Generator question, Honda EU7000i

Stout

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I wanted to make sure the storm didn't hit us so I bought a Honda EU7000i.

When I had the house built I had a plug installed on the outside of the house and an interlock kit put on the breaker panel. I flipped off all the large appliances and plugged in the generator. With 3 PCs, the TV, the fridge, all the lights, ceiling fans, and whatever other little things were plugged in the generator was still plugging away quietly in eco mode.

When I flip off the eco mode switch it runs faster and gets louder. The manual says it will turn itself off eco mode if the load gets high enough. It never got any louder while I was testing it this morning so I'm assuming it stayed on eco mode? If I turn on a few large appliances will it kick itself back into normal mode while they're on then drop back to eco mode when I turn appliances off?

It's claiming 18 hours on a tank of gas if it stays in eco mode. Will it actually go 18 hours?
 
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I don't know about the 7000. I've got a 2000 that will run @ 12 hours on a 1 1/2 gallon tank with a fridge, fans and lights. Great generators!
 
Stout said:
I wanted to make sure the storm didn't hit us so I bought a Honda EU7000i.

When I had the house built I had a plug installed on the outside of the house and an interlock kit put on the breaker panel. I flipped off all the large appliances and plugged in the generator. With 3 PCs, the TV, the fridge, all the lights, ceiling fans, and whatever other little things were plugged in the generator was still plugging away quietly in eco mode.

When I flip off the eco mode switch it runs faster and gets louder. The manual says it will turn itself off eco mode if the load gets high enough. It never got any louder while I was testing it this morning so I'm assuming it stayed on eco mode? If I turn on a few large appliances will it kick itself back into normal mode while they're on then drop back to eco mode when I turn appliances off?

It's claiming 18 hours on a tank of gas if it stays in eco mode. Will it actually go 18 hours.
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I can't say for sure but I bet it will run darn close to 18 hours. We use that unit at work for events and a typical day is around 10 hours. We top it off every morning and it's typically about 1/3 full at that point. It runs on eco mode the entire time.
 
We have a EU6500i (immediate predecessor to the 7000) that we use as a standby generator for my wife's mobile veterinary practice, and so far we have put several thousand hours of use on it (about 6 - 7 years old). It is normal for it to cycle up and down based upon the loading if you are in eco mode.

Fuel consumption is based upon wattage output. What eco-mode gives you is better efficiency when you are lightly loaded.

It's been a great generator, and I highly recommend it. We use it when the onboard generators (9K diesel units) fail or have to be removed for major service.

I would be highly surprised if you went 18 hours between fill-ups.

We get about 6 hours of runtime per tank of fuel pulling 1 - 2 air conditioners (15A), RV type fridge, LED lighting, clippers, and a battery charger and inverter to keep the computer outlets and emergency outlets powered up (anesthesia machines and surgery lights). The air conditioners run a lot due to the heat generated by 3 humans and about 30 critters....
 
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IrishCannon said:
Do you have a way to secure the generator outside or do you just take it in and out when needed?
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Might be a good idea to lock it up just as a deterrent but I pull it back inside when it's not in use. No way you get 18 hours on one tank. I don't have the same one but they tend to drink more then stated in manual.
 
Run time between fillups will depend on the load, if you are running 5-6K load 24/7 then you burn more fuel,
small appliances will run only a few minutes such as microwave and refrigerator and freezer.
I think you could run anywhere from 9-14 hours depending on your loads.
We run the larger Honda inverters at our Amateur Radio Field Day in the past.
 
How difficult is it to setup one of those generator interlock kits from the breaker box? That would be much nicer than running extension cords to everything.
 
IrishCannon said:
How difficult is it to setup one of those generator interlock kits from the breaker box? That would be much nicer than running extension cords to everything.
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I got it put in when the house was built a couple of years ago. I don't recall how much it added, but it wasn't much.
 
IrishCannon said:
How difficult is it to setup one of those generator interlock kits from the breaker box? That would be much nicer than running extension cords to everything.
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It's not that difficult. You basically need a new panel cover that prevents the generator breaker and main breaker from being on at the same time.
You're still backfeeding the panel and need to be selective in use of power. They are not transfer switches that have predetermined and isolated circuits that would prevent overloading the generator. It wouldn't be that expensive to have an electrician do it, which I recommend. He'll know where to get one and be sure it's installed correctly, as well as cluing you in on what you have and what you can do.
 
IrishCannon said:
How difficult is it to setup one of those generator interlock kits from the breaker box? That would be much nicer than running extension cords to everything.
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You must have an electrician install that transfer switch ... I think mine switch was around $300 and I had a friend install mine in exchange for me doing some work on his old shop truck but I think the labor would have been around 3 hours so figure $225 or so there. Depending on how it is arrange a permit and inspection by your county is something hanging in the air ... just saying that out loud.
 
My father used to be an electrician. I wonder if I could just have him guide me through it. May be a fun project with a couple Padron 1964's in hand.

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IrishCannon said:
My father used to be an electrician. I wonder if I could just have him guide me through it. May be a fun project with a couple Padron 1964's in hand.
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I'm sure he'd like to use some of his knowledge. He could also use a amp meter to see what your loads are running now and how many breakers and what you can run off the Gen.
 
Its not hard, I did mine myself. Hardest part was fishing the wire going from my geny receptacle up into the wall into my box from under the house. Yes my sub box is mounted upside down, not sure why they installed it that way when the house was built.
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