I put a 521 Hard start kit on my AC compressor. That makes my AC a easy start. So I can run my central AC if I turn off other breakers in my panel. So its just run what you need. A word of advice... Run a quart of gasoline thru the generator on test run days. If you only run propane you will cause rust in the fuel system. The propane causes frost due to it being a compressed gas. If your system is always frosted it will rust. So like you I planned on LP only but adjusted to a quart of gasoline on test days to keep it all good.
*Great **Generater.Systems** . Our 1st 2500W Champion backed us up with hurricane Ida last August when our whole home generator crapped out after 8 days. Love the dual fuel. Hope to never run gasoline in it.Bought this 2500W to parallel with our other one for the RV.*
*It’s: Pretty. Quiet. **Fastly.Cool** in my room. Works wellLittle of hassle to install was TOTALLY worth it. I’m loving it so far. I recommend watching the installation video and taking it slow~*
I bought this same unit to run my welders on my mobile service truck. Propane is not ok to run for more than 10 hours without 2 hrs of gas. Frost from the flow of propane creates water to get trapped in your float box, and toast your unit. So be mindful of some level of intermittent use of gas along any daily use or long use throughout a storm etc. And mine is loud as hell. The oil level sensor can be a basted, and the cop system is a pain too. But easy start and strong dynamo, just have to learn it isn't completely plug and play
I bought one just like that at Costco about 5 t years ago cost less than 500 dollars I think around 400 then I retired to Baja California I have been thru 3 hurricanes just went thru hurricane Olaf 3 days ago I ran for around 36 hours this time has not failed yet it has 98 hours on it ,I put fresh oil in it washed the air cleaner ready for the next one. I run mine on propane only
So, I got the same exact generator (from Costco too) a few years ago and put it to the test today. I wanted to see how long it would run on a single 20# propane tank (not 15# or 18#) a full 20. Temperature outside was about 85 plus and overcast most of the day, humid and hot (New Orleans after Hurricane Ira). I was running 2 refrigerators (one good size one in kitchen and medium size in the garage. 2 deep freezers both about 7 cubic feet I think. One draws 1 amp while running the other 1.45 amps according to sticker specs. Two window units, 8000 BTU & 10,000 BTU. Also running misc. lights, cooked some bacon on a little electric stove rated at 750 watts for about 10 minutes (had to finish it on BBQ burner, was taking too long) I also put the tank near the muffler towards the end, (tank was icing up and I wanted to get as much as I could out of it). The tank was pretty warm when it ran out. Anyway, started the test at 9:10am and it ran out at 3:25pm. So that was 6.25 hours. Both my A/C window units were set as low as possible so the stay on the whole time without cycling. I guess that’s not too bad for the size of this. I also have a Champion 3500 inverter, I can get 10 hours on it with heavy loads, but it won’t run all I had on this one.
⚠️Very important announcement about generator safety: This is just a safety reminder. 1) KEEPING OTHERS SAFE: Please do not allow an unqualified person or your children to operate and service the portable generator. Just because some manuals don’t say that doesn’t mean it’s safe. That is important against the generator safety rules. We also need to be keeping an eye on our children too. You need to make sure that your children are not playing near the portable generator especially when it’s running so they won’t get electrocuted. Generators pose electrical risks and they can be hot during an operation. Please keep your children away from the portable generator at all times. It is important to keep our children safe especially our little ones. Be aware of all the hazards. 2) WHERE TO RUN YOUR GENERATOR: Some people use their portable generators indoors which increases the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. It’s important to have a carbon monoxide if you have a gas generator. Never ever use your generator indoors even if your doors and windows are open and even in the garage is not safe to use a portable generator. Not even at your porch and your deck. It is never safe to use your generator indoors and in enclosed areas of your home. Your generator needs to be 15-20 feet away from your house. 3)🔥FIRE HAZARDS: Never refuel your generator while it’s running. You need to let your generator cool off before refueling it and before storing your generator. Never overload your generator too. Never ever back feed your generator. You should never plug your generator into a wall outlet. Also never store propane tanks indoors. Please keep flammable things away from the generator as well and please don’t smoke cigarettes near the generator. Having a fire extinguisher next to the generator is also important against the generator safety rules. 4) GENERATOR OPERATION: make sure your hands are dry before touching the generator. Never use your generator in wet conditions. Don’t let your generator get wet. You need a generator tent if you need to use your generator during wet weather. Please don’t wear loose clothes when operating the generator. Turn on your generator before plugging in appliances. Use the right cord for your generator. Please do not use worn out cords. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-I1jT3ANENvI.html and here is a video more about keeping others safe when using generators Hope this helps. Remember safety first
I also have a champion, with interlock breaker to power entire house. Built my own waterproof enclosure box, remote transmitters for propane guages and power usage in watts
It's actually not that bad. If they were sleeping with the window open I could see it being an issue. Me personally, my neighbors aren't close enough for it to matter. I also wouldn't run it all night. I have a smaller 2kw inverter generator that I could hook up instead to keep the fridge, freezer and lights going. It can also run our heat too since it's a propane furnace
At 6000 running watts on propane , you should be able to run the central air. I just had a transfer panel installed by an electrician who does them regularly, guaranteed I can run 2 ton central ac on a 5000 running watt unit.
It will. I tested this exact unit (Champion 71530) on propane and it could start and run my 2 ton central A/C unit. I did however installed a 5-2-1 compressor saver start kit on my unit first. It reduced the up start amps from about 56 amps to 26. I was surprised how much it reduced the lock rotor amps.
Thanks for your good review. I too bought the same exact model from Costco a couple of years ago. I haven't unboxed it & fired it up yet; however I need to do so & get familiar with it & break it in like you did. I know anything can happen at anytime. I do want to have an electrician set up the wiring/electrical transfer box up to the house so I can legally & safely transfer the power to the house in case of an emergency or power outage.
It's definitely worth setting it up and breaking it in. That way you know it will work when you need it. I'd also stick with propane as much as possible. That way there won't be carburetor issues from the gas sitting in it too long. The transfer switch would be well worth the money. Running extension cords everywhere is a pain
Good video, but Champion has a lot of problems. The customer service is poor at best, except for their home standby systems while the service and repair centers are hard to find for portable units. I did two searches and could not find a Champion authorized service center in the State of Florida. On the Champion website none are listed and I could not find any links for the portable generators. They do have a parts store online. I read the warranty for these units and they have a clause that could be used to void any warranty repair for any reason. The warranty is not transferable. The engine is made in China which is normal. Run time with 1/2 load using gasoline is 6 gallons for 8.1 hours. Propane is 5.5 hours without any reference to gallons. In a 24 hour period using gasoline it will require 18 gallons of gasoline and 4-20lb tanks of propane. Multiply that by seven days and you need 126 gal. of gasoline or 28-20lb tanks of propane. This is a lot of fuel to store no matter the type. If you read the reviews on Champion Generators the complaints for the portable generators are ubiquitous from bad out of box, terrible customer service and a sundry of engine and electrical problems. The only major generator manufacturer in the U.S. that is worse is Generac. People need to know what they are purchasing and you may have a great generator. I also understand the desire for alternate fuel as a source. To operate a generator on propane with less energy density in this gas, and with the expense of the containers costs between 5 and 51/2 times more than gasoline depending on the fuel cost. Gasoline stations are ubiquitous while propane supply centers are much rarer. The last hurricane in Florida the local propane retailers ran out of propane in the first day, while gasoline supplies were plentiful. I hope this generator works out for you as you stated cost much less than other brands, but you pay for this in the long run.
I still have yet to have any issues with both of my champion generators. That being said I believe most of the issues people have with these things is poor maintenance and not understanding how to properly use them. As far as service goes most small equipment shops can work on them. You'll need to contact the company about warranty claims. Personally I'd rather fix issues myself. I live in a rural area and we have many places to refill or purchase propane tanks. While not as common as gasoline, there are at least 5 that I can think of with refilling capabilites close to my house. There are many more that sell full tanks. In our area propane is usually much cheaper than gasoline. I like it because it stores better and never goes bad. If you're looking for a generator to run 24 hours a day for weeks at a time you should be looking at whole home standby generators. A portable one might not be the best choice. Our plan is to run the big one only when needed for large appliances and then switch to the smaller one for all other times. With a couple 100lbs propane tanks and our buried propane tank for the house heat we could run like this for weeks
@@BMtn-sx8xr II hope this generator works out for you, but to give this product your endorsement without proffering the whole story is intellectually dishonest. Good luck.
I hope they do too. There's no dishonesty here. I only speak from my experiences with it. What works for me and how I do things isn't going to be the same for everyone else.
I have had the opposite experience with Champion. Their CS had been awesome! I lost my fuel screen in my inverter model. I called to see if I could order one and they sent me two free.
bought one 3 years ago smaller 4 thousand watt unit but it serves me well have 14 hours of time on it but will probably add more soon with summer coming up
*I have only had this a few weeks and it is working as intended.☛>**share4.photo/CIgenerator?35やe ** It is noisy, all of them at this size are. It is heavy and takes two people to lift but on the ground it is easy enough to move. I use this for RV’ing and other applications where I am off the grid.*
*he generator and assembled per instructions☛>**share4.photo/CIgenerator?3まd ** tried propane first. electric start was initially not working due to dead battery. I started it with the pull cord. After a few pulls and learning where the choke was, it started and i let it run for about 30 minutes. The electric start worked fine after that. I then switched to gasoline and let it run till the fuel ran out. it ran great so far. Thanks. It was louder than expected, but ok for my purposes. It weighs approx 100 lbs. i purchased it when the price went down.*
If you have a place to store it you could get five 100 pound cylinders or more or or five or 600 pounds worth of propane in 20 pound cylinders sounds crazy right ????well what would you do if the grid went down for three months? first thing you do is learn how to only use that big one we needed turn the well pump on long enough to get water and then shut it off and save up and get you one or two champion 2000 W inverter generator‘s that are dual fuel and run them as needed and use a lot less fuel you could run a small window air conditioner and a refrigerator TV maybe something like that,,, I have 700 W worth of solar and a 1500 Watt pure sine wave inverter wired up to 4 / 6Volt golf cart batteries those batteries wired up in series and parallel to make one big 12 V battery almost all the lights at my house right now are on 12 V LED bulbs you can use that to run your refrigerator watch TV if I get a slightly bigger inverter i’ll be able to run my well pump intermittently as I have a 120 V self priming deep well digital inverter GrundFoss well pump very efficient,,, The reason I’m telling you all this is because I lived without power for a little over three weeks in our area one time about 4 or 5 years back during a massive straight-line winds storm took them a long time to restore power in our area I started out with big generators and learned real quick it’s not economically feasible to run them unless you’re well endowed with money after that I got the solar and I still have two big generators and also a champion 2000 W inverter and a Honda EU 2000i I’m thinking about getting a dual fuel generator to replace one of my older big ones and buying conversion kits for my two inverters to run on gasoline propane or natural gas,,, something to think about,,,,sooner or later I believe the grid will probably go down,,,it’s old and it needs updated,,,,question is for how long?
Yeah you bring up some good points. We have a couple 100 pound tanks as well as some small grill ones. We also have a buried 500 gallon tank. Our plan is to use the big generator when needed and then switch to the smaller 2kw champion inverter generator. We store ethanol free gas for the small one but I'd like to eventually convert it to run on propane and gasoline. If things were really bad I could always wire up the car to the house. It's a volt so it has a 18kwh battery as well as a gas engine.
B. Mtn very cool 😎 God for bid but with this new virus spreading all over the world I think it is a really good idea to do some preparedness,,, i’ve also been looking at Mountainhouse and emergency essentials I don’t think I would want to buy complete meal kits however I think the vegetables and the fruits and the meats like the hamburger and stuff like that would be nice to have around just in case.
I've had this for about 5 years and have had no problems with the generator. the only issue is having to use the pull cord when you forget to charge the maintainer after long periods (1 yr) of non-usage which is understandable. other than that it's been a great reliable generator. i've used propane for all the reasons you explain in the video.
I keep my generator in the shed. There's no power in it to keep it plugged in so I just removed the battery from it. The battery stays in the house where I can leave it on a maintainer
Very well done video, thank you. I have the same Costco generator. I purchased it about 2 & a half years ago & it's still in the box. I know, I need to get it out & ready. And I'm crossing my fingers that the battery is still serviceable. If not I'll have to buy another one or try charging it up. I bought it to hook it up straight to the house via a transfer switch & panel or multiple 12 gauge extention cords or one big ten gauge or what it came with for emergencies &/or when bringing it to where I need it & the grid isn't
Thanks! Yeah you definitely should make sure it runs before you need it. Most likely that battery isn't any good anymore. They are relatively cheap though
It shouldn't have any issues with space heaters as long as you aren't exceeding the running wattage of the generator. As with any generator during multiple day outages maintenance is key (checking and changing oil and spark plug). I don't remember what the app was called. It was on my old phone
@@Raybar15 ⚠️Very important announcement about generator safety: This is just a safety reminder. 1) KEEPING OTHERS SAFE: Please do not allow an unqualified person or your children to operate and service the portable generator. Just because some manuals don’t say that doesn’t mean it’s safe. That is important against the generator safety rules. We also need to be keeping an eye on our children too. You need to make sure that your children are not playing near the portable generator especially when it’s running so they won’t get electrocuted. Generators pose electrical risks and they can be hot during an operation. Please keep your children away from the portable generator at all times. It is important to keep our children safe especially our little ones. Be aware of all the hazards. 2) WHERE TO RUN YOUR GENERATOR: Some people use their portable generators indoors which increases the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. It’s important to have a carbon monoxide if you have a gas generator. Never ever use your generator indoors even if your doors and windows are open and even in the garage is not safe to use a portable generator. Not even at your porch and your deck. It is never safe to use your generator indoors and in enclosed areas of your home. Your generator needs to be 15-20 feet away from your house. 3)🔥FIRE HAZARDS: Never refuel your generator while it’s running. You need to let your generator cool off before refueling it and before storing your generator. Never overload your generator too. Never ever back feed your generator. You should never plug your generator into a wall outlet. Also never store propane tanks indoors. Please keep flammable things away from the generator as well and please don’t smoke cigarettes near the generator. Having a fire extinguisher next to the generator is also important against the generator safety rules. 4) GENERATOR OPERATION: make sure your hands are dry before touching the generator. Never use your generator in wet conditions. Don’t let your generator get wet. You need a generator tent if you need to use your generator during wet weather. Please don’t wear loose clothes when operating the generator. Turn on your generator before plugging in appliances. Use the right cord for your generator. Please do not use worn out cords. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-I1jT3ANENvI.html and here is a video more about keeping others safe when using generators Hope this helps. Remember safety first
Also you said a 100lb tank would run it for 24 hours. How long can it go on the grill size propane tank? Does it matter how much power is being drawn from it, like if we plug in more things the propane will last lass, or it doesn't matter?
It will run for about 5 and a half hours on a grill tank I believe. That depends on the tank. Some of the exchange tanks aren't filled as high as they could be. Power draw will affect the fuel consumption rate. A higher load will use more fuel and a smaller load will use less. The run times are at half load
How do you wire it into your power panel for the house without it affecting the main A/C unit? Also, do you think it's possible to run it on Natural Gas?
You can wire in an inlet box to the panel with an interlock switch. Then you could just shut off the ac breaker when using the generator. You would need to look for an aftermarket conversion to run it on natural gas. It should be possible
I have the same generator and paired with 12000 BTU portable AC ( not a window unit ). Compressor won't kick in, just running like on fan mode only, it won't cool at all. I should get an 8000 BTU AC instead?
I'd check into getting a soft start kit for the ac compressor first. Startup is the hardest thing for it to overcome. What is the max amperage on the unit? Depending on that you might be close to exceeding the capacity of the generator
@@BMtn-sx8xr hey thanks for replying, I watched another video that said you need a 15 AMP extension cord but that didn't work also. So I did little more research and realized that my AC unit (12000 BTU ) is too much for generator to handle. So I got an JHS brand, 8000 BTU unit and it works just fine. The only thing now that Champion 2000 generator has a small gas tank so I only get 4 hours of running time before it need refill ✌
I have two of these models and both run very well. Given the Champion service quality plus the low cost of these machines, it makes it pretty easy to avoid paying for the Honda unit. You do need to add an after market fuel filter between the gas tank and the carburetor though, which I have done on both units. Just for the record, I also own a Honda EU6500 for home backup.
That A/C unit does 8000 BTU of cooling but does not draw 2344 watts to accomplish that since it's essentially a heat pump. Look up "coefficient of performance" (COP).
I tried using a 2000 to 4000 watt power inverter. Power inverter shut down after compressor start up . Not sure why ? It's a 8000btu AC . Just order a 3000 to 6000 inverter. Hopefully it works
Goal Zero 2 Yeti 3000 solar generator (no need gas ) power your house 8.9 Kw ( 200W solar 4 panels GOALZERO transfer 2 switch YETI 5 TANK EXPANSION BATTERY 1200 GOALZERO
@@bluedog0012able I contacted Firman but they did not reply after second email when I asked is the Costco one good or is it like the other cap Costco sells.? I wanted to know the noise level. Also Costco had a smaller one with remote start. It this bigger one had that option I would definitely get it. Or if it can be added? Did you find any reviews on RU-vid about the Costco model? I will get one today or tomorrow but leave it in the box until I need it.
When you connect to the 500 gallon tank, do you need to use a different regulator other than the one supplied with the generator? Do you need to regulate the tank and then also use the regulator supplied with the generator? Basically I'm asking what your setup is with that ... thank you
Probe Team99 i’ve never tried it however I’ve seen people on RU-vid who have done that and they had some issues at first so I’m working out on their own and some had their propane supplier come out and help them if you can get a propane company willing to come out and help you set it up that would probably be your best bet I want to do the exact same thing I would also like to buy their dual fuel invert 2000 watt they sell also
It should use slightly less. Won't be a considerable difference since it doesn't adjust the rpms for the load like an inverter generator will. I've never tried testing the run time on a small bbq sized tank. I use those tanks for monthly testing but for any extended use during an outage I'll hook it up to a 100 pound tank
@@BMtn-sx8xr While there is significant mechanical losses just running an engine, 50% load on the alternator should use up quite a bit more fuel than no or minimal load. Champion won't comment, so I wanted to hear from an actual user.
I want to go buy it...... I don't know much about generators. I don't understand if there is no power.... Then how do you turn it on? Especially if there's an EMP attack. Anyone please comment. Thanks Gina
EMP attack most likely will not happen unless a nuke gets dropped. You can use the recoil pull-start to turn it on if you cannot use the electric start via the supplied battery
Just be aware, most (but not all) of these hour meters have two year batteries. I would definitely log that information somewhere from time to time preparing for when that battery fails. The information will be lost then. The batteries are not replaceable.
Just wanted to mention , the electric meter adaptors eliminate all need of transfer switches or additional electrical add ones! About 750 $. And some electrical companies instal them for you.
I bought the Champion 9375/7500 from Tractor Supply about 6 months ago. My biggest complaint about the unit is noise and fuel consumption. It can drain the 6 gallon tank in about 8 hours at 50% load. Propane costs about 3 times as much as 100% gasoline, so propane isn't cost effective for my area.
This generator burns off .75 gallons per hour of gasoline at half load and .85 gallons of propane per hour at half load ... Its more efficient on gasoline per hr and puts out more power ..... The only downfall is the second you push gasoline thru that carb, you need to continue using gasoline unless you know how to run the carb dry & drain the bowl if you plan to store it for months or years .... Otherwise propane is so clean burning that you can run it once and let it sit for virtually ever and not worry about it
Try using Ethanol Equalizer. It stabilizes fuel and removes the many ethanol related problems www.liquidperformancedirect.com/product-p/0765.htm @@ACommenterOnRU-vid
It should be able to. You'll probably need a new regulator. I'm not sure of the specifics though as I've never looked into a natural gas conversion for it since we don't have it at my house
