Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Generator questions

Gents:
Have an outside wood boiler and am looking for back-up power. The wood boiler has a digital board. I use a power generator to run a propane fired furnace and lights when the power is down as the current power gen (3500 continuous) is not an inverter type. Checking it today found gas in the oil...:it's a cheapie...:)

Do inverter types compare to the older power generators on the same scale--i.e. does a 3500 continuous inverter do any more for you than a the 3500 power generator? Was pondering an inverter large enough just for the wood stove and getting the older unit running again for light, fridge, etc...

Any power back-up schemes you have in place with a wood boiler would be interesting to hear about.

Appreciate it,
tom

inverters generally have more "stable" power, as in easier on electronics, that said, people have been running anything and everything on open frame generators for about 100 years. I would wire up an transfer switch and panel for your most needed circuits, with a twist lock plug at a convenient location. I would suggest always buying more generator than you think youll need.

Yeah, I do have a transfer panel but the current gen definitely shut down the wood boiler board when I tried before. But probably wise to buy a bigger outfit just like you said.

Prone to cobble, Lord, I feel it...

I had a wood/propane boiler for years, I didn't build it, don't know anything about a conversion.
I've lived off generator/solar power for most of my adult life. Had everything from six cylinder diesels and down including the 3500 you described. I absolutely love my Honda A EU2200I, it's small, you can get bigger but it handles 90% of my typical aux power generation needs. Took me a few years to pop for one but after I did I wished I'd done it when they first came out.

My Honda 3500 inverter generator runs an AC unit that is supposed to take about 4000 watts. It dogs down a little when starting up, but it recovers pretty fast. I love my Honda. It uses about half the fuel of the 4KW non-inverter Onan, and about a third the noise when it is running full blast. It has an "eco throttle" setting that lets it idle down when the load is light, using far less fuel and making far less noise. Beautiful.

Spend the money and get an inverter. The benefits greatly outweigh the price difference. I haven't touched a regular gen since I bought my first Yamaha inverter 9 years ago. Just bought a new 2400 Yammy a month ago for $1k. It's a no-brainer for me.

Yeah, Honda I know...mine doesn't have a brand name...just a couple letters--now that's cheap.

Two Eyes--you are also running yer lights and fridge at the same time with that unit?

Bear, do you use the 2400 as home back-up?

I use it in my fishing camper. The 2000 does just fine but struggles with the AC unit so I bought the 2400 when we use it in the summer. The 2400 is about 75# so easy to lug around without a forklift to toss it in the pick-up.

I have powered up a few essentials with the 2000 when the power goes out in the house and it did fine. I will use the 2400 for back-up power when needed and the 2000 sits in the shop when I need remote power somewhere. Saws, battery chargers, block heaters, etc.

Red and blue are both excellent units but the blue ones tend to be better starting in extreme cold temps. Generally 3 tugs or less in -30F. 9 years and I've never so much as changed a spark plug or cleaned the carb. Change oil 1-2 a year a go.

Roger that, Tom, thanks. Just hoping the carb isn't too gummed up. Went to check the oil and gas came out of the fill hole under pressure...

May be needing it tomorrow with the wind coming.

Appreciate it Bear. Will be looking at Hondas and Yams. We lose power when trees go down somewhere. Generally winter, too, of course. Once a year maybe in the summer.

https://outdoorwoodfurnaceinfo.com/forum/ lol what we dont know we dont wanta no....

the problem with a wood boiler is that once installed whatever downside issues it has are going to be with you for a long time...

**

Would appreciate hearing about home back-up schemes you have installed, Gents--particularly involving a wood boiler.

Don't know what you have for a system but if you have a recirculating heat loop, which you should, you can break into the loop and install a gas/fuel oil, or whatever type boiler that triggers off temperature drop in your wood fired system.
The easiest, but not the most efficient would be a instant water heater. I'm thinking of the times I just didn't want to deal with my wood, like 3 in the morning and such is when my propane kicked in.
Then you'd have the best of both worlds.

My generator has leaked fuel to the crank case. I changed the oil and when I shut it down by closing the fuelvalve on the tank and running it out of gas. I have been intending to buy a trifuel carb so I can run it on propane or Natural gas.

Yes, have heat loop. About 60 yards from the house though, so need some power to the pump to circulate the water in freezing weather.

do understand getting a fire going at 3AM sucks...

The circulating pump takes minimal power. I had... HAD a wood boiler for years. I stress had. LP now. Still need power to run it but way less work.
I compare it to owning one milk cow. Not saving much money but I still need to be there twice a day to take care of it.

The inverter generators provide the stable frequency the electronic control boards like to see in order to operate reliably. If you hear you generator fluctuating RPMs it's safe to say the frequency on the power is fluctuating as well, so not a standard 60 hz

Yep, everything but the electric side of the water heater.