What small Generator would you recommend...

Olly

Bronze
Mar 12, 2007
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CaribMike, What do you want to power ? A whole house, recharge and invertor etc. You location also .

Olly
 

bienamor

Kansas redneck an proud of it
Apr 23, 2004
5,050
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What are you wanting to power it with Gasoline Diesel Propane. How loud? what kind of start manual automatic battery?

Define small 2kilo 4kilo 16kilo?
 

caribmike

Gold
Jul 9, 2009
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Location in a couple weeks: Santiago

I have a 1.5 kw Inverter to cover in case of outage 5 computers, light and fans in a 4 BR Penthouse.

We go to move into a 4 BR house with pool (bomba for pool excluded in calculation) in Santiago. Power usually does not go there BUT you never know and knowing there will be more outages from October on in general I want to be prepared.

Thinking about a 4 - 5 KW generator (not sure gasoline or propane ?) for charging inverter batteries but thinking about to run everything on it. (should cover 5 computers, 7 monitors, 3 TV, 3 fridges, lights, bomba).
 

chico bill

Dogs Better than People
May 6, 2016
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Location in a couple weeks: Santiago

I have a 1.5 kw Inverter to cover in case of outage 5 computers, light and fans in a 4 BR Penthouse.

We go to move into a 4 BR house with pool (bomba for pool excluded in calculation) in Santiago. Power usually does not go there BUT you never know and knowing there will be more outages from October on in general I want to be prepared.

Thinking about a 4 - 5 KW generator (not sure gasoline or propane ?) for charging inverter batteries but thinking about to run everything on it. (should cover 5 computers, 7 monitors, 3 TV, 3 fridges, lights, bomba).

I would think a minimum would be a 15 KW but better chance to get a 20KW diesel. Look for a Kubota or anything with an Isuzu or CAT motor.
Gasoline has too many problems and propane hard to get parts ?

They must be set to cycle to run at least once a week and they don't go without maintenance forever.
Get a qualified electrician (maybe the hardest part) and a good automatic transfer switch. Manual is a bad way to go - if you are the beach for the weekend the food in the refrigerator could spoil.

Install on a concrete level bad and better yet enclose it in a block room
 

Caonabo

LIFE IS GOOD
Sep 27, 2017
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I would think a minimum would be a 15 KW but better chance to get a 20KW diesel. Look for a Kubota or anything with an Isuzu or CAT motor.
Gasoline has too many problems and propane hard to get parts ?

They must be set to cycle to run at least once a week and they don't go without maintenance forever.
Get a qualified electrician (maybe the hardest part) and a good automatic transfer switch. Manual is a bad way to go - if you are the beach for the weekend the food in the refrigerator could spoil.

Install on a concrete level bad and better yet enclose it in a block room

Enclosed in a block room.....is ventilation not needed for the escaping diesel fumes?
 

JD Jones

Moderator:North Coast,Santo Domingo,SW Coast,Covid
Jan 7, 2016
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For that size a diesel and Kubota is a good recommendation.

There's lots of diesel Kubotas and Denyos floating around.

I have a lot of experience with both and I would go with a super silent Denyo in a heartbeat over a Kubota.

You can stand next to a super silent Denyo and have a conversation in a normal voice. They barely hum when they are running. They have Isuzu 3 cylinder motors which are bulletproof with normal maintenance.

You can get by with a 6K generator, but you really need something in the neighborhood of 15K. 6k would really be pushing it, 15K will handle a house with ease.

With one of those Denyos with an automatic transfer and inverter, the only way you'll know the lights went off is if you hear the generator start.
 

JD Jones

Moderator:North Coast,Santo Domingo,SW Coast,Covid
Jan 7, 2016
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Enclosed in a block room.....is ventilation not needed for the escaping diesel fumes?

Yes. A square hole for the radiator and a decent sized extractor fan and a way for fresh air to get in.

MY current generator is a Denyo 45K and I have two 12" extractors and it still gets warm in there.
 

chico bill

Dogs Better than People
May 6, 2016
12,570
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Enclosed in a block room.....is ventilation not needed for the escaping diesel fumes?
Of course and fresh air intake all off the side away from the house to keep it quiet but some of the new ones are quiet in their own enclosure

Sent from my SM-A530F using Tapatalk
 

USA DOC

Bronze
Feb 20, 2016
3,162
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...If I remember you will be in La Zurza?..In my house in La Zurza the power goes off 1 or 2 times a year and only for 30 to 40 minutes a time ...the neighbors that have been here say has been the same for years.........Doc..........
 

caribmike

Gold
Jul 9, 2009
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...If I remember you will be in La Zurza?..In my house in La Zurza the power goes off 1 or 2 times a year and only for 30 to 40 minutes a time ...the neighbors that have been here say has been the same for years.........Doc..........

Yes, I can see the Monumento from my balcony :D

But there will be power shortage because they take two power plants off the circuit. One needs repairs, the other for scheduled maintenance. I want to be prepared ;)
 

caribmike

Gold
Jul 9, 2009
6,808
202
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I will go the use the generator to charge the inverter batteries way, me thinks, a 5 - 6 kw will do. As backup for lights, fans and computers. The bigger solution will be to costly and not worth doing it for a rented place.
 

USA DOC

Bronze
Feb 20, 2016
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757
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Yes, I can see the Monumento from my balcony :D

But there will be power shortage because they take two power plants off the circuit. One needs repairs, the other for scheduled maintenance. I want to be prepared ;)

....welcome neighbor....we must be very close....I see the monument from my front windows, 3 blocks away..........Doc...........
 

cobraboy

Pro-Bono Demolition Hobbyist
Jul 24, 2004
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There's lots of diesel Kubotas and Denyos floating around.

I have a lot of experience with both and I would go with a super silent Denyo in a heartbeat over a Kubota.

You can stand next to a super silent Denyo and have a conversation in a normal voice. They barely hum when they are running. They have Isuzu 3 cylinder motors which are bulletproof with normal maintenance.

You can get by with a 6K generator, but you really need something in the neighborhood of 15K. 6k would really be pushing it, 15K will handle a house with ease.

With one of those Denyos with an automatic transfer and inverter, the only way you'll know the lights went off is if you hear the generator start.
I had an 11kw for my 1700sf Florida home. It could run everything, including a/c. But I had to disable some circuits (water heater & stove/oven) before starting the a/c because of the surge required for the a/c compressor. But after the a/c compressor was on, no problem. Plenty for the whole house.

Folks here need to learn power management.
 

windeguy

Platinum
Jul 10, 2004
42,211
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Enclosed in a block room.....is ventilation not needed for the escaping diesel fumes?

No generator, diesel, gasolne, or propane generator can be enclosed. The exhaust must be vented and heat build up allowed for as well.
 

Caonabo

LIFE IS GOOD
Sep 27, 2017
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Yes. A square hole for the radiator and a decent sized extractor fan and a way for fresh air to get in.

MY current generator is a Denyo 45K and I have two 12" extractors and it still gets warm in there.

Thank you for the response.