Good generator, short notice...

[Guest]

I have a 300W camping power inverter ready to go. Just need it to power my sump pump should we lose power. Hope it can do it.

 

300w at 120vac is three amps. Dunno what ur sump draws inrush and running current.....

[Malsua 1,422]

I have a 300W camping power inverter ready to go. Just need it to power my sump pump should we lose power. Hope it can do it.

 

Probably not unless it's a small one. Look at the electrical plate on the pump and I suspect you'll see it has a rating of 7.5 to 9 amps. This means it will have a continuous draw of at least 3.5 amps which exceeds your inverter. You could try it but you run the risk of burning up your pump due to low voltage. It probably won't even start though, your fuses or breakers on the inverter will trip.

[mipafox 438]

Just because we have never experienced a natural gas outage does not mean that there will be natural gas in a post apocalyptic world.

 

I had NG for about 10 years and I don't remember an outage. I don't know how it works for residential, except it always worked for me, and sometimes everybody blows up. I don't know about residential interruptions other than when everybody dies.

 

In industry, NG service is interrupted several times a year. Which is why most of the little industry left in NJ has FO tank backup onsite.

[tommy3rd 132]

300w at 120vac is three amps. Dunno what ur sump draws inrush and running current.....

wouldn't the calculation be based on 12vdc, since it's a camping inverter so it runs off some sort of battery?

[Anselmo 87]

wouldn't the calculation be based on 12vdc, since it's a camping inverter so it runs off some sort of battery?

 

 

Pump is rated at 9amps and 1/3 horsepower. 1/3 horsepower is 250 watts. But 9amps at 110volts is 1000 watts.

 

Hope I don't need to test it out. Been raining for an hour so far and the sump is dry.

[Lunicy 4]

wouldn't the calculation be based on 12vdc, since it's a camping inverter so it runs off some sort of battery?

 

Watts are watts, Volts x Amps = Watts

 

300 watts = 2.5 amps at 120v

300 watts = 25 amps at 12v

 

(This is of course in a perfect world, the inverter itself will take some of the power for conversion.)

The inverter may only run a 2amp load

 

Also, Motor draw immense current to start up (sometimes 3-4x running current) A 3amp motor can draw 12amps to start. It is only for a split second. This is why it will work on a house circuit, but an inverter simply cannot supply it.

 

Lesson over.

[Old School 611]

If I was sure I was staying in NJ, I would install a natural gas whole house generator. For now though, I'm good with a 6 circuit transfer switch and a 5k portable generator.

 

You're on the money! If anyone is interested I can show them how to do it for under a grand.

 

The cheapo gennys aren't frequency controlled other than the governor but hold between 50-60hz pretty well.

 

Well enough that I DO run electronics off of them, no problem.

 

Warning! Don't play with a genny with out proper switch gear. Especially you Mark! You can buy the material for

 

proper switch gear for $200.

[Malsua 1,422]

 

Warning! Don't play with a genny with out proper switch gear. Especially you Mark!

 

Eh? Generator off, service off at breaker. Unhook wire at water tank pumptrol pressure switch, hook wire to genset. I have the properly rated 12-3 Neoprene water proof service cord and the proper NEMA L14-30P twist lock plug.

 

I may not be an electrician, but I can do the basics. It's when weird crap happens that I need help. Wiring two wires onto the pumptrol that I personally installed falls in the category of "stupid simple".

 

Here's the connector and cable.

[mipafox 438]

Lesson over.

 

No!!! There's still so much more I want to learn!

[tommy3rd 132]

Watts are watts, Volts x Amps = Watts

 

300 watts = 2.5 amps at 120v

300 watts = 25 amps at 12v

 

(This is of course in a perfect world, the inverter itself will take some of the power for conversion.)

The inverter may only run a 2amp load

 

Also, Motor draw immense current to start up (sometimes 3-4x running current) A 3amp motor can draw 12amps to start. It is only for a split second. This is why it will work on a house circuit, but an inverter simply cannot supply it.

 

Lesson over.

that's why i'm confused. if you use the ac outlet, it's 110v-220v, but a dc battery is 12-24v. so, at 300watts, the lower the voltage, the higher the amps, right? so are the requirements of the pumps based on amps or watts? this is the reason i hire an electrician. lol

[tony357 386]

I have a colemann gen 6500 watts have had it for about 8 years now. It has a 220 plug also which comes in handy cause i use this gen for my welder also..

 

been a good gen cannot complain, i run stabilizer in it all the time all my power equipment has stabilizer year round even fuel i keep in 5 gal cans cause todays fuel only lasts about 2 weeks before it starts to break down..

 

A new very good fuel stabilizer is the crc phase guard 4.

[Malsua 1,422]

that's why i'm confused. if you use the ac outlet, it's 110v-220v, but a dc battery is 12-24v. so, at 300watts, the lower the voltage, the higher the amps, right? so are the requirements of the pumps based on amps or watts? this is the reason i hire an electrician. lol

 

The inverter is rated at 300watts at 120v and will probably surge for short periods to twice that. The amps of the pump are at it's rated voltage, in this case probably at 120v. This means the pump draws 1020 watts. The actual draw while running is less than 80% of that but the only way to tell is to measure the actual amperage under load but at start up it can spike way higher.

[Anselmo 87]

that's why i'm confused. if you use the ac outlet, it's 110v-220v, but a dc battery is 12-24v. so, at 300watts, the lower the voltage, the higher the amps, right? so are the requirements of the pumps based on amps or watts? this is the reason i hire an electrician. lol

 

Yes. For example: 300 watts inverter: at 12 volts that is 300w/12v=25amps. At 110volts that is 300/110=3amps. The battery is pumping out 12 volts and 25amps (300W) to the inverter. After the inverter, the inverter is now pumping out 110v and 3amps (300W).

 

Pumps are rated at a specific voltage. Therefore, if the pump is 110V, calling it 550 watts or calling it 5 amps are equivalent.

 

More or less...

[J201 2]

Volts x amps = watts and there is no way around that.

 

1hp = 746 watts, but it is definitely not a good practice to guesstimate wattage based on the hp rating stamped on a motor.

 

Also, keep in mind, that when an electric motor starts, it peaks and draws quite a bit more than its running load.

[223lover 9]

Gentlemen, the safest way to check your propane level is to fill a large glass with hot water and slowly pour it down the side of the propane tank. Then touch the metal. Where the metal is warm, it's empty. Where it's cold, that's the propane. . Someone just posted a pretty large generator with a Yamaha motor. It's a hike from Bergen County, but it beats being flooded out. Good luck.

[Krdshrk 3,877]

Guys - just wait 'till Monday - You'll find plenty of generators for cheap on craigslist

[Guest]

wouldn't the calculation be based on 12vdc, since it's a camping inverter so it runs off some sort of battery?

 

 

No he need 120vac service not 12vdc

[Guest]

I have a 4000 watt generator. Not big.

 

I can run my refrigerator and lights without doing anything special, just an ordinary extension cord.

 

With about 5 minutes of time, I can unfurl a 50 foot pig tail and wire in my well pump on the 220 circuit and get water. I take off the pumptrol cover, loosen two screws, remove main service wires, insert genset wires, tighten.

 

This is a far cry from "full plan to wire it in to my home".

 

If for nothing else than to run the fridge, it's worth it.

 

A diesel generator sounds absolutely wonderful, until you get sticker shock and then have to face getting diesel into it. Yes, it's in people's tanks, yes it stores longer, yes the engines last longer. The downsides include that not everyone heats with fuel oil, I don't for example, I heat with firewood exclusively. Diesel engines require batteries to start, gas and propane units often have pull rope backups. Diesel fuel gels and clogs in cold weather and from someone who has huddled under a tarp cleaning a fuel system in a tractor at -10 degrees numerous times, I can tell you this sucks balls.

 

I agree with you about Cig lighter inverters but you can buy a 350/700 watt inverter at Walmart(well, you could have probably last week) that clips to the battery and can run something that draws 5-6amps of 110AC. That's enough for a desktop computer and display and 2 100 watt light bulbs.

 

 

+1

 

IMHO. Short term emergencies like this a gas generator is fine.......... Long term real shtf scenario. Diesel..... Inverters are good but again are reliant with fuel...gas is hardest to get and maintain.....

 

 

I augment with wood....i fill a 550 tank one a year..i also burn four cords a year.....

 

Signing off.....best of luck to all...cu all tomorrow