Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I am very happy with this generator, but I would not recommend using it for electronic equipment (computers, TV's, etc), as it is not very stable, especially under large loads.
I ran a test to see what it could handle, below is a description of the items I turned on, and the order in which they were enabled. I connected this generator up to my whole house using a 200 amp manual transfer switch, which was professionally installed by an electrician. The transfer switch has a watt-ometer on it, so I can estimate how much wattage I am using.
1)100 Gallon Hot Water Heater: ~4800 watts. (I opened all the hot water taps to make sure that the heater was running.)
2)3 ton air conditioner (Trane XL19i) ~3600 watts (Set temperature to 65F to ensure that both compressors were working)
3)2 refrigerators. ~800 watts each. (set the temperature to the coldest setting on both of them to make sure they were running)
4)20" TV. ~300 watts
5)PC w/ 2x21" monitors ~300 watts total
6)Washing Machine ~500 watts (put a load in for the spin cycle)
7)Dishwasher ~500 watts
8)Pool Pump ~500 watts
So far all of the above was running at the same time, and everything was fine except the backup battery alarms on the TV and the PC were sounding. It seems the power was not stable enough for those devices, so I turned them off.
I kept everything else running, and I was determined to overload the generator to see if it would shut off as described in the manual. So, I proceeded to turn on some more large and medium appliances.
9)Clothes Dryer ~5700 watts
10)4 stove top burners set to high ~200 watts each
11)Oven set to 450F ~5000 watts?
12)6 overhead lights ~100 watts each
13)Sprinkler / Well Pump ~500 watts
14)Microwave oven set to High ~1500 watts
15)Garbage Disposal ~200 watts
I ran out of appliances and large items that I could turn on. All of the above was running at the same time, which of course is not a typical household scenario. I was very impressed.
My electrician told me that electrical devices all have exaggerated wattage ratings, so you cannot simply look at the back of device and determine how much wattage it will use. This is why my numbers add up to way more than 15,000 watts. In addition, the rating on a generator is the minimum it can handle, so it is possible that the generator could be producing slightly over 15,000 watts, depending on quality of fuel and other factors. Regardless, this test proves that the generator can handle your whole household without a problem, just keep your electronic devices plugged into a more stable generator.
It is quite loud. It sounds like a Harley running at 3500 rpm. Much louder than my 3000 watt generator, and louder than my 2300 psi pressure cleaner. The smell of the exhaust is very strong as well, so keep ventilation at a maximum. Don't place it next to any bushes as the bush will die from the heat and carbon monoxide (I know this from my own experience ;-)
On a separate test, I ran the generator for an extended time period to see how much fuel it uses. I plugged it into my house and ran a more limited set of appliances which would represent a typical day. The fuel consumption was about 1 gallon per hour, so keep this in mind when storing fuel for something like a hurricane. I purchased a fuel storage tank which can hold 120 gallons with a pump on it, and I can also keep 17 more gallons in the generator itself. Of course there is the risk of all this fuel going stale very quickly, so I only purchase it when I see a hurricane coming. If I never need it, I just use it for my cars.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Generac 4582-2 Ultra Source 15,000 Watt Portable Generator (CARB Compliant)
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