After losing power for four days because of the storm last week (starting on the day I loaded the fridge and freezer from shopping at Costco), I have decided I need a generator. My friends with portable home generators all-and I mean 100%-say get the expensive Generac that goes on automatically rather than the portable model. I really only need the water pump, the furnace, and the refrigerator to be on but internet, telephone, garage door opener, stereo, lights, and gasoline pump would be great. I think I can live without AC for a few days. I have a propane tank (for pool heating, BBQ, and stove), so gas line for the generator won't be a problem. We lose power occasionally for a couple of minutes or hours but days is relatively rare. These are what I'm looking at:
Hitachi E71 13HP 7100 Watt Generator with Honda Motor
Generac Guardian Series 5875 20,000 Watt Air-Cooled Liquid Propane/Natural Gas Powered Standby Generator With Transfer Switch
Generac QuietSource Series QT02224 22,000 Watt Liquid Cooled Propane/Natural Gas Powered Standby Generator Without Transfer Switch
Does anyone know anything about this stuff? Is it worth spending big bucks for something that will only be used for a couple of hours a year except in rare circumstances? How much power do I really need and is portability important? Is the expensive water cooled Generac worth twice the price of the air cooled model?
I can afford all of the options but I don't piss away money and I love a bargain.
Thanks,
Joe M.
Hitachi E71 13HP 7100 Watt Generator with Honda Motor
Generac Guardian Series 5875 20,000 Watt Air-Cooled Liquid Propane/Natural Gas Powered Standby Generator With Transfer Switch
Generac QuietSource Series QT02224 22,000 Watt Liquid Cooled Propane/Natural Gas Powered Standby Generator Without Transfer Switch
Does anyone know anything about this stuff? Is it worth spending big bucks for something that will only be used for a couple of hours a year except in rare circumstances? How much power do I really need and is portability important? Is the expensive water cooled Generac worth twice the price of the air cooled model?
I can afford all of the options but I don't piss away money and I love a bargain.
Thanks,
Joe M.