Looking for whole house generator

[HORTY]

Depends on what you plan to run off the generator but after looking at how much a whole home generation system was going to cost $5,000 and up + installation I decided to look into a portable alternative. I live in the country so power outages are more common than the city. Most everything in my house is on natural gas so I was more concerned with having power to run a fridge, freezer, sump pump, furnace, 2 TVs, PC, a few lights etc. and found this 4450 peak watt generator does it all easily and more. If you plan on using 220 volt which this will power one at a time for electric stove or dryer without anything else hooked to it then I suggest getting something in the range of 8,000 - 10,000 watt or more depending on your needs. This unit runs everything I need to get me through until the power is back on and runs for 18 hours on a 23 liter tank of gas. Firman generators have great reviews and I bought it at Home Depot for just $300 when on for half price. It works like a charm starting whenever I need it. Hope that's of some help.

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i HAVE THIS EXACT model,does everything I need it ti do,runs,6-8hrs on a tank of fuel,around $500.00,the daul fuel 1 is about 7oo

 

[reeldrag]

I guess I’ve never installed any
A lot easier to watch the neighbors lights than a small LED you have to run outside to see

 

[Woodsman]

Call Somners generators in Stratford. Canadian made (in Stratford) and better quality then Generac. Price is the same or better and you are getting a way better unit. I have had mine for 10 years and it has been flawless. Best money I ever spent.

Since when are they in Stratford?
They were in Tavistock.

 

[Lvj]

Think they were sold move to Stratford same name though. Building in Tavistock empty and for sale for awhile now

 

[springerhill]

Happy Easters to all!!!!
I'm looking for a generator to run a house off of for when the power goes out, I'm not rich so a generator in the 10's of thousands is out of my reach, can anyone fill me in on certain brands and models to look and compare at? does not necessarily have to do a whole house , but just big appliances etc.

speedy electric is an authorized dealer of the general brand generators. They travel all over Ontario installing all different sizes of generators.
Call them 519-879-6517

 

[Three Bouys]

Happy Easters to all!!!!
I'm looking for a generator to run a house off of for when the power goes out, I'm not rich so a generator in the 10's of thousands is out of my reach, can anyone fill me in on certain brands and models to look and compare at? does not necessarily have to do a whole house , but just big appliances etc.

@SouthernOntariosportsman have you thought or looked into a PTO driven generator, that’s if you have a tractor to run it.

 

[kellzie]

The size of the generator would depend on if it is a 1 whole house, or a 2 whole house.

 

[SouthernOntariosportsman]

I have a lot of looking around for one, thanks for all the replies.
I don;t have a tractor, wish i did.
Should i get a generator big enough to have spare power? if the house needs 10,000 watts, should i be looking for one that is 15,000 watts. Would it be easier on the generator running?

 

[jerk bait]

Happy Easters to all!!!!
I'm looking for a generator to run a house off of for when the power goes out, I'm not rich so a generator in the 10's of thousands is out of my reach, can anyone fill me in on certain brands and models to look and compare at? does not necessarily have to do a whole house , but just big appliances etc.

Anything with a Honda engine . Ultra low maintenance. Quiet . Easy of fuel. Sure there are lots of good ones available but that's my recommendation

 

[Wave Runner]

Just a suggestion if going with a whole house generator you may want to consider going natural gas. Then you would never have to worry about putting gas in ever or it going foul after long periods of nonuse. I'm sure they would also be much cheaper on fuel to run.

 

[Balzdown]

Somners moved to Stratford last year. Built a big new facility and hired a bunch of new employees. Their owner is an outdoorsman and a big supporter of a bunch of fish and wildlife charities. While some of Generacs products are assembled in Wisconsin most of their product comes from China. Now is the time to start looking local. Somners are made right in Stratford and installed by factory experts.
Im sure a Generac would work fine but if you could support a local manufacturer at a better price it’s a no brainer for me.

 

[m burr]

I have a lot of looking around for one, thanks for all the replies.
I don;t have a tractor, wish i did.
Should i get a generator big enough to have spare power? if the house needs 10,000 watts, should i be looking for one that is 15,000 watts. Would it be easier on the generator running?

No not really. Mine is a 17kw and is good for just over 60 amps. The units are fused accordingly and worst case scenario if you overload it you trip the breaker on the unit. My service is 200 amp and it has never come close to overloading the generator yet.
If you get a decent unit they also start and cycle once a week as well on their own and have sensors for any battery issues or any other troubles. They can run on natural gas or propane as well.

 

[Johnniewalker]

Installed units from Sommers (3 phase farm installations). Very reputable company with very good support. When I was working' installed lots of Generac units that seem to work well. If the portable gas generator is what you are looking for don't be fooled by price. Make sure it has proper voltage regulation and 'filtering' for sensitive equipment, cheap is not always best. I prefer 'free standing' automatic units, they make life a lot simpler.