Hurricane prep
- Thread starter dent2011
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MC Lighting
New member
thanks for answering the question at least you acknowledge that a home standby can and do fail...
Sharkonwheels
New member
I dunno - everywhere I look, that EU1000 is $600-800.
Shopping.com shows $776
shopping.yahoo.com shows $750 (links back to eBay)
That $120 Northern unit, with an extended warranty ($24 standard ext. warranty, $36 Extended Warranty + Accidental Damage ) looks like a winner! It's 1000W continuous/1200 surge. the Honda is 900W continuous/1000 surge.
Let's face it - you can't beat a Honda, but when you can buy 3-4 of the others + extended warranties? Makes ya think...you can buy 2 + ext/accident warranties, and have change to get a backup pump!
Tony
Shopping.com shows $776
shopping.yahoo.com shows $750 (links back to eBay)
That $120 Northern unit, with an extended warranty ($24 standard ext. warranty, $36 Extended Warranty + Accidental Damage ) looks like a winner! It's 1000W continuous/1200 surge. the Honda is 900W continuous/1000 surge.
Let's face it - you can't beat a Honda, but when you can buy 3-4 of the others + extended warranties? Makes ya think...you can buy 2 + ext/accident warranties, and have change to get a backup pump!
Tony
MC Lighting
New member
I bought mine used what you think I am nuts? I have had many generators and the long and the short is the Hondas run... period I don't wnat to wonder if I have to go get it replaced waranty or not I need it to work when I need it to work.
Sharkonwheels
New member
Heh - that's why I made the comment I made.
just like their cars, can't really beat 'em.
As you say, an ext warranty does no good, if you need it now, and can;t do anything with the ext warranty.
Tony
just like their cars, can't really beat 'em.
As you say, an ext warranty does no good, if you need it now, and can;t do anything with the ext warranty.
Tony
Flamehawk
In Memoriam
Coulnt agree with you more!
EU Honda generators are worth every penny.
One more thing i should add is that the 1K, the 2K and the 3K Honda EU generators are all about the same dB level in noise. So you get 2K more watts while still maintaing the same nosie level as the 1K if you went with the 3k gen.
The 3K Honda, however, cannot be lifted by a single person (ie, my wife when i'm away at the hospital for 24plus hours). So a 2K gen is perfect. She can still bring it out of storage to the outside and she can pull start it.
The 1K is a little too small for a wall A/C AND a refrigerator which is all i care to run that the inverter doesnt.
So, I could not agree more, MC Lighting's power approach with the small genny and large inverter with large battery bank is THE way to go in my experience.
MC lighting has some good advice.
JOHNNY
Flamehawk
In Memoriam
One more thing, my experience with those cheap gennys is they leak, they are noise compared to the wattage they put.
The hondas start on first or sencond pull almost every time.
The 3K Honda Eu has an ignigtion start which can be hooked up to an automatic switch. Also, if you have it stationary outside, it would be really easy to start by even the smallest person (ie my beautiful wife again, ha, ha!). The 3K Honda EU also has an optional dolly cart you can put it on.
We live in an apt for now so somthing liftable and portable to the parking lot is better.
JOHNNY
The hondas start on first or sencond pull almost every time.
The 3K Honda Eu has an ignigtion start which can be hooked up to an automatic switch. Also, if you have it stationary outside, it would be really easy to start by even the smallest person (ie my beautiful wife again, ha, ha!). The 3K Honda EU also has an optional dolly cart you can put it on.
We live in an apt for now so somthing liftable and portable to the parking lot is better.
JOHNNY
45commando
New member
"So whats your backup plan when you get fuel contamination? I have had 3 different standby gensets not fire due to fuel problems (anything from 10k - 1MW)."-sorry couldn't get the quote figured out.
After hurricane Wilma,I don't think we are so worried about fuel contamination,but more about if the genset will still be in place after the storm passes through.As for myself,I run a noisey 6.5
KW Briggs & stratton.I ran it non stop for 2 & 1/2 weeks after Wilma,It is very loud,but never got a single complaint from my neighbours-then again I did give them each a line to their houses.They also helped in collecting fuel-it was a small scale community effort.After Wilma,I learnt you can plan for the worst,but still have to make some serious adjustments for the unexpected.HTH
After hurricane Wilma,I don't think we are so worried about fuel contamination,but more about if the genset will still be in place after the storm passes through.As for myself,I run a noisey 6.5
KW Briggs & stratton.I ran it non stop for 2 & 1/2 weeks after Wilma,It is very loud,but never got a single complaint from my neighbours-then again I did give them each a line to their houses.They also helped in collecting fuel-it was a small scale community effort.After Wilma,I learnt you can plan for the worst,but still have to make some serious adjustments for the unexpected.HTH
MC Lighting
New member
yeah its a little different when you provide power to others I dealt with a neighbor that way some time ago when I used the 6.5 a lot. In an apartment complex thats a bit harder and other means are necessary. Johnny thanks for the compliments I have spent a lot of time and money to get the setup where I want it and I am sure others have much better setups than mine. I spent 2 years doing solar and off-grid power so I am a little bit experienced in the field.
RobbyG
Active member
Well just survived Hurricane #4. Dean rolled through but luckily only skirted the island. We got 50 - 60 mph winds for about 6 hours.
The power has been off since Sunday at 4:30pm and my Honda EU3000 has been running non stop since then, I am getting 14 Hours Run time on a 3.4 Gal Tank.
: and the tank is holding up perfectly.
I was able to talk with a few guys on the other side of the Island that have SW Tanks and the news was not so good.
This one guys story kind of sums up exactly what I was trying to say in my earlier posts. This guy has a fantastic 180 Gal Tank, loaded and stocked. The Electricity went off at 4:30 PM and he turned on his Generator and had everything going fine. Then at about 10 PM the winds died off and the neighborhood was suddenly totally silent. He says that at about 11:30 PM the first set of Neighbors came out enquiring as to when he would be shutting off the generator because the noise was unbearable. He said about 30 minutes later a whole group of angry neighbors came over and started too get unruly and loud. Fearing for his families safety, that some nut job might fire some rounds in his house he decided to cut the Generator OFF at 12AM and hope all would be well in the morning.
In the Morning he awoke to an almost 80% dead tank, the oxygen levels had dipped too low and that coupled with the heat and the slime from the first group of dying corals it basically killed everything. A truly sad story but one that emphasizes a point that needs to be conveyed.
People are not in the best of moods after a hurricane and they certainly have very little tolerance at 11pm for that one person who has lights and power while they are in darkness listening to a lawnmower howling by there window. So keep in mind that a silent generator is a must if you have neighbors and want to run it late at night. BTW he did not have a battery operated airpump or any secondary power. He figured his all house Generator was going to be enough.
Anyway guys I got a lot of cleanup to finish, catch you later.
The power has been off since Sunday at 4:30pm and my Honda EU3000 has been running non stop since then, I am getting 14 Hours Run time on a 3.4 Gal Tank.
: and the tank is holding up perfectly.I was able to talk with a few guys on the other side of the Island that have SW Tanks and the news was not so good.
This one guys story kind of sums up exactly what I was trying to say in my earlier posts. This guy has a fantastic 180 Gal Tank, loaded and stocked. The Electricity went off at 4:30 PM and he turned on his Generator and had everything going fine. Then at about 10 PM the winds died off and the neighborhood was suddenly totally silent. He says that at about 11:30 PM the first set of Neighbors came out enquiring as to when he would be shutting off the generator because the noise was unbearable. He said about 30 minutes later a whole group of angry neighbors came over and started too get unruly and loud. Fearing for his families safety, that some nut job might fire some rounds in his house he decided to cut the Generator OFF at 12AM and hope all would be well in the morning.
In the Morning he awoke to an almost 80% dead tank, the oxygen levels had dipped too low and that coupled with the heat and the slime from the first group of dying corals it basically killed everything. A truly sad story but one that emphasizes a point that needs to be conveyed.
People are not in the best of moods after a hurricane and they certainly have very little tolerance at 11pm for that one person who has lights and power while they are in darkness listening to a lawnmower howling by there window. So keep in mind that a silent generator is a must if you have neighbors and want to run it late at night. BTW he did not have a battery operated airpump or any secondary power. He figured his all house Generator was going to be enough.
Anyway guys I got a lot of cleanup to finish, catch you later.
MC Lighting
New member
yup that is exactly my points that seems nobody ever believes... just because you are willing to tollerate it does not mean anyone else will... and another perfect example of not having a secondary plan... Thanks for giving some real world examples of what can happen and very glad to hear that you had no torubles... the power has been kind of "iffy here in the last day not sure what or why but thankfully I don't notice it on the tank due to the inverter...
RobbyG
Active member
Got some more info and so far my Tank seems to be the only one that is still going (Out of about 20). I can't stress enough how important it is too have a generator that is quiet. If this guy had owned even a Honda EU1000, he could have run that and kept the tank alive without any complaints from the neighbors.
Young Frankenstein
New member
Miami Dade code and general guidelines for a generator. 10 linear feet away from any door, window or roof eve, fuel storage 10 ft away from any motor, generator and anything that can spark. Holding 20 gallons of fuel in a garage is pretty dangerous, and I would not suggest that at all. Get a marine deep cycle battery, a charger, and a ventury power head. A controller that turns on the power head every 15 minutes for about 10 seconds, you should be good for at least 10 days if not 30.
RobbyG
Active member
10 second bursts from a powerhead every 15 minutes is not going to do squat to keep a full reef tank alive over a period of days, it won't even be useful for the first 24 hours! You should be careful about statements like that, it will lead somebody down the wrong road and ultimately to disaster.
I have now been through 4 hurricanes, and a cumulative of weeks without power and yet all my Tank inhabitants have all survived. So maybe my advice on the subject would be worth noting because it's not theoretical advice dolled out while sitting in an air conditioned office. I am living the experience right now.
For starters my outside temps right now are about 92-95 Deg. and I have no outside power. If my Tank was on batteries it would easily reach 95 - 100 Deg within 12 hours, but because of a generator, my Chiller is on and keeping the tank at a steady 79 deg temp.
On an even more basic level, corals cannot survive on ten second burst every 15 minutes for extended periods, they will die. and when they start to die they will rapidly foul the water and start a chain reaction that will kill everything within hours.
The only thing that can reliably keep a Reef Tank going is a Generator or a massive stack of batteries. The batteries ultimately become a finite source of power and if 2 days pass and still no power you have to figure out some way to charge them. On the other hand a generator needs Gas, but that is something that is a lot easier to obtain than a charging port.
Keeping 20 gallons of Gas in your garage is dangerous, but you don't need to keep it in your garage! You can do what I did and just wash off the outside of the extra 5 gallon containers then Bag the containers in Garbage bags and knot them tightly. Next just rest them in your Car before the hurricane starts. (I don't keep my car in the garage but out on the road.)
I have now been through 4 hurricanes, and a cumulative of weeks without power and yet all my Tank inhabitants have all survived. So maybe my advice on the subject would be worth noting because it's not theoretical advice dolled out while sitting in an air conditioned office. I am living the experience right now.
For starters my outside temps right now are about 92-95 Deg. and I have no outside power. If my Tank was on batteries it would easily reach 95 - 100 Deg within 12 hours, but because of a generator, my Chiller is on and keeping the tank at a steady 79 deg temp.
On an even more basic level, corals cannot survive on ten second burst every 15 minutes for extended periods, they will die. and when they start to die they will rapidly foul the water and start a chain reaction that will kill everything within hours.
The only thing that can reliably keep a Reef Tank going is a Generator or a massive stack of batteries. The batteries ultimately become a finite source of power and if 2 days pass and still no power you have to figure out some way to charge them. On the other hand a generator needs Gas, but that is something that is a lot easier to obtain than a charging port.
Keeping 20 gallons of Gas in your garage is dangerous, but you don't need to keep it in your garage! You can do what I did and just wash off the outside of the extra 5 gallon containers then Bag the containers in Garbage bags and knot them tightly. Next just rest them in your Car before the hurricane starts. (I don't keep my car in the garage but out on the road.)
MC Lighting
New member
if gasoline is stored in applicable storage containers that have the proper caps I do not see how it can be any more dangerous than the 30 gallons that would be in a vehicles fuel tank...
If someone is dumb enough to put them in a non-ventilated garage full of sparking igniting devices in buckets well then sure its dangerous but this is why garages have vents that are meant to be kept free and clear and why you do not store fuel next to things such as water heaters.
Its common sense unfortunately many of the "disasters" you hear about someone's garage exploding has much more to do with the idiot that caused it not that fuel was stored. I have stored 20+ gallons of fuel in my garages along with 2 trucks totaling over 70 gallons of fuel for my entire life and my grandfather for his 84 years and guess what never had any such incident since the fuel is stored properly and the garages vented...
If you or anyone else is that concerned then like stated earlier store it outside (more dangerous due to heat) or just suck it out of your cars fuel tank when needed pretty simple solution.
We just recently had a older teenager die here in WA and there was a huge uproar over storing gasoline. Well as cold as it may sound he is out of the gene pool, he and his buddies thought it would be "fun" to stick lit fireworks into the gas can and you know the rest from there. I am not sure about the rest of you but I think I had enough brains as oh I don't know a 5 year old to not do something that stupid and so my question now is why should I have to pay the price for others stupidity?
Everything in life is dangerous we as a society have made the dumb ones survive with all of this "protective" crap and I apologies if I offend anyone but I am really tired of hearing this stuff over and over how dangerous things are instead of being parents and educating our children how to be thoughtful and responsible for what we do in our lives... Ok off my soapbox.
If someone is dumb enough to put them in a non-ventilated garage full of sparking igniting devices in buckets well then sure its dangerous but this is why garages have vents that are meant to be kept free and clear and why you do not store fuel next to things such as water heaters.
Its common sense unfortunately many of the "disasters" you hear about someone's garage exploding has much more to do with the idiot that caused it not that fuel was stored. I have stored 20+ gallons of fuel in my garages along with 2 trucks totaling over 70 gallons of fuel for my entire life and my grandfather for his 84 years and guess what never had any such incident since the fuel is stored properly and the garages vented...
If you or anyone else is that concerned then like stated earlier store it outside (more dangerous due to heat) or just suck it out of your cars fuel tank when needed pretty simple solution.
We just recently had a older teenager die here in WA and there was a huge uproar over storing gasoline. Well as cold as it may sound he is out of the gene pool, he and his buddies thought it would be "fun" to stick lit fireworks into the gas can and you know the rest from there. I am not sure about the rest of you but I think I had enough brains as oh I don't know a 5 year old to not do something that stupid and so my question now is why should I have to pay the price for others stupidity?
Everything in life is dangerous we as a society have made the dumb ones survive with all of this "protective" crap and I apologies if I offend anyone but I am really tired of hearing this stuff over and over how dangerous things are instead of being parents and educating our children how to be thoughtful and responsible for what we do in our lives... Ok off my soapbox.
Last edited:
MC Lighting
New member
Oh yeah and I agree that 10 seconds every 15 minutes is about as effective as swishing your hand around the tank every once in a while does not do a whole lot for moving water around the tank or mixing the O2 into the water...
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