After the storms Easter weekend and losing power briefly twice today for unknown reasons, I was thinking about a portable generator. Most important is running the refrigerator and garage freezer to keep food from spoiling, but I would like to be able to power more of my home than just a couple of appliances. We live outside the city limits and have a propane tank as opposed to natural gas. So aside from the money factor, an automatic transfer generator is out.

We have propane water heaters, oven/range and heater, which helps reduce the load on some of the luxury items. I'm trying to find a balance of capability and fuel efficiency to power things, even if not all at once, throughout the house with the generator. I would like to have a manual transfer switch of some sort so there is just one plug into the house's electrical system instead of having to run multiple extension cords every time. If I went with a larger generator and transfer switch that would handle some of the non-necessities, I would contact my local electrician, but I thought I would start here for tips and pointers, and maybe additional questions I would need to ask them that I haven't already thought about.

I found this Pulsar generator at Home Depot, which appears to be a pretty good price. With the tax free weekend coming up, I thought it might be a good time to get it, although it currently shows out of stock. I like the dual fuel capability since I generally have an extra propane tank that could be used for an emergency if I ran out of gas.

People asked the question about what the THD was and a Pulsar rep responded it was less than 5%. Although another question was asked if that was across all loads, or just a 50% load, to which no answer was given. What items would I be risking with a THD of greater than 5% if it is more than that at anything over a 50% load?

I would like to be able to run my A/C periodically, even if it's the only item with power at that time. Am I crazy for wanting to do that with a portable generator, even if it can handle it? The washing machine, dryer and dishwasher would only be run in an emergency, so that's three of the larger power hogs that would likely never be used with the generator.

All lots in my subdivision are 2 acres or more so I'm not worried about the quietest generator. I won't be transporting it often, if at all, so anything up to 225 pounds or so is fine with me.

What else in general should I look for in a generator, or be aware of that may be missing from the one listed or others I may look at?

Most of the whole house generators like generac run on natural gas or propane, so with having a large propane tank for your house you'd be good. As you said though they are pricey.

What many people don't think about is the amount of gasoline it takes to run a generator like you posted. How do you get more fuel if the powers out for a large area around you? How often are you having to make fuel runs for an extended outage? The bonus of having one of the large whole house generators that comes on automatically is it runs off natural gas or propane. So it kicks on and can run almost endlessly on natural gas or a really long time on your 500 gallon propane tank. Maybe you could run a portable generator off you house propane tank.

That pulsar will give you 50A of 240V power

It has a 50A 120/240V outlet on it.

You could absolutely run a fridge and freezer and TVs and fans. If it can run your AC would depend on how big your AC is i.e. how many amps does it draw. You can look at your outside unit breaker in you panel. It is likely a 2P 30A or 40A. The air handler is usually a 1P 20A w/o electric heat. So you should be fine running an AC with a 2P 30A in addition to you fridge freezers. From memory a typical 3 ton has a 2P 30A and a 4/5ton has a 2P 40A.

You could probably run most lights and appliances in your house with no AC since you do not have electric dryer, oven, stove, and heat.

The trick is how do you connect the generator to your house. I would find a manual transfer switch and wire it in between the meter and panel with a receptacle for the generator.

You would need to turn your AC off and only run it when you have shed most other loads.

Another option for AC is to keep a small window unit and install it in a window for AC and the generator would be fine running it and most of your appliances.

I recently rewired my house. I installed an outdoor plug to hook up the generator directly to my main breaker panel My panel has a master breaker that shuts off the feed from the meter. We then put the generator plug on it's own breaker to feed the panel. Pretty easy to do. You have to make sure that the master is off before switching on the generator otherwise you are sending power up the line.

Generac 7043 with a ATO switch

RCR06 said:

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Most of the whole house generators like generac run on natural gas or propane, so with having a large propane tank for your house you'd be good. As you said though they are pricey.

What many people don't think about is the amount of gasoline it takes to run a generator like you posted. How do you get more fuel if the powers out for a large area around you? How often are you having to make fuel runs for an extended outage? The bonus of having one of the large whole house generators that comes on automatically is it runs off natural gas or propane. So it kicks on and can run almost endlessly on natural gas or a really long time on your 500 gallon propane tank. Maybe you could run a portable generator off you house propane tank.

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Propane or natgas generators consume more fuel per hour than a diesel will, and in times of emergency - propane trucks are going to be low on the priority list for getting through. I'd go with a diesel generator over propane, natgas if you have the connection and supply line for it.

Here is my setup. I bought a large portable generator- I think it is 7200 running amps. It sits in my unattached garage. I had an electrician buddy buy a generator switching breaker setup from Lowes. He then mounted that in the closet in my house and wired the different circuits in my house to the different switches on the switching breaker setup from my main service box. He then ran a heavy cord with a 220 plug end from my main service box into my garage. Now when I loose power I go out to the garage, start the generator, plug the cord into the 220 outlet on my generator, go into the house and switch all the breaker switches on the new generator switching setup. I don't have to touch anything else and have power in my house to run two refrigerators, two freezers, lights, TV's - basically everything except 220 appliances. When we see the clock on the stove start blinking we know power has been restored, I go and switch all the generator switching breakers off and go out and shut off the generator.

Just for reference, most homes require between 15kw and 20kw to run everything - your AC or heating unit are going to take up the balance of the required power because of the compressor or need for electric heat (gas or propane units don't take that much power).

1000w - 1kw

So a 5500 watt generator is 5.5kw. Most portable generators aren't going to be able to run more than fridges, washing machines, etc.. You have to get pretty significant in size to get beyond typical appliance range.

Russ79 said:

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Here is my setup. I bought a large portable generator- I think it is 7200 running amps. It sits in my unattached garage. I had an electrician buddy buy a generator switching breaker setup from Lowes. He then mounted that in the closet in my house and wired the different circuits in my house to the different switches on the switching breaker setup from my main service box. He then ran a heavy cord with a 220 plug end from my main service box into my garage. Now when I loose power I go out to the garage, start the generator, plug the cord into the 220 outlet on my generator, go into the house and switch all the breaker switches on the new generator switching setup. I don't have to touch anything else and have power in my house to run two refrigerators, two freezers, lights, TV's - basically everything except 220 appliances. When we see the clock on the stove start blinking we know power has been restored, I go and switch all the generator switching breakers off and go out and shut off the generator.

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I know most everyone understands the danger of CO. When you say you go out to the garage and start the generator, you don't run it in the garage do you?

He mentions it is in an unattached garage.

Years ago, before Generac was even heard of, a client of mine took me to his garage and showed me how he had power during a blackout. It was a detached garage with the breaker box in there. He built a plywood box lined with insulation / attic barrier with a lid. The Honda generator was inside. He drilled a hole through the back of the box and his wall to run an exhaust pipe from the generator to outside. He drilled another hole in the box to run the power connection to his breaker box. It may have had a small vent on backside as well. There was a switch that he said when the house loses power the generator comes on. It was all nicely done. He closed up the box and turned it on and was very quiet.
A friend of mine had an electrician come set his generator up to run power to the house, but he does not have as nice of a set up.

schmellba99 said:

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RCR06 said:

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Most of the whole house generators like generac run on natural gas or propane, so with having a large propane tank for your house you'd be good. As you said though they are pricey.

What many people don't think about is the amount of gasoline it takes to run a generator like you posted. How do you get more fuel if the powers out for a large area around you? How often are you having to make fuel runs for an extended outage? The bonus of having one of the large whole house generators that comes on automatically is it runs off natural gas or propane. So it kicks on and can run almost endlessly on natural gas or a really long time on your 500 gallon propane tank. Maybe you could run a portable generator off you house propane tank.

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Propane or natgas generators consume more fuel per hour than a diesel will, and in times of emergency - propane trucks are going to be low on the priority list for getting through. I'd go with a diesel generator over propane, natgas if you have the connection and supply line for it.

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In an emergency I'll take convenience over efficiency. In most cases you're looking at a few days or less once a year(every once in a while maybe a week). If I ran my home off a generator all year a diesel generator would probably be the way to go.

Many people rely on propane to run their homes. It is treated with the same priority in Southeast Texas as gasoline or diesel deliveries after a hurricane.

RCR06 said:

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schmellba99 said:

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RCR06 said:

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Most of the whole house generators like generac run on natural gas or propane, so with having a large propane tank for your house you'd be good. As you said though they are pricey.

What many people don't think about is the amount of gasoline it takes to run a generator like you posted. How do you get more fuel if the powers out for a large area around you? How often are you having to make fuel runs for an extended outage? The bonus of having one of the large whole house generators that comes on automatically is it runs off natural gas or propane. So it kicks on and can run almost endlessly on natural gas or a really long time on your 500 gallon propane tank. Maybe you could run a portable generator off you house propane tank.

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Propane or natgas generators consume more fuel per hour than a diesel will, and in times of emergency - propane trucks are going to be low on the priority list for getting through. I'd go with a diesel generator over propane, natgas if you have the connection and supply line for it.

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In an emergency I'll take convenience over efficiency. In most cases you're looking at a few days or less once a year(every once in a while maybe a week). If I ran my home off a generator all year a diesel generator would probably be the way to go.

Many people rely on propane to run their homes. It is treated with the same priority in Southeast Texas as gasoline or diesel deliveries after a hurricane.

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I have propane as well. You have to have a very large (1000 gallon or more) tank to have any semblance of long term run time with a propane generator, which is the biggest downfall of them.

For example, a 20kw Generac propane consumes about 2.5 gph at half load and 3.6-4.0 gph at full load. Hit about the middle at 3gph, and you are consuming about 75 gallons of propane per day. A 200 gallon tank lasts all of 2 days, a 1000 gallon tank lasts about 10 days, assuming you were at full 80% capacity right before the generator kicked on.

A diesel generator of the same brand and size will run for 96 hours at half load. And you don't have other appliances consuming the fuel during and prior.

Generally speaking, if you are in an area where you have propane service, you are outside of the critical infrastructure and electrical grid areas and you are dead last in terms of priority on getting normal power back.

Propane is simply harder to get in emergencies than diesel IMO, based on my experience (after Harvey it was over a week before we got any in our neighborhood, for example). I would personally prefer to have the ability to go get diesel and ensure I have fuel over hoping the propane truck gets here in time, especially when everybody else in the area is clamoring for the same propane I am. My personal preference only. Both have positives and negatives, but when the bad situation actually hits - I want to have some control over thigns versus 100% reliance on deliveries.

Propane does run quieter and runs cleaner, so there are advantages on that end.

I guess I always think back to hurricane Rita. Power was out to most of Southeast Texas for over a week which includes the pumps at gas stations that pump the diesel. A family friend was driving from Beaumont to I think Vinton, Louisiana every other day to buy fuel for his generator. Now this was an especially bad cluster**** as Beaumont hadn't had a major hurricane hit the area in around 30 years so many roads in town weren't passable for quite a while which hindered power restoration, but it's what I always think about as worst case scenario for living off a generator.

Yes, I run it in the garage- it is unattached with a dirt floor and the door stands open.

It may be asking too much for that 9.5/12.0kW portable generator you linked to run your A/C for your house.

Even if your A/C will run on 12.0kW (50 amps @240 volts), it still won't be enough.

The reason is that when a motor load starts (e.g. your A/C compressor) it will draw between 2 and 3 times it's running current. Your generator will not be able to supply that and so it will trip its own breaker.

You might want to look at this chart. If you just have a 2-ton A/C, it just might work.

A/C Running and Start Loads - Various Tonnages


As far as wiring, I use to use Siemens 'interlock' kits in some high-end commercial trailers that had both on-board power and a detachable utility connection.

They are really quite simple and inexpensive, and they have several configurations depending upon the type of breaker panel you're using.

For example, when we had a 30-amp 120/240 generator with a 50-amp 120/240 utility connection, we put a double-pole 30-amp breaker back-to-back with a double-pole 50-amp breaker and use this interlock:

Siemens Back-to-Back Interlock Kit




Each breaker is back-fed from its respective source, but only one can be energized at a time.

Since your house will have a larger amperage circuit, you'd use another Siemens kit, which won't be back-to-back, but they are all pretty inexpensive, and much, much, cheaper than using a separate transfer switch.

A good electrician pointed in the the right direction can do all that for you.

that is pretty slick

I have mot seen one of those

Lots of good info here.

To answer the OP's question on THD, the distortion is really only an issue with microprocessors and items like that. TVs, Computers, etc. might not work correctly if your THD starts rising above 5% (like to 10%). Your fridge, A/C, etc will all be fine.

RCR06 said:

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I guess I always think back to hurricane Rita. Power was out to most of Southeast Texas for over a week which includes the pumps at gas stations that pump the diesel. A family friend was driving from Beaumont to I think Vinton, Louisiana every other day to buy fuel for his generator. Now this was an especially bad cluster**** as Beaumont hadn't had a major hurricane hit the area in around 30 years so many roads in town weren't passable for quite a while which hindered power restoration, but it's what I always think about as worst case scenario for living off a generator.

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At least he could get fuel, a propane delivery probably wasn't happening.

Ideally, if you have natural gas - that is the way to go. Plumb it into your natgas line (assuming you have properly sized) and then you pretty much don't have to worry. When Ike hit, my parents house in Humble was on a circuit that was one of the last to get power. A buddy of my dad had a natural gas generator that he didn't use because he was on the same power grid as the grocery store, and dad plumbed it into his natural gas line. Ran it for I believe 11 straight days before power came back on. Quiet, enough juice to keep fridge and freezer running along with some fans. Made it tolerable at least.

If you have a big enough tank and are in good shape, propane will definitely work. I just personally would have reservations about getting fuel based on my personal experiences. A couple of generator folks I deal with for work projects have the same sentiment as well, which reinforces my opinion. I only have a 200 gallon tank too, which means at 100% full I'm only at 160 gallons. One of these days I'll spring for a larger tank, maybe.

schmellba99 said:

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RCR06 said:

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I guess I always think back to hurricane Rita. Power was out to most of Southeast Texas for over a week which includes the pumps at gas stations that pump the diesel. A family friend was driving from Beaumont to I think Vinton, Louisiana every other day to buy fuel for his generator. Now this was an especially bad cluster**** as Beaumont hadn't had a major hurricane hit the area in around 30 years so many roads in town weren't passable for quite a while which hindered power restoration, but it's what I always think about as worst case scenario for living off a generator.

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At least he could get fuel, a propane delivery probably wasn't happening.

Ideally, if you have natural gas - that is the way to go. Plumb it into your natgas line (assuming you have properly sized) and then you pretty much don't have to worry. When Ike hit, my parents house in Humble was on a circuit that was one of the last to get power. A buddy of my dad had a natural gas generator that he didn't use because he was on the same power grid as the grocery store, and dad plumbed it into his natural gas line. Ran it for I believe 11 straight days before power came back on. Quiet, enough juice to keep fridge and freezer running along with some fans. Made it tolerable at least.

If you have a big enough tank and are in good shape, propane will definitely work. I just personally would have reservations about getting fuel based on my personal experiences. A couple of generator folks I deal with for work projects have the same sentiment as well, which reinforces my opinion. I only have a 200 gallon tank too, which means at 100% full I'm only at 160 gallons. One of these days I'll spring for a larger tank, maybe.

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Must be dependent on the area because I had a coworker get a propane delivery a few days after Harvey. He was a little low and was trying to get it delivered before the storm hit just in case. Said he was shocked when they called him a few days after the storm had passed and wanted to know if he still wanted propane(not for a generator).

Originally I just brought it up as an option because the OP said something like I don't have natural gas, only propane so a whole house stand by generator is out. I was just letting him know it is in fact an option. Whether its the best option or a better option over something else is dependent on each persons situation.

I did see before posting that the automatic turn on units run on propane, but I was unsure if my 500 gallon tank would be good enough, depending on when it was needed. Currently I fill up the tank at the beginning of November and February. I would just have to be more diligent about filling, although my company only fills a minimum of 100 gallons, so topping off in summer would be more difficult. I always tell them to fill it up and sometimes it's only at 75% instead of 80%, so I don't know if that's because that's all that was in the truck or not. May go see where I'm at today just to get an idea of how I would need to space out my fill ups, even though that setup is not really in the budget right now.

The manual transfer switch was the first option I saw when researching, but I dislike they typically only have 10 circuits allowed. I saw the interlock kits after looking at the manual transfer switch and is what I would prefer so I could choose what I want to have power at any given time and can change between rooms/appliances if I want to.

If I ran the A/C, that's all I would be running at that point. I need to double check, but I think mine is a 1.5 ton and should be under the surge watts rating of the Pulsar linked above. I'd discuss this with the electrician first though.

I don't really want to spend $850 on a generator, but when trying to find something with at least 6,500 running watts, they are still $700+, or don't have the dual fuel option, so I figured the Pulsar was a pretty good deal in comparison. Plus, if I can get it tax free this weekend, that will help out some on it. If anybody else knows of a good deal on generators less than $750, I'd be curious to know where they are at. I've looked at Lowe's, Home Depot, Tractor Supply, Harbor Freight, Northern Tool, and Acme Tools so far, but haven't seen anything that looked like a good value compared to the Pulsar. At this point, I might consider the 7,000 running watt Predator from Harbor Freight for $630, including the wheel kit, even though it's only gas fueled.

Since I recently bought my first house, I've been wondering how I would power fridge/freezer/fans/lights in the event that I lose power in a similar hurricane situation. Back during hurricane Ike, I saw a number of people just use a cord with two male ends and plug their generator straight into the wall to backfeed their power.

Looking around, I never found anything that would support the aforementioned method so I assume its a bad idea. Can anyone elaborate?

I bought a Champion dual fuel 9000 a few years ago at Costco sole because it was an outstanding deal. I have not used it and only started a few times on propane to see if it works. I just finished building a new home and plumbed a propane line close to my service panel so that I can do what you are talking about. Costco doesn't seem to carry Champion anymore but it looks like Cabelas does. Can't speak for the longevity or reliability but I did get two of the smaller 2000 inverters on sale at Home Depot a few years ago also.

Undoubtedly it is dependent on your service capabilites. Hell, who you know plays a factor sometimes. Whatever works for you, just trying to bring a different perspective, nothing more.

schmellba99 said:

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Undoubtedly it is dependent on your service capabilites. Hell, who you know plays a factor sometimes. Whatever works for you, just trying to bring a different perspective, nothing more.

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I hear ya, no problems here.

PalomaPachanga said:

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Since I recently bought my first house, I've been wondering how I would power fridge/freezer/fans/lights in the event that I lose power in a similar hurricane situation. Back during hurricane Ike, I saw a number of people just use a cord with two male ends and plug their generator straight into the wall to backfeed their power.

Looking around, I never found anything that would support the aforementioned method so I assume its a bad idea. Can anyone elaborate?

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Terrible idea. Buy the interlock kit and generator plug I mentioned above.

Well I've surmised that it's apparently not a good idea. Just wondering why it's not a good idea

PalomaPachanga said:

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Well I've surmised that it's apparently not a good idea. Just wondering why it's not a good idea

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That suicide cord is dangerous too if you're not paying attention. Those prongs are live if you have it plugged into the generator while it's running.