Generator Guide for Preppers 

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perfect, i was just praying for wisdom in shopping for a small generator

Don’t forget to have a bucket with extension cords. As many as the number of items you will be running. You will need some heavy duty ones for large items like freezers and refrigerator.

Grid: goes down Me: finally a legitimate excuse to eat everything in the fridge

Thank you for this informative chat. Bless you and your family. Stay safe.

Good things to consider. The amount of power consumed is a big one that requires some research especially when looking at the solar generators.

I would add that it is best to know what kind of continuous use your generator is rated for. For example, what kind of maintenance do you have to perform after say,… 200 hours/8 days? This is a huge consideration when tempted to buy the cheapest thing available.

I went for both options. I need the generator to power my fridge and my sump pump, but those loads really only need to be powered every 8-12 hours. For the times in between, I have a 500Whr "solar generator." That can run a fan, lots of LED lights, charge the devices, etc. If you are only running a gas-powered generator for a few hours every day, a can of gas can go much farther than running it continuously. It is also a waste to run a 2000W generator just to power some LED lights and charge an iPhone. If you can spare the money, the choice is not one or the other, but rather both.

I have used gasoline that is over a year old. Worked just fine.

I have all three in my van.. I have a solar panels which is awesome cuz it's free Power then I have propane just for the heater and the stove and then I have the generator which I got from Harbor Freight it's awesome generator and that is for the air conditioner in the van.. so you see my van is off grid 110% hell yeah.😃

With gas generators, a big thing is maintenance. Specifically access to the carburetor. Yes, you should start your generators once a month. However, think about level 2 maintenance as well. For example, the generator I have is a Generac 5500 watt. It allows easy access to the carburetor and fuel filter. Additionally, the carburetor has a 10mm screw on the bottom of it to drain the fuel. This is important if your fuel starts to develop condensation. The water will drop to the bottom of the carb and it typically will not fire. With a drain, this allows fresh fuel to come into the carb without having to remove the entire carburetor and clean it.

Thank you for the video on this subject. The idea of having a generator has been on my mind for some time. In my area winter blizzard conditions often cause short grid down situations for a few days. Your info and opinion is helpful and appreciated. Thank you.

Just wanted to thank you for your considered and informative videos. I’m new to prepping and have learned so much from you.

Thanks for the video. Nice to see some of the different options out there besides the whole home generator.

This is exactly why I say that diesel or propane is a far better option than precious metals for a barter item. Imagine what a can of fuel will be worth in a true grid down situation 3 months after. I'm in the UK and 100 ltrs of diesel is about £130 ($160 US) imagine the amount of gold you will have to give someone compared with a gallon of fuel

I have the Honda EU30IS generator and it is quiet and very fuel efficient too. I definitely need a solar backup option going forward

I bought a decent size emergency generator about 10 years ago. The smartest thing I did was hire an electrician to install a transfer switch. Fill it up, plug it in, throw 10 switches and you are good to go. Sump pump, refrigerator and furnaces were the priority but it can run everything in my house ....except the air conditioning. I may live to regret that. But we don't lose power often and when we have, it has never been more than 5 hours. I am not sure how this happened but 15-20 years ago a remnants of a hurricane came through our area (we are inland). Our neighborhood of 63 homes never lost power yet for about 3 -5 miles in any direction, folks were without power for days. So, you never know. Get one if you don't have one. Something is better than nothing. Great video.

Thanks for your time to help us !

Thanks for the video. I'm still working out my power plan. Mostly I'm just working out my fuel options and what I'll need to run and for how long. One thing I've figured out is that I only need to run the fridge until it's empty. After that, my power needs become minimal. I'm also looking at some aftermarket dual fuel conversions for some popular generators. In the end, I'm looking at solar as the very long term option with the generator taking up the slack on cloudy days.

Great info. I myself bought a 3KW petrol genny a few months ago. It ran about €800 and that is not a honda. I would also add, that if you go the carbon producing route is that get to know your genny. Have spare oil and plugs. Get used to changing both. Run it every two weeks I would recommend to prevent gumming of fuel parts. Especially with new gennys you need to change the oil after around 5 hours as the metal shavings from new engines will need to be removed. Also consider cable to get your house etc. And try and get one with a 16 amp outlet. at least in Europe the 16amp head will not have a fuse, thus leading to more problems and 16 amp heads are IP rated. I live very close to neighbors so I decided on a 3 KW with 2 x 16amp to share power. They don't know it yet ha ha. And I have two long leads to do this. All the best, Shane.

After the Oregon ice storm I feel like this was a much needed video. Thanks for your courses.

Wow this video was right on time for me. I’m in the market for a generator. Thank you

I used my sweet Firman Tri-fuel (NATURAL GAS) generator a month ago to power my house off my house natural gas line. Seamless fueling. Best set up I could ask for.

The refrig power quote used, "about 600 watts" IS INCORRECT. The average continuous usage can be calculated by looking at the yellow "Estimated Annual Usage" as measured in kilowatts. Divide this number by 24 (hours per day) then divide that result by 365 (days per yr). My 21 cu ft LG side by side refrig used 73 watts per hour continuously. Now when the compressor motor starts up the surge watts may go to 500-700 watts for a fraction of a second..... But long term it's 73 watts every hour average.

I have a gas generator but I’m in an apartment now & really appreciate the advice on the solar generator which I’ll be working towards buyin within the next couple months. Thanks!

Just switched over to the Champion Inverter 8500/7000 watt generator. We had too many issues with our 10000 watt Duramax due to the "drity" power it was generating. Solar panels are also being installed this month. Looking at battery backup options. If you have a standard generator (i.e. non-inverter) make sure it will work with what you need when the power goes out - TEST THIS.

Excellent timing, my friend! Having access to a reliable generator during a protracted power outage is essential during amateur radio operations, and the refrigeration of perishable foods. Especially important are the OPSEC and maintenance considerations, which I felt that you covered well. I didn’t get a stimulus check like everyone else, but I did get a longevity pay increase at the job. Soooo, it may well be the time to invest in a solar generator system. Thanks again for the upload!

Thanks for the video Chris, I have a Firman Dual Fuel I got at Costco 2 years ago (Californian, PGE summer rolling blackouts), and really like it. I keep some stabilized gas on hand as well as 4 propane bottles that are for the patio heater and generator as my BBQ is now natural gas (can be converted back to propane). I ran my gas generator dry, opened the carb and drained, then put about 2 tbs of motor oil down where the spark plug lives and pulled the cord slowly twice to lubricate the piston. Additionally, I have the battery on a trickle charger as it tends to go dead rather quickly if left unused. I use the same procedure for all my gas engine that may be sitting for a while (the rototiller comes to mind). Since finding you on RU-vid, I have become increasingly interested in solar generators and was just researching how to set up my home solar on a battery back-up system. I may start with a small solar generator to run my shed / reloading room, just so I don't have to run an extension cord anymore. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and experiences with us, you are an asset to many.

Good stuff! On the dual fuel, a large propane tank is an option for those who have yard space. A 1000, 500, 250, or even a 100 gal tank are available from a local propane provider.

thank you for the video city prepping!!

Good video, there is also a propane super efficient 1k gen that runs about 50 hours on a tank of propane for the people that need a small one.

Thanks. Very informative. Just a couple things to add. As for dual fuel generators the output wattage is less while using propane. We have 2 generators. The largest is for Frig and freezer. The other is a 2000w dual fuel inverter generator. We also use 12v batteries with inverters for other small things around the house as needed. Can't run everything but will time share as needed. Will use small generator to charge 12v batteries.

Hi, could you please make a video on how to treat Diesel or Gasoline? I didn’t know you are supposed to treat it before storing it 🤦🏻‍♂️

While I do like the dual fuel option of many generators, remember that using propane as a fuel provides less power than gasoline. If you live in an area like mine, you may want to use your solar generator at night and charge it during the day with the propane / gasoline generator. That way, you can have some power at night and your generator will not walk away while you are asleep.

Good video bro. I had that exact Champion in your video. Recently sold it and purchased two 2,500 inverter generators from Champion and purchased the ParaLink kit. These are SO much quieter than my larger Champion. Plus clean power as its pure sinewave. I could run these two at the same time and still quieter than the larger non-inverter generator.

Excellent video! Thanks

Good considerations.

Thank you for the informative generator video.

I have a champion similar to the one shown , Another benefit of running propane is the carburetor doesn't get gummed up , get a few xtra tanks and never run out while BBQing

Thank you!

Nice and clear video. Thank you!

I have 2ea generators that run gas, propane and ng as well as a 22kw generac whole house with automatic transfer. I also have solar and 2 banks of lithium and 2 banks of agm batteries. (Yes, I’ve thought about drawing attention so have blackout curtains and sound suppression). You never know what might happen nowadays.

The Honda EUs are great, fuel efficient and really quiet.

Great vid as always. One option many people don't think of, that really saved me this year during our ice storm, is an automotive power inverter. You can get a cheap 300 watt one for $30 that will charge all of your personal electronics like phones and laptops from your car's CLA, plus it's small enough to put in a bug out bag or keep it in a car kit. Buy a big enough one and you've turned your vehicle into a mobile generator. For that, ask a trucker for advice. 😎👍

If you have, or can purchase a marine (boat) battery, a 2000 watt inverter and a couple of 100 watt solar panels, you could make your own rudimentary "solar generator". It will all fit inside a single "milk crate" (except for the panels of course).

Love my Honda 2800 inverter/generator

The price of 'solar generators' is reason enough to watch Will Prowse and DIY. The bang for your buck is a FRACTION of what you pay retail. Over 7kW of power for under $2k.

Good info, thank you.

Great informative video as always

Good presentation. Gasoline stabilizers can extend life to up a year or more. Propane portable generators are clean but even small cylinders are heavy to carry and last only a few hours. The great advantage comes for users with natural gas/propane lines or large tanks -otherwise, gasoline is a better option regarding supply, portability and yield (gasoline runs generators longer)

Natural Gas is another option. They can be a Tri-fuel generator or a addon conversion. Another important maintenance item is oil changes.

Very informative video! I was needing some guidance for a generator as I plan on purchasing one this month to prepare for the power outages during summer from overloading the power grid.

An important consideration is the quality of the power. The best is a "pure sine wave." The Honda is again the standard. Depending on what you're powering, the purity of the power should have an impact on your decision. Appliances such as refrigerators are pretty resilient re: quality of power. Electronics , such as computers, radios, etc. - not so much. I did some research a few years ago, and Champion was the dirtiest. It was also the one with the worst record for dependability. It does appear that Champion has raised the quality of their product a lot, so it appears that the only valid part of my research today is to keep quality of power and dependability in mind as you shop. I ended up buying an Echo, and I'm very happy with it. I have yet to put it on a scope, but experience indicates that it produces very clean power.

I only have solar power generators. I live in an area where storage fuels is not safe 2 to 3 months of the year. Plus I prefer zero decibel cause I don't live in the best area. Lots of people would come running if they heard a motor during grid down situations. I just put my solar panels in a window or back yard to charge.

I think the recommended interval for charging a solar generator is every 3 months. I heard that storing them below maximum is better for the batteries for long term storage.

Great video.

I wish I had that many toys to play with! I'm hoping to start charting what it takes to run my stuff and how long it takes to recharge via solar panel. I don't think I want to find out on the fly. Very informative video. It's amazing how much your channel exploded this year!

Perfect!

Thank u for info 😊

Thank you for this. I was looking at that Champion Generator from Costco.

THKS

The champion duel fuel you show is the exact one I've used for the last 18 months while building a cabin in the mountains. Its run perfectly and the only drawback has been changing the oil every 25 hours. That's about twice a week. I bought mine at Sam's club for $ 359.00 2 years ago. They now have a 5k watt one for $399.00 I intend to buy for a backup. I highly recommend.

Gasoline has a way longer shelf life than 3 months with stabilizer. I cycle mine out every 12 months and had no issues with my Yamaha ef2000is with a trifuel carb on it. With this plus some solar panels and a lead acid battery I can keep my refrigeration going and still have the generator for running heating/cooling. Long term I want to upgrade to an Inergy Flex battery for more portability.

Thank you for sharing this very informative video. It's been very helpful! Have you ever considered connecting a standby generator to your home's fuse box to power your entire house?

Well done!

Check out PRI-G and PRI-D for better storage of fuels and reconditioning old fuels. But propane would be great for my needs. I'm gonna invest in a tri-fuel gen soon and a better solar generator. Most of my needs will be filled by solar, but it is always great to have a real fuel generator for the neighbors and me.

At one time I owned forty acres in Arizona. We were way off of the grid. I set up a 4500 watt, propane fueled generator. I had a 500 gallon propane tank that would be replenished as needed. I ran the generator six hours per day. That was long enough to keep the food in the refrigerator fresh and the food in the freezer frozen. The generator had an electric starter, and the generator would keep the battery charged. I swapped out batteries every couple of days and used one to power my CB radio. I had a well drilled and I had a windmill and water storage tank to provide water. The point I want to make as pertaining to this video is, you don’t have to run your refrigerator all day. If you don’t spend time shopping with the refrigerator door open, you can maintain a pretty constant temperature. It’s also best to time it so that your generator runs for awhile after the last time you open your refrigerator door.

I purchased the same dual fuel generator on Amazon (I feel validated). Solar will be my next purchase, but living in Ohio, I question how well it will work.

Thanks as always, CP! 🙂 You've heard the saying, 'Champagne taste on a beer wallet.'? Yeah, that's me to a T.😁 I'll keep looking ... No house payment will help. 💜🇺🇸🤗

I just bought the Honda EU2200iTAG generator yesterday. I'm going to get the jackery 1000 next with the solar panels

I hummed and hawed for years debating what power backup to get. My preference was solar, but wanted to be able to not only power electronics, but fridge, freezer, etc. The price for that solution was prohibitive for a system I at around 50 would probably only use 2-3 times. Finally when the pandemic hit, I bit the bullet and got a gas only generator on sale for $699 and added a Motor Snorkel tri-fuel kit to it for $185. If you are fortunate enough to have natural gas utility, this solution is awesome, no fuel to store. It is prudent however to have several propane tanks stored in the event the power and natural gas go out. If you use quick disconnects, you can switch between natural gas, propane and gasoline in seconds, no tools required. Now that I have a power backup solution, I can look into a Jackery type solution with a few solar panels in the event of a long term emergency where fuel is no longer easily available.

need to keep frig. a few lights, comms running, have a couple small solar units that I'm replacing batts. on, looking to get a dual fuel unit.

PS to help with noise on the gas generator’s if it’s practical you can put sand bags around them . Kinda make a small room with the sand bags put the generator in the middle . As for the top put a sheet of ply wood. Or if you are bugging in and own your own property . You could just build a little building to put your gas generator. Either option you choose sand bags or the building. The noise will not totally be stopped but greatly reduced. The generators will not be heard as far away

The 2k video quality is awesome! Please continue to use that camera

I'm digging that little cart. Got a video on that?

Excellent review, but you mentioned about running a generator in the garage however I made provisions to my garage so I can run mine in the garage. I have my welder/generator combo on a cart so my combo sits on 4 milk crates in front of a window with a exhaust pipe from the combo pointed towards the exhaust fan in the window. I did a test with the combo by raising the garage door about 12" and turn on the exhaust fan...no poisonous fumes from the combo at all👍🏾

PTO off of a tractor is an option even for smaller tractor and it is one less engine to worry about.

Nice video. Maybe you have another video, but the extension cord is very important. That orange 100ft in your video should only be used for less than 1325w, in order to reduce the voltage drop and potential to cause a fire too. To safely delivered 1875 W with a 100ft extension cord, it should be no smaller than 12AWG 3/0. If you will try to deliver 125v 2300 to 4000 W through a 100ft cord, it should be 10AWG 3/0 or thicker.

A few years ago, I had a power outage that lasted a week, I frantically looked for a generator I could buy, none were available. I stopped at the John Deere store, they had Honda generators being flown in, they would be available that afternoon, so I took what I could get, a Honda EX4000SX Generator, cost over $2000. I was able to get gas for it, needed to be refilled every day, it got me through the power outage. I now have a 300w RockPals generator, good for small stuff like cell phones and stuff. I have just ordered a Bluetti AC200P generator and 3 120w solar panels through Amazon. If there is a major power outage, I should be able to deal with it as long as the Sun is shining.

I want a couple of the solar generators.

I’m just a single woman, living in a 1 bedroom apartment, surrounded by idle, nosey neighbors. Knowing the little that I know and knowing it’s still a learning curve for me, I bought a Goal Zero Yeti 1400. I’ll still need to choose solar panels. I chose this because I remember this as being one of the initial, popular brands. But, I chose those 1400, which is 43 lbs, over anything heavier because, there’s little chance of me lifting and moving something like the 100 lb 1250. I like that the GZ 1400 has WIFI. I’m a pretty busy person so, I’d like to be able to keep track of charging and discharging, while on the go. Otherwise, I’d have to look into and considering a home automated plug, out in a schedule. I have those as, I’ve done home automation for decades. But, I liked the built-in WIFI connectivity of the GZ 1400. Obviously, it will also be quiet, so my neighbors won’t be aware of it. It should arrive within a few hours. Looking forward to it. What I may do is to buy 2 of the smaller GZs or another brand to actually go in each room. In a grid down situation, other than powering my fridge, I’m probably only going to need power for a bit of tech and a light bulb in other rooms, while the GZ 1400 just powers the fridge. Might actually be a bit of overkill though as, I also have a couple of UPSs. When there was an outrage for maybe 8 hours, a few months ago, I was quite able to work on my laptop and keep my cable modem powered, to continue my workday. I know that this, however, will not work for that long, once I re-hook up my 2 MacPro towers.

Solar with Tesla powerwall works well so far. Few outages and they have powered the house no problem.

Good video! 👍❤️☺️

For those on a well, this can be vital, as one is likely to want to run the well despite the power outage.

You could probably buy more conservatively powered devices too. Mini fridge, freezer, what have you. Tools with rechargeable batteries.

First of all, I am a great fan of the channel. Been a subscriber for some years right now. I would like to know if you have some thoughts in the use of Bio Gas, uses in for fuel, energy generation or even for a treatment for waste. There are some good videos of Home Biogas. Maybe it is possible to even convert a generator to run on biogas. Keep doing a awesome job with the channel.

We have the fuel storage to meet our needs. We hold 22 gal of gas for the Generac xl5500. This amount of fuel will last us for a week. No we are not planning on grid down, but every few years we end up with no power for a week about a year ago we were without power for 5 days, before that it was Superstorm sandy. So these prolonged blackouts are rare events. If we know that a storm is coming, we now up the gas to 32 gallons(it was another lesson from Superstorm Sandy. Also the Gas is stabilized high test, and cycled every 6 months. We will be adding a 3300 W inverter generator soon to reduce fuel usage and protect sensitive electronics that dont like the 1998 XL 5500 generator.

5:14 😅 “Refrigurr-ehre” 🥴Ahaha... I’m laughing With you friend🤣. Thank you so much for everything you do and all the hard work. Sooooooo much knowledge and wisdom from a young guy. You’re really changing, improving lives of individuals and families. 👏🤝

One Thing I don't see on prepped channels is refrigerators. I keep a 3 way ammonia absorption refrigerator as a bar fridge. It runs on 120/12 volt and propane. It has a small freezer and 4 cf of refrigerated space. It just sit there and makes no noise and pull about 100 watts. I can run it on my solar generator on propane if needed but function's daily which making it more useful. They can be bought new or salvage from an RV or camper. Having the ability to keep things cold in a SHTF scenario will make your food preps last much longer.

Lol I was looking into buying a generator.... will go diesel due to the fact I always keep diesel laying around as backup for my 4 cylander car. Just really haven't found one I wanted to invest in yet.

Why didn’t you discuss the natural gas as fuel option? Many larger output units use NG and it is very useful if you have a gaswell.

I think prepper princess likes her bluetti the best? I see some other comments below recommending it too. I’ll have to look into it.

Wow u were reading my mind, u need a generator that power 1 refrigerator and 3 freezer chests

I currently backed the Leoch on indiegogo. I am thinking about getting the ALP propane generator and i am also looking for a smaller solar type unit currently eyeballing the Golabs r300

In a total grid down none of those generators will last 3 months, I burnt a champion duel fuel during the aftermath of Maria, mine was 9,000 watts, I killed 2 generators during 6 months without power, oil changes and spark plug changes were every 100 hours...During the 6 month emergency, over 4,000 dollars was spent to keep them running, 100% unsustainable during a prolonged emergency...Wind , solar, and 2 inverter generators is the perfect combination to be fully covered

Don’t forget they have tri-fuel. Natural gas has less maximum output but if you have natural gas going to your house the odds of it staying on past when electrical and water goes out is much higher.

Bought the same generator in Richmond at the Sam's Club for 369 online and in the store was 399

If you can afford it, having options to create power is great. It doesn't need to be big. Just big enough for your needs and a back up.

What are your views on standby generators that run on natural gas?I already have a small dual fuel and a few solar generators. I am getting older and do not want to deal with maintaining a lot.

A lot of information packed in such a short video! In terms of carbon fuel generators, my chief concern is power distribution and proper installation of a transfer switch to bring power directly into our home. Is that expensive?