I am no expert on the subject, but I do have a generator to power my tanks - as I have a number of tanks.
One thing nobody is mentioning is HOW these hook up to give us power.
Mine is wired to my electrical panel (done by an ELECTRICIAN!!!) and it looks like the top one on this page:
http://www.connecticut-electric.com...log/d34c1cce-cb35-49e7-a100-7aac716e76d8.aspx
The circuits for my tanks, furnace, pond and fridge (more about that later) are hard-wired into this unit. Only those circuits.
If the power goes out it is a matter if plugging in the cable that goes from that box to the generator and turning the thing on and flipping some switches ..and poof --> power.
Granted the generator also has receptacles that can be used for extension cords, but that can't be used to get your furnace working, which is a big issue when the power goes out in the winter.
(I did use one extension cord for my fridge since we remodeled and forgot to get that new circuit wired back to the switch box..$48 for a single cord...sigh)
IIRC the manual switch box cost around $150 at the time, and the electrican was a friend
My generator has a Briggs & Stratton engine and a startup of 6250w and runs 5000W (cost about $500 a few years ago). It ran EVERYTHING I asked it too with no issue and topped out around 1000W.
That was for my 3 SW tanks - return pumps, heaters, Vortechs, powerheads. My 2 FW tanks, heaters filters & lights, and the bubbler to my pond..along with my furnace (& hot water), the fridge and way more lights in my house than I expected, though we mostly left those off. I also did not run the lights on my SW tanks, nor the reactors, but I easily could have.
We only filled it with gas 3 times (6 g tank I believe) and even then it was nowhere near empty, though they do tend to use a lot of oil. (mine won't run if the oil level is low, and automatically turns off if it gets too low).
Considering the investment we have in our tanks, for under $1000, the comfort zone it brings is priceless.
I've had it for 3 years and this is the first time we've had to use it, but damn, I could have kissed it...
One thing nobody is mentioning is HOW these hook up to give us power.
Mine is wired to my electrical panel (done by an ELECTRICIAN!!!) and it looks like the top one on this page:
http://www.connecticut-electric.com...log/d34c1cce-cb35-49e7-a100-7aac716e76d8.aspx
The circuits for my tanks, furnace, pond and fridge (more about that later) are hard-wired into this unit. Only those circuits.
If the power goes out it is a matter if plugging in the cable that goes from that box to the generator and turning the thing on and flipping some switches ..and poof --> power.
Granted the generator also has receptacles that can be used for extension cords, but that can't be used to get your furnace working, which is a big issue when the power goes out in the winter.
(I did use one extension cord for my fridge since we remodeled and forgot to get that new circuit wired back to the switch box..$48 for a single cord...sigh)
IIRC the manual switch box cost around $150 at the time, and the electrican was a friend
My generator has a Briggs & Stratton engine and a startup of 6250w and runs 5000W (cost about $500 a few years ago). It ran EVERYTHING I asked it too with no issue and topped out around 1000W.
That was for my 3 SW tanks - return pumps, heaters, Vortechs, powerheads. My 2 FW tanks, heaters filters & lights, and the bubbler to my pond..along with my furnace (& hot water), the fridge and way more lights in my house than I expected, though we mostly left those off. I also did not run the lights on my SW tanks, nor the reactors, but I easily could have.
We only filled it with gas 3 times (6 g tank I believe) and even then it was nowhere near empty, though they do tend to use a lot of oil. (mine won't run if the oil level is low, and automatically turns off if it gets too low).
Considering the investment we have in our tanks, for under $1000, the comfort zone it brings is priceless.
I've had it for 3 years and this is the first time we've had to use it, but damn, I could have kissed it...
