The best thing about my generator setup which is functionally the same as yours is that it is MAGICAL. Most of the times I've used it, right after selectively shutting off the water heater (I'm all-electric), dragging out the generator, connecting the cable, getting things cranked up...wait, I need to fill the tank completely up first to get maximum runtime, and usually all of this is in a downpour, and finally switching over the breakers, the MAGIC happens and line power immediately comes back on. It's turned into a meme in my family. "Dad! Get the generator out so the power will come back on!"
I've steered hurricanes away from my house with my generator. Might've lost power for a total of 15 minutes over the last 5 years after buying my generator.
I hear you. After rigging a series of hidden heavy duty extension cords to various parts of the house to use my generator, our first power outage lasted 15 minutes. I was so disappointed the power came back on and I wasn't able to really test the whole system.
I bought one of these from Costco 3 years ago. Ran it on propane the whole time. Had to run extension cords. I do not have the generator inlet box yet or a natural gas outlet yet. It is one of my goals to install soon. When we had our hard freeze, we were able to run medical devices and keep our fridge going. Very happy with our generator.
I live in Texas and after the big freeze 2.5 years ago that killed about 600 people, I decided to put in a generator inlet and interlock kit after that because I never wanted to be near freezing to deay again. I went with an inverter generator, which is much quieter and much more fuel efficient (though if you are running on NG, that is not so important), and while my generator is not big enough to run the AC even with a soft start kit, most of our extended power outages are in the winter and spring where keeping central heat is more important than AC. This past winter we were out of power for 3.5 days and I was one of the only people in the entire area that had power. My inverter generator is 5000 watts continuous, and this was more than enough to run everything in the home with the rare exception that I could not run both the microwave and toaster at the same time (we have a full fridge, mini fridge, and small chest freezer, and all of these were kept running as well.) It worked so well that five of my neighbors decided to put in 5000 watt generators with an inlet and interlock. They know they may never need them, but they now have the ability to keep their families worm for days at a time if the power is ever out again. If I lived where there were hurricanes, I would probably go with a standard backup generator, but for these 3-4 day outages, the interlock setup is fantastic.
Killed 600 people? In TEXAS? I went through the SAME freeze and didn’t hear of no 600 people dying. Unless you mean nationwide? Texas lost 28 people according to Tx officials
@heathchilders777 I spent $75 for the interlock kit (which is just a metal plate with some slots cut in it), I spent $175 for my electrician to install it, but I already had a 50 amp breaker in the right spot that was there to run an electric clothes dryer, and i use gas, so there was no need to move breakers.. I also spend about $50 for the interlock. Now in my case, it was a pretty simple install, but since the freeze in Austin this past year, several of my neighbors took the plunge and I think the average price for the setup was $600 or so. It is not that big a job if you have a spare dual breaker slot in your panel. This needs to be mounted in the top by the main cutoff, so if you don't have room there, the breakers need to be moved. Also, my inlet was only 12 feet from the panel, so if you need to go a long way, it could be more. If you have gas heat, you really only need about 4KW to run a typical home, but this will not run AC, only gas heat, but 4KW will easily run everything else in the house. If you have more questions, happy to answer.
I’m in Texas and still recovering from Hurricane Beryl. I ran a gasoline-only generator, and finding an open gas station with available fuel was nearly impossible. I'll be switching to a natural gas generator.
I live in spring Texas , work in Jersey village 290 area. was lucky to go to advanced auto on jones and 290 where they had a few , also went to harbor freight where they had 2 to chose from 3500 and the 6500 . I got the 6500 . $479 plus tax. it runs window unit, refrigerator box fan small electronics like cell phone etc. initially I used the inverter in my Nissan titan to run the refrigerator all night did not even burn a 1/4 tank of gas.
@@deanowright359smart using an inverter from your vehicle. It’s good to have multiple options incase you need to use one temporarily or if one option fails.
One thing to note with soft start devices, they lower the inrush current at startup. THEY DO NOT LOWER THE RUN CURRENT OF AN AC COMPRESSOR. Soft start devices do not save your money (in reality its very negligible) in electricity bill costs, but they greatly save your compressors life span minimizing wear and tear since it's not hard starting with a partially for fully locked rotor from the pressures inside. Great video!
@@Jeremy-vb6tv more complexity, added cost, manufacturers want to sell units and given this is about a $400 upgrade USD not many would opt to do it unless it was absolutely necessary.
Note: most modern units have time outs that generally keep compressors from starting with a pressure lock. Soft start units do reduce start amps, so batteries or generstor can start the unit
Simply awesome, millions need this set up in TX, as we keep having issues with power grid, if it's a snow storm, tornado, hurricane, you named it, it happens in TX, have 1 house done, working on our next residence and no worries about power.. even looked at the wind turbine to keep ac and fridge running in the summer ⛱️⛱️😂
@@calvinbutler1681 I was lucky. I saw this generator in Costco last week and decided to buy this generator "just in case." Man am I glad I did. Now I'm hooking up an interlock and inlet plug. Good luck on getting your power back.
Just to clarify. It's centerpoint energy that sucks in TX. Which is mostly houston. All other power providers are just fine. I have midsouth and the power only goes out like once every 5-6 years. If you have centerpoint and your power goes out then you can expect up to a week maybe longer if its from a natural disaster. Midsouth in montgomery had me back up and running after just 27.5hrs and that was only becasue they had to replace a pole that fell.
@calvinbutler1681 right behind ya I'm definitely not the sharpest tool In the shed but I am sharp enough to know we are going to do this relative soon sadly
New subscriber here! Thank you for your willingness to share your knowledge. I am a trades instructor for one of our local colleges. Not for the money but because I feel there is a real need to pass on what we were fortunate to have others teach us. Thank you and I love you “down to earth” methods!
I am so glad you choose to do this. This "Old Timer' have a lot of knowledge we can share with the youngins . I would love to be able to pass on what I have learned over 50 yrs. Running a business. Also. Learning the People part. Not much I cant fix. Especially small engine stuff. Blessings to you and your students. I so Pray that some can learn the satisfaction that comes with a hard days work and seeing what you did that day.
My 4 ton went from inrush of 120 Amps to 40 Amps for reference. I have a similar setup but don't run my Central A/C with my portable generator. It does run my entire inside breaker box. I do not have a main breaker or shutoff on the outside box, pulling the meter is the only way to disconnect power to the main outside box. I just shut off the inside box, outside, then run the inside box from the generator. My Central AC is on the outside box. Works great for me as I can run everything except Central, Oven, Hot Tub.
Please remember all generators are not created equal and to run electronics it is safest to have one with a Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) of less than 6% or it can ruin computers, DVD players, and other sensitive electronics.
Yup that’s true. The only generator I can find out there that is 3% THD is a Westinghouse IGEN 4500DF but it’s only 120v. My outdoor Unitary Heat pump is a Coleman HMH7 with an inverter board. My natural gas furnace is a 2 speed variable ecm so it also has a board that requires good sign waves. I was going to buy that Firman he’s got but I think the THD on it is too high. I’m an Hvac tech as well and did this research with a help from the supplier tech support. I’m surprised that Firman powered up his minisplit as well but how do you guys feel about wear and tear on those boards with that high THD? Bad thing about this Westinghouse is it’s only 120v 30amps so it’s only good enough to give me natural gas heating but no AC is we’re out during the short summer here in Seattle. Great video, just my thoughts and also if anyone out there that knows any portable Generators like those that can do 240v 30amps any type of fuel with a low THD roughly 3-5% is what I’m trying to find. 👍
@@PaulCyclist I am worried about the electronics on just about everything and I have a 4,500 sqft home so I got the SUA10000EC from Costco for less than $800 and it has a THD of less than 5% plus it's big enough to run almost everything in my home if needed (of course not the washer and dryer). Luckily, I haven't had to use it for that but I have been happy with it for what I use it for.
@@TrungNguyen-jf2sg if the neutral is bonded to the frame of the generator make sure you wire in a disconnect before hooking it up to your breaker box or else it can mess up some stuff. Bonded to the frame is great for using it on its own, but your house is already grounded so I wired in a disconnect wire I can use to break the neutral free of the frame if I need to use it for my home.
@@TrungNguyen-jf2sg I got the SUA10000EC by iPower from Costco and it has less than 5% THD. It was a great buy at the time (less than $900 if I remember) and it will run 240V at 50A. Once I wired in the bonded neutral cut off it was good to go.
I have the Pulsar 12kw dual fuel generator and my friend just bought one for $960 on Amazon. It runs at 9500 watts on gas and 8500 watts on propane. It runs my whole house, well and water heater. Couldn't be happier. Generators run best between 50% and 85% of rated watts. Cheers
I installed this set up last year - with hurricane Helene and Milton that just went through here - my generator barely did a hiccup when the 3 ton condenser kicked in - worth every penny 😁
Something VERY IMPORTANT that was not mentioned. You need a 240 v generator not 120v. Most generators are 120 volt. After buying 2 cosfco generators, a parallel kit and paying an electrician $1500 to do the electrical work to put in an inlet and an Interlock kit I found out the hard way, that my two firman generators would only power "every other circuit breaker". The electrician confirmed that the only way to power the whole house is that you have to have a 240 volt generator. Unfortunately 240 volt generators are expensive and I lost a lot of $$ since I waited too long before finishing the project and had to sell off my firman generators. Sure costco allows returns but if you return too many items or too many big items you risk getting your membership terminated.
You have the live line of your 120-volt generator feed both poles of a dual breaker. That way 120 volts feed into both phase A and B of your breaker box. all the 120 volt circuits will work. but the 240-volt circuits won't work. that is what we use as that is all you need for the furnace and fridge and tv set and fans and lights. The neutral line from the generator feeds to the combination ground neutral bar in your breaker box. Its pretty easy to do.
A setup like this should NOT be assumed to run an entire house. To think otherwise is foolish. This setup should be used for primary circuits (heating/cooling, food storage, some lighting in occupied areas). If you tax this setup to run the entire house IMO is risky. If there is a power failure your first thoughts should be conservation of energy until the system is restored. Don’t forget that your fuel sources may not have power as well and depending on how long that may be this setup may just delay the inevitable.
@@michaeldecker2725 Right, and btw not trying to power the entire house. Instead, I want the ability to power those specific circuits that need power. If you run 120 V, you'll only be able to power "every other circuit", so for example, if your freezer or fridge is not on the right circuit, it won't get power, even though the power consumption of that device is much lower than what you are able to generate.
I love that generator, I have the previous version I bought a few years ago (gas and propane dual fuel) for $600, it gets more use in my business then it does at home but I haven't found anything it won't power as of yet. was looking at upgrading to this one because of natural gas, not having to fill up gas or replace propane bottles. been wanting to put this system together, thanks for showing us.
FYI .... According to the T07571 manual, the maximum is 31.25A. I have the same generator. I have seen a 42A peak at startup using the Micro Air soft starter, but it is usually 36A. Then the A/C runs on 13A. When the A/C starts, I still have the refrigerator, HDTV, desktop PC, LED lights and other small devices on without a problem. I think that the generator is producing more watts on NG than what is stated in the manual.
Are you running a FIRMAN generator like he has or an Inverter? I have the same FIRMAN and was told not to run electronics off of it due to the dirty sine wave of electricity that could harm sensitive electronics
@@attimus02 Same generator, same model. It is not pure sine wave. I do have four UPS's on my HDTVs, computers, routers, external hard drives, Xfinity X1 box and have not had a problem except the UPS's will beep and click when using the generator. I have a stupid power strip plugged into the UPS battery backup side with items plugged into the strip. All I have to do is move one plug to the surge protector side. And then turn off UPS. Surge protector with EMI/RFI Filter will still work. APC PowerChute has a sensitivity setting which may help with the clicking. If I don't use a UPS then I do have APC surge protectors. My Fisher & Paykel Dishdrawers will beep. As a backup, I have two 1408Wh and two 666Wh power stations, and eight 100W rigid solar panels which I made into four suitcases to set up in the back yard. I could also use the generator to charge the power stations and use on anything sensitive.
Glad I did this when he released this video a year ago as I have the same generator. Generator has been running almost a week straight since Beyrl hit Monday and now Sunday and still no power. Already did 2 oil changes and will change spark plug when power comes back on. Been able to run 4 ton ac unit with micro air soft start , dishwasher , washer and gas dryer (not simultaneously) , 2 fridges and chest freezer , and small electronics like router and cable modem .
We have used the ruclips.net/user/postUgkxOTeIs0vv4_9B5hsmnLsk9r930uDQLu_Y for probably 30 hours with our camper and it’s been great! The noise level is really only noticeable when running the AC and other appliances like the microwave, hair dryer, or coffee pot. It’s not huge like other ones and it has wheels so even at 90lbs, I can move it!
I had a great set up at my old house, but now I don’t have natural gas. I spent about $3,300 for everything including the electrician to install 50 amp outlet, natural gas conversion kit and hose, plumber to install gas outlet, MicroAir soft start and Duromax 13000eh generator. It ran a 4 ton AC just fine. This guy is only powering a 2 ton AC.
I have the identical generator to yours, with a generator interlock powering a 30 amp circuit; yesterday hit 111° and SoCal Edison decided to cut power (preventative measures they say). I ran the generator, with a cable leading from the 30 amp outlet to a 30 amp input attached to my breaker box. The digital display on the generator showed 245 volts, but got no power in my house. I called Furman and a very impatient woman said that I needed to hire an electrician to unbond the neutral ground; having done all this work myself, I thought I could tackle the uncoupling of the neutral ground, but two different videos sent me to two different wires, so I'm stuck. If you have any information about this, and have time and generosity to answer, I would be very grateful. By the way, some people have the skill to make videos, and some people don't; you sir, are a natural.
After our freeze a few years back here in Texas, I simply had a Generac 24KW installed. This also puts my whole home on surge protection. This is important as in my home you talk to fans, lights, TVs, everything is on network... even the smoker, pit, and grill. With all the electronics it is important to have clean power (60Hz). Good luck with any setup you choose.
Hi! Could you tell me whether or not Tri fuel generators have a safety feature where natural gas will be automatically shut off should generator stops running for whatever reason with no one around to notice? Another video mentioned needing a regulator to do that. Does Firmen Tri Fuel generator, or any Tri Fuel generator for that matter, have a regulator already build in the generator to sense disruptions in gas pressure? Thanks in advance
Sold my sticks and bricks end of 2019 - live full time in a 45' Grand Design "mansion on wheels" - I have a generator that is propane/gas powered just in case - there are soft start options for Rvs in case you need to run multiple AC's and everything else, which my home has 3 hence 3 soft starts needed - but - I can be completely off grid in moments if needed - good on you telling home owner's about soft start options - most people by a whole home Generac or solar at a MUCH higher price point for the same results HA! Next time there is a major hurricane etc. this video count will go way up!
Live in South Alabama my box is on the outside as well. House was built in 06. Never had any problems or concerns with the elements and we get all types of CRAZY WEATHER!!!
Had a small generator and it didn't have enough power (5500) to run several appliances or my AC. I bought a bigger (13000) LP and need to upgrade the transfer box. Your video was informative,thanks.
Thanks for this video. It is exactly what I needed to see in addition to the Soft Start and Power Surge videos. We just bought a small house in Central TX where power outages are the norm in Summer and in Winter.
Bro. That is a bada** setup. Literally all you need. Once past the initial cost I'd say it pays for itself within the first couple times of use. Maybe even after the first time from a peace of mind type scenario. In gonna price it all out and see what's what. Good clip
I have this exact set up except I do not have a soft start kit on my AC unit. I can run the entire house and it's clean and fantastic with this Firman tri fuel unit. I bought the generator on Ebay from the Firman store for $500 brand new - not a refurb.
I have virtually the exact same setup. AC soft start and a Firman Tri-Fuel. I opted for their 10kW (when running on gasoline) generator because I have 2 older refrigerators and 2 older deep freezes as well. I've never had to use it, but in testing, it will run my entire house. While using a portable generator is a little bit of work to get the power back on, the generator is not limited to backup power only. I can use it for other purposes.
If you were in south Louisiana where Hurricane Ida kept us out of power for 3 weeks you would never run out of work. I would hire you in a heartbeat. "The Cajun Ninja's Dad"
I have that same brand I bought in 2014.. I was upset that i was supposed to get a Goodman but got this we went back and forth.. anyways 9yrs later still working like a champ only had to replace capacitor last summer.. besides that nothin not even a charge 1.5 ton here
There are some 220 volt, 9500 watt, inverter type generators, for those concerned about damaging electronics with a portable generator such as this Firman. But they are a lot more money and probably use gasoline only.
This is a great idea, I wish I knew about this before my own budget whole home generator build. Fortunately for me, my generator runs my home including ac without this great device but I wasn’t sure until last week. I still may upgrade so thanks again
Great job. I applaud your willingness to do a video like this. Engineers and electricians are a bunch of know-it-alls so you will definitely get tons of nitpicking.
very impressed with your whole set up and your explanation of how it works and how to set it up was very clear and easy to follow, great vid! i didn't even know they had QD for natural gas!
Nice video thank you for sharing. I noticed you did not mention whether your generator was bonded or floating neutral. I think a lot of people would benefit from knowing this. Thanks again for sharing and cheers from Dave!
This is another great video! I would suggest consideration be given to using an inverter generator. An inverter generator produces about 3% Total Harmonic Distortion 'clean' power which is safe for sensitive electronics like computers, etc Regular non-inverter generators produce 12% to 20% if not higher Total Harmonic Distortion 'dirty' power. It will work on sensitive electronics but will cause them to age quicker. If an inverter is not used, suggest using a filter for sensitive electronics plugged directly into them.
this is a perfect setup for anyone living in the city on city water where you don't need a well pump. Otherwise you'll need a much larger generac LP/NG setup. Thanks for showing it. Very versatile.
I have a 315 foot deep well and run my wellpump on a 6250 running watt generator. I can run it even while the electric (heat pump though) water heater is on along with the refrigerator and backup freezer. I usually turn those off while showering just so we don't over tax it.
Living in Austin, TX. The past two winters have produced storms that knocked out our power for days. I invested in this generator (bought for $600) and a shed to store it in. We've had to break it out once since then, but by the time my son and I got everything hooked up and running the juice returned (of course). At the end of summer we have a pool being installed and I'm going to include running an inlet box to the main panel when the electric is installed for the pool.
YES,, LOVE my FURMAN 7571,, YES it runs my house A/C and most everything else,( NOT H20 heater)...I do have the soft start for the A/C,, Thanks for the video
Good video. Only thing I would do different is sell that generator and buy an inverter generator. Your generator has 15% total harmonic distortion which can and will destroy circuit boards in your house. Check out the Champion 201176 tri fuel inverter 9000 watt generator. It has less than 3% distortion
Thanks for the content. Gathering information. I knew about the soft start boxes from the RV world and how they allow RV AC to run on much lower amps. Including a small generator. Good to see the generator is working to power Home AC. I have a NG pipeline at a new property but not electric service so I’m having to plan on doing a non grid tie solar array and a permanent NG generator tie in with a solar power cell for storage. Electric power equipment is in extreme shortage right now in USA and really expensive because of the shortage and the electric coop says it’s a year or more out to obtain a new line. They require a 25kva outdoor rated transformer and I have not been able to locate one in this state and one I did find in South Dakota was $7300. If I buy the equipment and the cables to run the lines I don’t get reimbursed, just donating the equipment in order to get a new line. I personally would rather invest my money in a NG generator and solar array and storage system. Keep these low budget low energy content coming.
The soft start does not reduce the running amperage, only the in-rush that lasts about 1/3rd of a second. If the AC takes 2000 watts to run, it can take up to 6000 watts to overcome the locked rotor amperage, which is what the compressor needs to overcome the static pressure in the system. The Locked Rotor Amperage (LRA) is written on the spec plate of the AC. For example, my 3.5 ton unit has an LRA of 109 amps, but once running, the system (including the circulation blower) runs about 4000 watts but even with a soft start, the draw starting draw is too much for my 5000 watt (6250 peak) inverter generator.
This is a great video! Can you answer a question for me? Are you running the fridge also? How many fridges. And if needed, are you able to run a tv and a gas oven with this unit. Also, water heater. The reason I ask, cause I feel like there’s some misconception out there with how big a generator is needed. I have a townhome, with 2 ton AC, 2 fridges, water heater, electric washer dryer, 2 tvs, 2 computers, a Wi-Fi router and of course lights throughout the house. Not everything will be ran at the same time. So I feel like something under 10000 is big enough. Thanks again for this awesome video. Look forward to your reply and anyone following the comments.
Firman’s are very LOUD! I have been on one job where they had a Firman. I was underwhelmed. Great presentation though. I have a hard start capacitor for my 2-1/2 ton central a/c. I need to upgrade to a soft start kit. I have my eye on one. I have the same side generator. I have the Honda EU7000is. It is phenomenal in my opinion. I have used it several times & is much, much quieter. Plus it puts out steady clean power. I have an interlock in my CB panel. My unit uses less gasoline than most & with a auxiliary fuel tank only need to fill it every two days.
Great video...I have the same setup here (less the "soft start")...same Firman generator running on clean NG...no worries about "gumming" it up with gasoline...I also installed a separate Siemen pony panel for the generator with the proper disconnects...then moved home essential circuits to that panel...the AC, unit did not make the cut...I hope that we don't have to use it, but you never know???
I just installed the icm870 in my a/c unit today. I got one because of one of your videos and i think Taddy Digest did a video on them also. I did it mainly to help extend the life of the unit. Hopefully my generator will start it up. Mine went from 70 in rush to about 26. That is a big change but my generator only has a 30amp twistlock. i guess it is borderline but ill have to test it out to see if it will start it. Love your vids man. I watch a few of u hvac guys and u put out some great info.
Good video and info. I’ve done 4 50 amp generator back up hook ups with the manual transfer switch. I’ve ran it on my house. I haven’t installed any of the soft starts but I may look into that.
Good Demonstration, BUT.....Be very concerned about potential damage you can do to sensitive electronic equipment ( AC , TV, Computer, etc.). I own the same generator and according to data posted on the Firman website it is rated at 11 to 14% THD. This is way higher than what is recommended for sensitive electronic equipment. The power supply for sensitive electronics should have < 5% THD. I would hate to damage the circuit board on my inverter based AC ...or even my two speed compressor as it would be a very costly fix. I like this generator, but wish it put out cleaner power. Any thoughts on how to address the PQ issue with this generator? I live in South Louisiana and ran multiple window units with the generator and didn't have an issue. Sure would be nice to be able to run one of my central AC units.
There is no way to clean up high THD at this size of generator. Its simply not economical in cost. You would need a sizable load reactor device that is matched to the loads in your house. This would basically absorb all the higher harmonic voltage/currents above 60HZ and convert it to waste heat but leave the 60hz power alone for your loads to use. Over time high THD can and WILL cause damage. The bigger enemy is actually voltage surges since portable generators at this level while many have brush type AVRs or brushless capacitor excited, the regulation will never be as "tight" as utility. A heavy load starts, the engine momentarily drops in speed before the engine governor responds, and the AVR drops in voltage and takes a moment to recover the voltage back to the preset level. The AVR can "overshoot" the recovery for a very brief time where high voltages can be seen by your devices and damage them. To your point thats not good. Sufficient surge suppression like MOVs in a circuit can help absorb these transients sacrificing themselves before your inverter based AC.
@@N-M424 not necessarily. I have tested generators with an amp probe meter and at half a load for a 6,500 watt generator with a 3000 watt resistive loan I've seen THD as high as 16%, and would only get worse from there. It comes down to the build quality of the powerhead.
Awesome… this was super informative in my particular case because #1 you can get refurb tri-fuel generators at a reasonable cost and #2 I (a novice) had no clue those quick release valves existed (it seems obvious though, I know). Now I’m thinking this is an awesome supplement to a more expensive setup too for whole home battery backups. If the power in the battery starts to get low, you could maybe use this to recharge your batteries for completely uninterrupted power supply over long term (cheaper too since that generator uses 72cuft/hr when completely idle but 101cuft on full load).
It is VERY IMPORTANT to explain that the power inlet connector is deadly WITHOUT the breaker interlock kit you have installed (which is absolutely the correct way). I would venture to say that a lot of people will not "get" that they MUST have the interlock kit to go along with the power inlet box.
I did the same thing after the Texas freeze and got the inlet/transfer switch. I have never used it. I tried to turn it on the first time today 3 years after buying it and it won’t start. I’ve only tried natural gas though. Time to call Firman
You really should let the generator idle for a few minutes before drawing power. My owners manual makes a big point of that as it will extend the life of the generator.
You forgot one very important thing. If you are connecting to your circuit panel you need to unbond the ground from the frame of the generator. You don’t want two locations where you bond the neutral and the ground. There is a jumper on the generator you need to pull off. If you are using a cord right to the source, not through the circuit panel you have to put it back on.
Hey man I’m an HVAC guy in Salt Lake City and I have to say I’m pretty impressed with your set up. I’m sure this is a yes but did you have your refrigerator & deep freeze running? It’s not a huge load just curious. Great video my man. Keep up the good work!
Good info, been using whole house generators for over 20 years. Right now I own three generators: One of those Firman and two Honda EU7000is. BTW, those Firmans are great but NOISY!!!
I bought one, got it all hooked up but haven't ran it yet. The muffler is huge for a small engine, but I guess you are comparing it to those ultra quiet hondas.
Incredible coincidence, that I have the same generator, power inlet, and gas quick-connects that you have. (I even used to have a Goodman AC). I've only tested my generator with our mini-split AC because we spend most time in that room. But thanks for telling us about soft-start devices, because I think I'll need one for our other AC.
6.3 amps draw on the common? Off a 2 ton compressor and fan? Is it a multi stage unit? What is the LRA on that 2 ton compressor? Oh your soft start is where it's at. Wow that is working like a charm.
This is a good way to show people how to burn their house down and blow the pins out of the air conditioner This is also the reason that in order to pull a permit for a generator install you have to do it load calculation because people will just hook up a generator and assume it has enough power the entire house
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You should have used an inverter generator it's safer for the a c and refrigeration units
There is always a downside to running the HVAC through a generator. The power just isn't the same as grid power, but it's better than sitting in a hot house with no lights.
You always want to shut off the main breaker on the generator BEFORE turning the generator off. Likewise, alsways power up the generator and THEN switch the breaker on. You never want the generator to be supplying power unless it is in steady state.
I live on a 9 acre property in Alpine California.. No one knows that me and my wife live on a 33' trailer. We purchased the firman 9500 tri fuel. I had to return it 3 times. We bought it only to power our AC. I installed a soft start and bought 2 Ryobi inverter and run them in parallel they've been for 2 years straight. I WOULD NEVER RECOMMEND A FIRMAN..
So, you know, that generator has a bonded neutral and so does your main panel so using it as shown violates the code. You're supposed to convert the generator to floating neutral when hooked up to your panel through an interlock. It's easy. Firman has released instructions. Then, when used stand alone you're supposed to use a bonding plug.
Absolutely correct and it violates code because it can be dangerous. Most newer portable generators come from the factory with a bonded neutral. Your operators manual will state the neutral configuration from the factory.
From what I have read, if you use a generator power transfer switch instead of an interlock then you do not need to disconnect the bonded neutral on the generator. California requires that you use a generator power transfer switch and says it is safe to use with bonded neutral generator.
wow its hard to believe that a generator that small would even run a house. i have a 8750 /7000 harbor freight and love it it runs my entire house. but it dont have a 50 amp plug. GRRR and i really like your power inlet box once in a while mine will work loose and i will lose have my house and thanks to you i just ordered one. even though it is only 30 amp. and the only gas we can get around here is propane so i more less have to stay with gas. another GRRR.
Need to work this out for my place, I have free natural gas… from a family owned gas well… just not sure the size of generator, I have an older 5ton that needs the soft star.
Exact video I was looking for, super helpful sir 👏👏 Sorry if I overlooked it, but with the house fully cranked how many watts did the property pull? Guessing the firman did just fine, but know your wattage decreases quite a bit when using natural gas. Thanks!
I am about to do all of this, thank you. Subscribed, bell rung, commented, upvoted, liked, shared, ... may the algorithm gods smile favorably upon your channel friend.
You don’t have to go through all of this. Just make a suicide cord for your dyer plug, make sure you turn off power coming in the house first. Then plug into your generator and you can run your whole house with a generator this size.
I have the same Square D meter-main panel on my home. I wanted to use the same interlock method that you used on your panel, but ultimately decided it would not work this way. Upon inspection of my panel, each main bus bar is fed directly by an aluminum conductor bar off the meter side of the panel. These conductor bars are bolted to the main bus bars and to the lugs on the meter side of your panel. With this method of interlocking, I am fairly positive that you are backfeeding the grid by mistake. The breaker that you have connected to your generator inlet is energizing the main bus bars on your panel, consequently it is energizing the conductors bars that are connected from the meter side of the panel. If our panels are constructed the same on the inside, this has the potential to kill a lineman.
If the service disconnect breaker is switched to off, there should be no way for current to flow back to the grid, or for the bus bars to be energized from the grid. Grid to service disconnect breaker to bus bars.
Hoping you see this comment (after 7 months of uploading this video), but I'm curious what kind of natural gas usage and cost you've experienced using the generator. We have natural gas here, and I feel like it would be pretty easy to tap into the gas line like you have set up in the event of needing to hook the generator up. The natural gas at my home is only used for the tankless water heater, the gas stove and the heater for the home. So gas prices during winter are substantially more than during warmer months (when I'd want to incorporate a backup for the home during hurricane season). Unless I could budget for Tesla PowerWalls right now (I have solar on the home), I'd go that route, but this could be an affordable fix in the meantime. Anyway, thanks for sharing the video!
First, during many types of emergencies your natural gas will be shut off to prevent fires. Second, during an emergency your central air, electric stove, electric dryer and electric furnace use too much power and should not be turned on. If absolutely necessary, you can get a 5000-8000 btu window unit and only run it for a couple hours before bed time with the bedroom closed off and it should stay cool enough till morning. A microwave can do most of the cooking in just minutes on 1100 watts. You should be able to get by with a 3500 watt generator or inverter which will use far less fuel. While living off the grid, I have never found it necessary to run the generator more than a couple hours per day. Just 10 gallons of stabilized gas will easily last all week. A couple indoor/outdoor wireless thermometers keep track of the refrigerator and freezer to minimize run time. Always connect several items at once to more efficiently use your generator time. An oil lamp with a few quarts of lamp oil and some cheap solar yard lights($3each) can provide all your lighting. Using a smaller generator and being prepared for a long term power outage makes more sense than having something that powers everything but will run out of fuel in just a few days. I also use two heavy duty 50 foot extension cords and plug the appliances in directly to the generator rather than waste money on an expensive transfer box. Some people may have different needs but I don't want to waste money on a $10,000-12,000 whole house system just to use every convenience.
You're a lifesaver. So thorough. Not that it's a big deal, but could you use one for the hot water tank? I always turn ours off in a hurricane and if we need to use it, turn off all the lights and run it. More important to have A/C and lights than anything. I just have to see what size ICM870 I need for my 3.5 ton unit. Thanks again. 🙂
The best thing about my generator setup which is functionally the same as yours is that it is MAGICAL. Most of the times I've used it, right after selectively shutting off the water heater (I'm all-electric), dragging out the generator, connecting the cable, getting things cranked up...wait, I need to fill the tank completely up first to get maximum runtime, and usually all of this is in a downpour, and finally switching over the breakers, the MAGIC happens and line power immediately comes back on.
It's turned into a meme in my family. "Dad! Get the generator out so the power will come back on!"
🤣 that’s awesome
what's taking you so long!! lol
I've steered hurricanes away from my house with my generator. Might've lost power for a total of 15 minutes over the last 5 years after buying my generator.
That is hilarious!😂 never heard that one before.
I hear you. After rigging a series of hidden heavy duty extension cords to various parts of the house to use my generator, our first power outage lasted 15 minutes. I was so disappointed the power came back on and I wasn't able to really test the whole system.
Your vids are absolute gold for us average dudes who just need some guidance. Thank you for all your contributions.
This guy crushes! Don't know half of what he's talking about but man it's cool to see dudes who know what they're doing.
Oh me neither!! Still gives one hope, though!! Especially if my one remaining brain cell makes an appearance at the same time I'm watching!
Haha i was thinking the same. Cool to watch but I will hire a guy to do this for me
@@mfb6310😂😂😂😂😂 I can relate 😂😂😂😂 unfortunately 😮
I bought one of these from Costco 3 years ago. Ran it on propane the whole time. Had to run extension cords. I do not have the generator inlet box yet or a natural gas outlet yet. It is one of my goals to install soon. When we had our hard freeze, we were able to run medical devices and keep our fridge going. Very happy with our generator.
Do you have a video on splicing and replacing a bad or worn low-voltage wire on the outside unit?
How far is the gas generator from the gas meter?
How many amps draw is the Mr cool? Is the amp draw different in the Mr cool heat mode vs the cooling mode?
What was the size of generator ? How long did it run on a propane bottle before refill ?
@@caddothegreat 7500W from Firman. I could run it for at least 8 hours on a 5 lb tank.
I live in Texas and after the big freeze 2.5 years ago that killed about 600 people, I decided to put in a generator inlet and interlock kit after that because I never wanted to be near freezing to deay again. I went with an inverter generator, which is much quieter and much more fuel efficient (though if you are running on NG, that is not so important), and while my generator is not big enough to run the AC even with a soft start kit, most of our extended power outages are in the winter and spring where keeping central heat is more important than AC. This past winter we were out of power for 3.5 days and I was one of the only people in the entire area that had power. My inverter generator is 5000 watts continuous, and this was more than enough to run everything in the home with the rare exception that I could not run both the microwave and toaster at the same time (we have a full fridge, mini fridge, and small chest freezer, and all of these were kept running as well.) It worked so well that five of my neighbors decided to put in 5000 watt generators with an inlet and interlock. They know they may never need them, but they now have the ability to keep their families worm for days at a time if the power is ever out again. If I lived where there were hurricanes, I would probably go with a standard backup generator, but for these 3-4 day outages, the interlock setup is fantastic.
Killed 600 people? In TEXAS? I went through the SAME freeze and didn’t hear of no 600 people dying. Unless you mean nationwide? Texas lost 28 people according to Tx officials
@heathchilders777 I spent $75 for the interlock kit (which is just a metal plate with some slots cut in it), I spent $175 for my electrician to install it, but I already had a 50 amp breaker in the right spot that was there to run an electric clothes dryer, and i use gas, so there was no need to move breakers.. I also spend about $50 for the interlock. Now in my case, it was a pretty simple install, but since the freeze in Austin this past year, several of my neighbors took the plunge and I think the average price for the setup was $600 or so. It is not that big a job if you have a spare dual breaker slot in your panel. This needs to be mounted in the top by the main cutoff, so if you don't have room there, the breakers need to be moved. Also, my inlet was only 12 feet from the panel, so if you need to go a long way, it could be more. If you have gas heat, you really only need about 4KW to run a typical home, but this will not run AC, only gas heat, but 4KW will easily run everything else in the house. If you have more questions, happy to answer.
I’m in Texas and still recovering from Hurricane Beryl. I ran a gasoline-only generator, and finding an open gas station with available fuel was nearly impossible. I'll be switching to a natural gas generator.
I live in Katy. I have no back up generator. I’m definitely looking into something now.
I'm in Katy as well, and getting gas was a crap shoot. Will be switching to natural gas for sure with gas as a backup.
I live in spring Texas , work in Jersey village 290 area. was lucky to go to advanced auto on jones and 290 where they had a few , also went to harbor freight where they had 2 to chose from 3500 and the 6500 . I got the 6500 . $479 plus tax. it runs window unit, refrigerator box fan small electronics like cell phone etc. initially I used the inverter in my Nissan titan to run the refrigerator all night did not even burn a 1/4 tank of gas.
@@deanowright359smart using an inverter from your vehicle. It’s good to have multiple options incase you need to use one temporarily or if one option fails.
@@deanowright359I have a lifted 2019 Nissan Titan Pro4x. I love that V8.
One thing to note with soft start devices, they lower the inrush current at startup. THEY DO NOT LOWER THE RUN CURRENT OF AN AC COMPRESSOR. Soft start devices do not save your money (in reality its very negligible) in electricity bill costs, but they greatly save your compressors life span minimizing wear and tear since it's not hard starting with a partially for fully locked rotor from the pressures inside.
Great video!
👍
just curious, if soft start is beneficial that way, why don't the AC units come from the factory that way?
@@Jeremy-vb6tv more complexity, added cost, manufacturers want to sell units and given this is about a $400 upgrade USD not many would opt to do it unless it was absolutely necessary.
Note: most modern units have time outs that generally keep compressors from starting with a pressure lock. Soft start units do reduce start amps, so batteries or generstor can start the unit
@@greggpurviance7252 yes, a time delay on relay. I have a variable one 2-10min delay for my outside compressor.
Simply awesome, millions need this set up in TX, as we keep having issues with power grid, if it's a snow storm, tornado, hurricane, you named it, it happens in TX, have 1 house done, working on our next residence and no worries about power.. even looked at the wind turbine to keep ac and fridge running in the summer ⛱️⛱️😂
I live in Houston and I just purchased this like 10 minutes ago. We’ve been without power since Tuesday and it Friday! 🥵🥵🥵
@@calvinbutler1681 I was lucky. I saw this generator in Costco last week and decided to buy this generator "just in case." Man am I glad I did. Now I'm hooking up an interlock and inlet plug.
Good luck on getting your power back.
You arent kidding. No power for 5 days, two times in 2024.
Just to clarify. It's centerpoint energy that sucks in TX. Which is mostly houston. All other power providers are just fine. I have midsouth and the power only goes out like once every 5-6 years. If you have centerpoint and your power goes out then you can expect up to a week maybe longer if its from a natural disaster.
Midsouth in montgomery had me back up and running after just 27.5hrs and that was only becasue they had to replace a pole that fell.
@calvinbutler1681 right behind ya I'm definitely not the sharpest tool In the shed but I am sharp enough to know we are going to do this relative soon sadly
New subscriber here! Thank you for your willingness to share your knowledge. I am a trades instructor for one of our local colleges. Not for the money but because I feel there is a real need to pass on what we were fortunate to have others teach us. Thank you and I love you “down to earth” methods!
Thanks man! That means a lot to me
I am so glad you choose to do this. This "Old Timer' have a lot of knowledge we can share with the youngins . I would love to be able to pass on what I have learned over 50 yrs.
Running a business. Also. Learning the People part. Not much I cant fix. Especially small engine stuff. Blessings to you and your students. I so Pray that some can learn the satisfaction that comes with a hard days work and seeing what you did that day.
Oh and I looked at a your web site. I 100% agree about getting rid of Qualified immunity.
@@diyhvacguyHow long can you run that generator without stopping?
This is one of the best HVAC - DIY channel on RUclips. You have saved me a bundle. tks
I wish this guy lived in GA, I'd hire him in a heartbeat
My 4 ton went from inrush of 120 Amps to 40 Amps for reference. I have a similar setup but don't run my Central A/C with my portable generator. It does run my entire inside breaker box. I do not have a main breaker or shutoff on the outside box, pulling the meter is the only way to disconnect power to the main outside box. I just shut off the inside box, outside, then run the inside box from the generator. My Central AC is on the outside box. Works great for me as I can run everything except Central, Oven, Hot Tub.
Please remember all generators are not created equal and to run electronics it is safest to have one with a Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) of less than 6% or it can ruin computers, DVD players, and other sensitive electronics.
Yup that’s true. The only generator I can find out there that is 3% THD is a Westinghouse IGEN 4500DF but it’s only 120v.
My outdoor Unitary Heat pump is a Coleman HMH7 with an inverter board.
My natural gas furnace is a 2 speed variable ecm so it also has a board that requires good sign waves.
I was going to buy that Firman he’s got but I think the THD on it is too high.
I’m an Hvac tech as well and did this research with a help from the supplier tech support.
I’m surprised that Firman powered up his minisplit as well but how do you guys feel about wear and tear on those boards with that high THD?
Bad thing about this Westinghouse is it’s only 120v 30amps so it’s only good enough to give me natural gas heating but no AC is we’re out during the short summer here in Seattle.
Great video, just my thoughts and also if anyone out there that knows any portable Generators like those that can do 240v 30amps any type of fuel with a low THD roughly 3-5% is what I’m trying to find. 👍
I added a $100 ups and my electric stuff is safe with the same gen set
@@PaulCyclist I am worried about the electronics on just about everything and I have a 4,500 sqft home so I got the SUA10000EC from Costco for less than $800 and it has a THD of less than 5% plus it's big enough to run almost everything in my home if needed (of course not the washer and dryer). Luckily, I haven't had to use it for that but I have been happy with it for what I use it for.
@@TrungNguyen-jf2sg if the neutral is bonded to the frame of the generator make sure you wire in a disconnect before hooking it up to your breaker box or else it can mess up some stuff. Bonded to the frame is great for using it on its own, but your house is already grounded so I wired in a disconnect wire I can use to break the neutral free of the frame if I need to use it for my home.
@@TrungNguyen-jf2sg I got the SUA10000EC by iPower from Costco and it has less than 5% THD. It was a great buy at the time (less than $900 if I remember) and it will run 240V at 50A. Once I wired in the bonded neutral cut off it was good to go.
I have the Pulsar 12kw dual fuel generator and my friend just bought one for $960 on Amazon. It runs at 9500 watts on gas and 8500 watts on propane. It runs my whole house, well and water heater. Couldn't be happier. Generators run best between 50% and 85% of rated watts. Cheers
50% gasoline/Propane/Natural Gas
75% to 85% ( tops ) Diesel Generators
I installed this set up last year - with hurricane Helene and Milton that just went through here - my generator barely did a hiccup when the 3 ton condenser kicked in - worth every penny 😁
Something VERY IMPORTANT that was not mentioned. You need a 240 v generator not 120v. Most generators are 120 volt. After buying 2 cosfco generators, a parallel kit and paying an electrician $1500 to do the electrical work to put in an inlet and an Interlock kit I found out the hard way, that my two firman generators would only power "every other circuit breaker". The electrician confirmed that the only way to power the whole house is that you have to have a 240 volt generator. Unfortunately 240 volt generators are expensive and I lost a lot of $$ since I waited too long before finishing the project and had to sell off my firman generators. Sure costco allows returns but if you return too many items or too many big items you risk getting your membership terminated.
You have the live line of your 120-volt generator feed both poles of a dual breaker. That way 120 volts feed into both phase A and B of your breaker box. all the 120 volt circuits will work. but the 240-volt circuits won't work. that is what we use as that is all you need for the furnace and fridge and tv set and fans and lights. The neutral line from the generator feeds to the combination ground neutral bar in your breaker box. Its pretty easy to do.
A setup like this should NOT be assumed to run an entire house. To think otherwise is foolish. This setup should be used for primary circuits (heating/cooling, food storage, some lighting in occupied areas). If you tax this setup to run the entire house IMO is risky. If there is a power failure your first thoughts should be conservation of energy until the system is restored. Don’t forget that your fuel sources may not have power as well and depending on how long that may be this setup may just delay the inevitable.
@@michaeldecker2725 Right, and btw not trying to power the entire house. Instead, I want the ability to power those specific circuits that need power. If you run 120 V, you'll only be able to power "every other circuit", so for example, if your freezer or fridge is not on the right circuit, it won't get power, even though the power consumption of that device is much lower than what you are able to generate.
@@wrestlerstudmuffin Thanks, appreciate the idea. It's been a while since I posted this. I ended up buying two 240v 9500w generators.
I love that generator, I have the previous version I bought a few years ago (gas and propane dual fuel) for $600, it gets more use in my business then it does at home but I haven't found anything it won't power as of yet. was looking at upgrading to this one because of natural gas, not having to fill up gas or replace propane bottles. been wanting to put this system together, thanks for showing us.
FYI .... According to the T07571 manual, the maximum is 31.25A. I have the same generator. I have seen a 42A peak at startup using the Micro Air soft starter, but it is usually 36A. Then the A/C runs on 13A. When the A/C starts, I still have the refrigerator, HDTV, desktop PC, LED lights and other small devices on without a problem. I think that the generator is producing more watts on NG than what is stated in the manual.
Are you running a FIRMAN generator like he has or an Inverter? I have the same FIRMAN and was told not to run electronics off of it due to the dirty sine wave of electricity that could harm sensitive electronics
@@attimus02 Same generator, same model. It is not pure sine wave. I do have four UPS's on my HDTVs, computers, routers, external hard drives, Xfinity X1 box and have not had a problem except the UPS's will beep and click when using the generator. I have a stupid power strip plugged into the UPS battery backup side with items plugged into the strip. All I have to do is move one plug to the surge protector side. And then turn off UPS. Surge protector with EMI/RFI Filter will still work. APC PowerChute has a sensitivity setting which may help with the clicking. If I don't use a UPS then I do have APC surge protectors. My Fisher & Paykel Dishdrawers will beep. As a backup, I have two 1408Wh and two 666Wh power stations, and eight 100W rigid solar panels which I made into four suitcases to set up in the back yard. I could also use the generator to charge the power stations and use on anything sensitive.
Glad I did this when he released this video a year ago as I have the same generator. Generator has been running almost a week straight since Beyrl hit Monday and now Sunday and still no power. Already did 2 oil changes and will change spark plug when power comes back on. Been able to run 4 ton ac unit with micro air soft start , dishwasher , washer and gas dryer (not simultaneously) , 2 fridges and chest freezer , and small electronics like router and cable modem .
We have used the ruclips.net/user/postUgkxOTeIs0vv4_9B5hsmnLsk9r930uDQLu_Y for probably 30 hours with our camper and it’s been great! The noise level is really only noticeable when running the AC and other appliances like the microwave, hair dryer, or coffee pot. It’s not huge like other ones and it has wheels so even at 90lbs, I can move it!
I had a great set up at my old house, but now I don’t have natural gas. I spent about $3,300 for everything including the electrician to install 50 amp outlet, natural gas conversion kit and hose, plumber to install gas outlet, MicroAir soft start and Duromax 13000eh generator. It ran a 4 ton AC just fine. This guy is only powering a 2 ton AC.
You could of spent a few bucks more and got a solar roof
@@jmatt98isnt a solar roof like 11k without installation cost
I have the identical generator to yours, with a generator interlock powering a 30 amp circuit; yesterday hit 111° and SoCal Edison decided to cut power (preventative measures they say). I ran the generator, with a cable leading from the 30 amp outlet to a 30 amp input attached to my breaker box. The digital display on the generator showed 245 volts, but got no power in my house. I called Furman and a very impatient woman said that I needed to hire an electrician to unbond the neutral ground; having done all this work myself, I thought I could tackle the uncoupling of the neutral ground, but two different videos sent me to two different wires, so I'm stuck. If you have any information about this, and have time and generosity to answer, I would be very grateful. By the way, some people have the skill to make videos, and some people don't; you sir, are a natural.
After our freeze a few years back here in Texas, I simply had a Generac 24KW installed. This also puts my whole home on surge protection. This is important as in my home you talk to fans, lights, TVs, everything is on network... even the smoker, pit, and grill. With all the electronics it is important to have clean power (60Hz). Good luck with any setup you choose.
How is it?
I’m a generator tech and personally own two Firman gennies.
Hi! Could you tell me whether or not Tri fuel generators have a safety feature where natural gas will be automatically shut off should generator stops running for whatever reason with no one around to notice? Another video mentioned needing a regulator to do that. Does Firmen Tri Fuel generator, or any Tri Fuel generator for that matter, have a regulator already build in the generator to sense disruptions in gas pressure? Thanks in advance
Sold my sticks and bricks end of 2019 - live full time in a 45' Grand Design "mansion on wheels" - I have a generator that is propane/gas powered just in case - there are soft start options for Rvs in case you need to run multiple AC's and everything else, which my home has 3 hence 3 soft starts needed - but - I can be completely off grid in moments if needed - good on you telling home owner's about soft start options - most people by a whole home Generac or solar at a MUCH higher price point for the same results HA! Next time there is a major hurricane etc. this video count will go way up!
Live in South Alabama my box is on the outside as well. House was built in 06. Never had any problems or concerns with the elements and we get all types of CRAZY WEATHER!!!
Had a small generator and it didn't have enough power (5500) to run several appliances or my AC. I bought a bigger (13000) LP and need to upgrade the transfer box. Your video was informative,thanks.
Thanks for this video. It is exactly what I needed to see in addition to the Soft Start and Power Surge videos. We just bought a small house in Central TX where power outages are the norm in Summer and in Winter.
Awesome vid ! Setting this up here in Texas. The last few years have been brutal on both extremes hot and cold.
Bro. That is a bada** setup. Literally all you need.
Once past the initial cost I'd say it pays for itself within the first couple times of use. Maybe even after the first time from a peace of mind type scenario. In gonna price it all out and see what's what.
Good clip
I have this exact set up except I do not have a soft start kit on my AC unit. I can run the entire house and it's clean and fantastic with this Firman tri fuel unit. I bought the generator on Ebay from the Firman store for $500 brand new - not a refurb.
I have virtually the exact same setup. AC soft start and a Firman Tri-Fuel. I opted for their 10kW (when running on gasoline) generator because I have 2 older refrigerators and 2 older deep freezes as well. I've never had to use it, but in testing, it will run my entire house. While using a portable generator is a little bit of work to get the power back on, the generator is not limited to backup power only. I can use it for other purposes.
Great Video. Thanks! I wish I had this set up before the hurricane last week. I had never heard of soft start kit. Great information!
If you were in south Louisiana where Hurricane Ida kept us out of power for 3 weeks you would never run out of work. I would hire you in a heartbeat. "The Cajun Ninja's Dad"
Thanks man!
Anywhere down South...guy could get rich in no time!!!
Learning especially with what just happened in Texas. A coworker was telling me about this, and this video popped up in my feed. Thank you
That's how we know "they're " listening!
I have that same brand I bought in 2014.. I was upset that i was supposed to get a Goodman but got this we went back and forth.. anyways 9yrs later still working like a champ only had to replace capacitor last summer.. besides that nothin not even a charge 1.5 ton here
There are some 220 volt, 9500 watt, inverter type generators, for those concerned about damaging electronics with a portable generator such as this Firman. But they are a lot more money and probably use gasoline only.
Champion model 201176 is a 9000 watt tri-fuel inverter generator. Wen also makes and sells one. As does Pulsar and Duromax
This is a great idea, I wish I knew about this before my own budget whole home generator build. Fortunately for me, my generator runs my home including ac without this great device but I wasn’t sure until last week. I still may upgrade so thanks again
Great job. I applaud your willingness to do a video like this. Engineers and electricians are a bunch of know-it-alls so you will definitely get tons of nitpicking.
very impressed with your whole set up and your explanation of how it works and how to set it up was very clear and easy to follow, great vid! i didn't even know they had QD for natural gas!
Nice video thank you for sharing. I noticed you did not mention whether your generator was bonded or floating neutral. I think a lot of people would benefit from knowing this.
Thanks again for sharing and cheers from Dave!
This is another great video! I would suggest consideration be given to using an inverter generator. An inverter generator produces about 3% Total Harmonic Distortion 'clean' power which is safe for sensitive electronics like computers, etc Regular non-inverter generators produce 12% to 20% if not higher Total Harmonic Distortion 'dirty' power. It will work on sensitive electronics but will cause them to age quicker. If an inverter is not used, suggest using a filter for sensitive electronics plugged directly into them.
Thanks for always answering the question we DIY guys (and gals) don't know to ask. You are always just one or more steps ahead.
this is a perfect setup for anyone living in the city on city water where you don't need a well pump. Otherwise you'll need a much larger generac LP/NG setup. Thanks for showing it. Very versatile.
I have a 315 foot deep well and run my wellpump on a 6250 running watt generator. I can run it even while the electric (heat pump though) water heater is on along with the refrigerator and backup freezer. I usually turn those off while showering just so we don't over tax it.
The portable Generator I found that puts out 5% THD is the Westinghouse WGen11500TFc - Tri- fuel which retails for $1700
Living in Austin, TX. The past two winters have produced storms that knocked out our power for days. I invested in this generator (bought for $600) and a shed to store it in. We've had to break it out once since then, but by the time my son and I got everything hooked up and running the juice returned (of course). At the end of summer we have a pool being installed and I'm going to include running an inlet box to the main panel when the electric is installed for the pool.
YES,, LOVE my FURMAN 7571,, YES it runs my house A/C and most everything else,( NOT H20 heater)...I do have the soft start for the A/C,, Thanks for the video
I'm in Houston and have a setup nearly identical to this. Way cheaper (especially long term) and more versatile than turnkey solutions like Generac.
Good video. Only thing I would do different is sell that generator and buy an inverter generator. Your generator has 15% total harmonic distortion which can and will destroy circuit boards in your house. Check out the Champion 201176 tri fuel inverter 9000 watt generator. It has less than 3% distortion
Thanks for the content. Gathering information. I knew about the soft start boxes from the RV world and how they allow RV AC to run on much lower amps. Including a small generator.
Good to see the generator is working to power Home AC. I have a NG pipeline at a new property but not electric service so I’m having to plan on doing a non grid tie solar array and a permanent NG generator tie in with a solar power cell for storage.
Electric power equipment is in extreme shortage right now in USA and really expensive because of the shortage and the electric coop says it’s a year or more out to obtain a new line. They require a 25kva outdoor rated transformer and I have not been able to locate one in this state and one I did find in South Dakota was $7300. If I buy the equipment and the cables to run the lines I don’t get reimbursed, just donating the equipment in order to get a new line. I personally would rather invest my money in a NG generator and solar array and storage system. Keep these low budget low energy content coming.
The soft start does not reduce the running amperage, only the in-rush that lasts about 1/3rd of a second. If the AC takes 2000 watts to run, it can take up to 6000 watts to overcome the locked rotor amperage, which is what the compressor needs to overcome the static pressure in the system. The Locked Rotor Amperage (LRA) is written on the spec plate of the AC. For example, my 3.5 ton unit has an LRA of 109 amps, but once running, the system (including the circulation blower) runs about 4000 watts but even with a soft start, the draw starting draw is too much for my 5000 watt (6250 peak) inverter generator.
This is a great video! Can you answer a question for me? Are you running the fridge also? How many fridges. And if needed, are you able to run a tv and a gas oven with this unit. Also, water heater.
The reason I ask, cause I feel like there’s some misconception out there with how big a generator is needed. I have a townhome, with 2 ton AC, 2 fridges, water heater, electric washer dryer, 2 tvs, 2 computers, a Wi-Fi router and of course lights throughout the house. Not everything will be ran at the same time. So I feel like something under 10000 is big enough.
Thanks again for this awesome video. Look forward to your reply and anyone following the comments.
I have a 13000 watt generator, running load is 9750 watts. No soft start kit, runs fine
Are you running the central AC
Firman’s are very LOUD! I have been on one job where they had a Firman. I was underwhelmed. Great presentation though.
I have a hard start capacitor for my 2-1/2 ton central a/c. I need to upgrade to a soft start kit. I have my eye on one. I have the same side generator. I have the Honda EU7000is. It is phenomenal in my opinion. I have used it several times & is much, much quieter. Plus it puts out steady clean power. I have an interlock in my CB panel. My unit uses less gasoline than most & with a auxiliary fuel tank only need to fill it every two days.
Great video...I have the same setup here (less the "soft start")...same Firman generator running on clean NG...no worries about "gumming" it up with gasoline...I also installed a separate Siemen pony panel for the generator with the proper disconnects...then moved home essential circuits to that panel...the AC, unit did not make the cut...I hope that we don't have to use it, but you never know???
Awesome thanks for sharing!
I just installed the icm870 in my a/c unit today. I got one because of one of your videos and i think Taddy Digest did a video on them also. I did it mainly to help extend the life of the unit. Hopefully my generator will start it up. Mine went from 70 in rush to about 26. That is a big change but my generator only has a 30amp twistlock. i guess it is borderline but ill have to test it out to see if it will start it. Love your vids man. I watch a few of u hvac guys and u put out some great info.
I wish I had 1% of this knowledge. I'm so jealous! Unfortunately I have no time to learn a whole new trade right now. But this content inspires me!
That’s the power of RUclips academy baby! You can learn anything 👊🏼
Good video and info. I’ve done 4 50 amp generator back up hook ups with the manual transfer switch. I’ve ran it on my house. I haven’t installed any of the soft starts but I may look into that.
Good Demonstration, BUT.....Be very concerned about potential damage you can do to sensitive electronic equipment ( AC , TV, Computer, etc.). I own the same generator and according to data posted on the Firman website it is rated at 11 to 14% THD. This is way higher than what is recommended for sensitive electronic equipment. The power supply for sensitive electronics should have < 5% THD. I would hate to damage the circuit board on my inverter based AC ...or even my two speed compressor as it would be a very costly fix. I like this generator, but wish it put out cleaner power. Any thoughts on how to address the PQ issue with this generator? I live in South Louisiana and ran multiple window units with the generator and didn't have an issue. Sure would be nice to be able to run one of my central AC units.
There is no way to clean up high THD at this size of generator. Its simply not economical in cost. You would need a sizable load reactor device that is matched to the loads in your house. This would basically absorb all the higher harmonic voltage/currents above 60HZ and convert it to waste heat but leave the 60hz power alone for your loads to use. Over time high THD can and WILL cause damage.
The bigger enemy is actually voltage surges since portable generators at this level while many have brush type AVRs or brushless capacitor excited, the regulation will never be as "tight" as utility. A heavy load starts, the engine momentarily drops in speed before the engine governor responds, and the AVR drops in voltage and takes a moment to recover the voltage back to the preset level. The AVR can "overshoot" the recovery for a very brief time where high voltages can be seen by your devices and damage them. To your point thats not good. Sufficient surge suppression like MOVs in a circuit can help absorb these transients sacrificing themselves before your inverter based AC.
@@N-M424 not necessarily. I have tested generators with an amp probe meter and at half a load for a 6,500 watt generator with a 3000 watt resistive loan I've seen THD as high as 16%, and would only get worse from there. It comes down to the build quality of the powerhead.
@@N-M424 it was a Generac GP6500. Full load it was closer to 20%. Doubtful it would be that low for the Firman.
@@N-M424 that is what the firman website says about the model yes, but Id be willing to bet with a resistive load that THD would be more.
@@N-M424 agreed. Between James Condon and myself we are testing THD one portable generator at a time!
Awesome… this was super informative in my particular case because #1 you can get refurb tri-fuel generators at a reasonable cost and #2 I (a novice) had no clue those quick release valves existed (it seems obvious though, I know). Now I’m thinking this is an awesome supplement to a more expensive setup too for whole home battery backups. If the power in the battery starts to get low, you could maybe use this to recharge your batteries for completely uninterrupted power supply over long term (cheaper too since that generator uses 72cuft/hr when completely idle but 101cuft on full load).
It is VERY IMPORTANT to explain that the power inlet connector is deadly WITHOUT the breaker interlock kit you have installed (which is absolutely the correct way). I would venture to say that a lot of people will not "get" that they MUST have the interlock kit to go along with the power inlet box.
“68”? Holy crap! I live in Phoenix and I have my Ecobee set for 82! 🤣
Yikes. You like the sauna feeling eh?
@@heyitsbroski He just doesn't like the feeling of his bank account being drained.
I did the same thing after the Texas freeze and got the inlet/transfer switch. I have never used it. I tried to turn it on the first time today 3 years after buying it and it won’t start. I’ve only tried natural gas though. Time to call Firman
It's kinda cool being the only house in the neighborhood with lights on.
Must have if you're watching out for frail family members in the Southwest.
You really should let the generator idle for a few minutes before drawing power. My owners manual makes a big point of that as it will extend the life of the generator.
You forgot one very important thing. If you are connecting to your circuit panel you need to unbond the ground from the frame of the generator. You don’t want two locations where you bond the neutral and the ground. There is a jumper on the generator you need to pull off. If you are using a cord right to the source, not through the circuit panel you have to put it back on.
Hey man I’m an HVAC guy in Salt Lake City and I have to say I’m pretty impressed with your set up. I’m sure this is a yes but did you have your refrigerator & deep freeze running? It’s not a huge load just curious. Great video my man. Keep up the good work!
Yes, I had two regular fridges (home and garage beer fridge) AND my deep freeze running 👍🏼
Good info, been using whole house generators for over 20 years. Right now I own three generators: One of those Firman and two Honda EU7000is. BTW, those Firmans are great but NOISY!!!
I bought one, got it all hooked up but haven't ran it yet. The muffler is huge for a small engine, but I guess you are comparing it to those ultra quiet hondas.
I went to the link in the video description and it claims 72db...is this claim bs?
I like the idea of having a portable generator for home back up instead of a stationary. Propane fuel would be great for off grid camping.
I have that same generator. It is great and believe it or not it’s easy to pull start also.
Simple good to know info. No crazy intros. Subscribed
Running your AC at 66. My kinda bro! You must live in Houston!
Haha us hvac guys gotta make sure our system cools to 66 on a hundred degree day 🤣
Incredible coincidence, that I have the same generator, power inlet, and gas quick-connects that you have. (I even used to have a Goodman AC). I've only tested my generator with our mini-split AC because we spend most time in that room. But thanks for telling us about soft-start devices, because I think I'll need one for our other AC.
6.3 amps draw on the common? Off a 2 ton compressor and fan? Is it a multi stage unit? What is the LRA on that 2 ton compressor? Oh your soft start is where it's at. Wow that is working like a charm.
This is a good way to show people how to burn their house down and blow the pins out of the air conditioner
This is also the reason that in order to pull a permit for a generator install you have to do it load calculation because people will just hook up a generator and assume it has enough power the entire house
You should have used an inverter generator it's safer for the a c and refrigeration units
There is always a downside to running the HVAC through a generator. The power just isn't the same as grid power, but it's better than sitting in a hot house with no lights.
You always want to shut off the main breaker on the generator BEFORE turning the generator off. Likewise, alsways power up the generator and THEN switch the breaker on. You never want the generator to be supplying power unless it is in steady state.
I live on a 9 acre property in Alpine California.. No one knows that me and my wife live on a 33' trailer. We purchased the firman 9500 tri fuel. I had to return it 3 times. We bought it only to power our AC. I installed a soft start and bought 2 Ryobi inverter and run them in parallel they've been for 2 years straight. I WOULD NEVER RECOMMEND A FIRMAN..
So very happy i found this. Living in florida so needed this info.
Have a 5KW gen similar and it easily powers 2 mini splits, a 1.5Ton and a 2Ton.
That's the cheapest best way IMO, I have same setup on 3ton HP.
So, you know, that generator has a bonded neutral and so does your main panel so using it as shown violates the code. You're supposed to convert the generator to floating neutral when hooked up to your panel through an interlock. It's easy. Firman has released instructions. Then, when used stand alone you're supposed to use a bonding plug.
Absolutely correct and it violates code because it can be dangerous. Most newer portable generators come from the factory with a bonded neutral. Your operators manual will state the neutral configuration from the factory.
From what I have read, if you use a generator power transfer switch instead of an interlock then you do not need to disconnect the bonded neutral on the generator. California requires that you use a generator power transfer switch and says it is safe to use with bonded neutral generator.
wow its hard to believe that a generator that small would even run a house. i have a 8750 /7000 harbor freight and love it it runs my entire house. but it dont have a 50 amp plug. GRRR and i really like your power inlet box once in a while mine will work loose and i will lose have my house and thanks to you i just ordered one. even though it is only 30 amp. and the only gas we can get around here is propane so i more less have to stay with gas. another GRRR.
soft starts i didnt even know was a thing. I need some of those for sure.
Good video. Sounds like on gasoline you could get a little over 4 amps extra draw from that generator.
This is a great video. I am in the process of setting something like this up. Thanks for making this video
Need to work this out for my place, I have free natural gas… from a family owned gas well… just not sure the size of generator, I have an older 5ton that needs the soft star.
Exact video I was looking for, super helpful sir 👏👏
Sorry if I overlooked it, but with the house fully cranked how many watts did the property pull? Guessing the firman did just fine, but know your wattage decreases quite a bit when using natural gas. Thanks!
I am about to do all of this, thank you. Subscribed, bell rung, commented, upvoted, liked, shared, ... may the algorithm gods smile favorably upon your channel friend.
You don’t have to go through all of this. Just make a suicide cord for your dyer plug, make sure you turn off power coming in the house first. Then plug into your generator and you can run your whole house with a generator this size.
Great video. So well done with none of any trivial BS.
you sir are very helpful and informative to us diyers.that’s why i am a subscriber to your channel.
I have the same Square D meter-main panel on my home. I wanted to use the same interlock method that you used on your panel, but ultimately decided it would not work this way.
Upon inspection of my panel, each main bus bar is fed directly by an aluminum conductor bar off the meter side of the panel. These conductor bars are bolted to the main bus bars and to the lugs on the meter side of your panel. With this method of interlocking, I am fairly positive that you are backfeeding the grid by mistake. The breaker that you have connected to your generator inlet is energizing the main bus bars on your panel, consequently it is energizing the conductors bars that are connected from the meter side of the panel. If our panels are constructed the same on the inside, this has the potential to kill a lineman.
If the service disconnect breaker is switched to off, there should be no way for current to flow back to the grid, or for the bus bars to be energized from the grid. Grid to service disconnect breaker to bus bars.
Hoping you see this comment (after 7 months of uploading this video), but I'm curious what kind of natural gas usage and cost you've experienced using the generator. We have natural gas here, and I feel like it would be pretty easy to tap into the gas line like you have set up in the event of needing to hook the generator up. The natural gas at my home is only used for the tankless water heater, the gas stove and the heater for the home. So gas prices during winter are substantially more than during warmer months (when I'd want to incorporate a backup for the home during hurricane season).
Unless I could budget for Tesla PowerWalls right now (I have solar on the home), I'd go that route, but this could be an affordable fix in the meantime.
Anyway, thanks for sharing the video!
This setup is a cost-effective option for people who only occasionally use emergency power.
Your doggo was the star of the show. LOL
First, during many types of emergencies your natural gas will be shut off to prevent fires. Second, during an emergency your central air, electric stove, electric dryer and electric furnace use too much power and should not be turned on. If absolutely necessary, you can get a 5000-8000 btu window unit and only run it for a couple hours before bed time with the bedroom closed off and it should stay cool enough till morning. A microwave can do most of the cooking in just minutes on 1100 watts. You should be able to get by with a 3500 watt generator or inverter which will use far less fuel. While living off the grid, I have never found it necessary to run the generator more than a couple hours per day. Just 10 gallons of stabilized gas will easily last all week. A couple indoor/outdoor wireless thermometers keep track of the refrigerator and freezer to minimize run time. Always connect several items at once to more efficiently use your generator time. An oil lamp with a few quarts of lamp oil and some cheap solar yard lights($3each) can provide all your lighting. Using a smaller generator and being prepared for a long term power outage makes more sense than having something that powers everything but will run out of fuel in just a few days. I also use two heavy duty 50 foot extension cords and plug the appliances in directly to the generator rather than waste money on an expensive transfer box. Some people may have different needs but I don't want to waste money on a $10,000-12,000 whole house system just to use every convenience.
You're a lifesaver. So thorough. Not that it's a big deal, but could you use one for the hot water tank? I always turn ours off in a hurricane and if we need to use it, turn off all the lights and run it. More important to have A/C and lights than anything. I just have to see what size ICM870 I need for my 3.5 ton unit. Thanks again. 🙂
Neighbor just did this, he's now operating a portable AC in 100 degree temps in Louisiana while they look for a condenser fan motor.
Awesome video Dave. Happy surprise to see this in my RUclips suggested feed 😃
What’s up dude?! It’s been a minute! Send me an email I’d love to catch up! Diyhvacguy@gmail.com