit of camping gear, and got 4 of those coleman LED lanterns that will run a few days on 4 D cells. They permanently live in the kitchen, bathroom, livingroom, office. And assorted LED lights and battery radios, before it would get down to dragging out the coleman propane lantern or candles or oil wick lanterns.

It isn't inconvenient to run on the small UPS's and battery lights for an evening or longer, then break out the genny to recharge em, though so far haven't had an outage last long enough to need to do that. Treat an outage like a camping trip at home. :)

Would like to have some solar, but there isn't a good place to mount em at my house. Too much tree shade. If I put in solar would be inclined to put in enough to take one or two rooms "completely off the grid". Maybe the office or living room. Edited January 8, 2014 by Lester Weevils