generator for sugarhouse

[bison1973]

Hi,

I want to add a generator to my sugarhouse (the is no electricity to nor will there ever be). My question is what size do you guys with the knowledge recommend? I don't know alot about them.

I'd like to have it to run lights, blower for the arch, filter press, sap pump, plus small things like radio, etc.

Tell me what you'd recommend.

Thanks

[Thompson's Tree Farm]

Bison,
Add up the watts that your electrical things will use and go from there. Will all the appliances be used at the same time or is there a possibility they will be? Is there a possibility you might be adding other things later? I used to use a little 2500 watt generator but it only powered lights, the motors will be a bigger draw. Especially when they start up.

[Acer]

I have one of these super quiet honda generators.
don't run my SH on it but ran the house for 10 days after the ice storm last year. They really are quiet and light and easy on the gas because they run only fast enough to meet the load, and use electronics to make the 60 hz sine wave. If you miss on the power calc or need to add later on you can buy another and hook them together for more power.

http://www.hondapowerequipment.com/products/models.aspx?page=models&section=P2GG&category=sq

Dean

[brookledge]

Based on what you listed it doesn't sound like you will have anything on 220.
if you do remember that 20 amps on 220 is like 40 on 110.
So when adding up your usage to size your generator keep that in mind.
Volts X amps= watts
Keith

[Greg Morin]

I have a KIPOR 3000 watt inverter I bought on ebay for camping . very quiet good on gas throttles up and down depending on load.

[Bucket Head]

For those of us who are "electrically challenged", what is 60 hz sine wave? What is a 3000 watt inverter? Thanks.

Steve

[Fred Henderson]

An inverter is what changes DC power(generator) to AC power ( what comes off the line company poles). 60 hz is the same as 60 cycles, what most US equipment is made to run on. In Europe their stuff is mostly 50 cycles.

[Haynes Forest Products]

The small camping type generator /inverters start out generating 12volt and then invert it up to 110volt.

[maple flats]

I used a 5500 watt gas generator for 6 years and it worked good. Mine was a louder unit so I placed it about 80' from the sugarhouse, built a plywood wall to deflect the noise and ran power to the sugarhouse with triplex, the same as you would you for overhead power from a utility poll. It worked well and I ran the lights (5 double bulb cold start flourescent), a filter press, radio, and a compressor when needed (rarely when boiling). I also ran a UV light, small 120v pump and 2 outside floodlights (150 watts ea.) The only problen was it used a lot of gas and gas had to be hauled too often even with a 7gal tank. It used about 1/2 gal/hr. I just bought a 6000 watt diesel generator that runs about 12 hrs on 4 gal but I have a diesel tank at the sugarhouse so i don't have to truck fuel in every couple of days. I get 1 delivery/yr. When I add an RO i will need a bigger generator. I also am hooking up solar to charge a battery bank and have a 2500/5000 watt 240v inverter. The battery bank is just 4 heavy duty Trojan solar batteries but it will help run things and the solar can charge as well as the generator. So far I only have 300 watts solar but will add another 300 or maybe even 600 more next year and again the following until my array is big enough to cut way down on the generator use.