A California homeowner hoping to spend $1,400 to $1,800 on backup power ran into an obstacle: finding a generator available for sale in the state.
Here's what to know
In a post on Reddit's r/Generator community, the original poster described installing a 240-volt, 30-amp inlet and an interlock before shopping for a generator.
They said wind frequently knocked out power in their neighborhood, with outages generally lasting a day and sometimes stretching to three to five days.
Ideally, the homeowner wanted to go 12 hours between gasoline refills. Dependable power and relatively quiet operation were also priorities.
"I'm in California where they seem to restrict all of the good options. Thought I finally found one and it's not available," the OP wrote.
One commenter suggested buying outside the state and said it was about sales versus operating rules.
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More background
The OP said internet service, lights, and two refrigerators were the essentials; the rest of the list covered a whole-house fan, two small fans, two TVs, and occasional air-conditioner use.
Another commenter warned about continuous output, saying the wattage used in advertising may describe peak power instead. Output also varies by fuel, so gasoline, propane, and natural-gas ratings are important when comparing models.
Air conditioning posed another challenge. One commenter using a Champion 201423 described limiting their variable-speed Carrier Infinity system to 80% through the thermostat to leave enough power for other appliances.
Another noted that getting maximum output and stretching a tank of gasoline to 12 hours were competing goals.
What can be done?
Commenters pointed the homeowner toward inverter generators and recommended comparing running-watt ratings for the fuel they planned to use.
One suggested the WEN DF680iX, listing 5,100 running watts on gasoline and 4,500 on propane. They also mentioned tri-fuel options, including the Westinghouse iGen8200TFc and Champion 201537.
For air conditioning, commenters suggested looking into a soft-start device or an inverter heat pump. Several favored natural gas to avoid repeated tank refills as long as gas service remained available during outages.
The homeowner appeared particularly interested when one user recommended a Costco-listed Champion tri-fuel inverter generator, though it was slightly over their budget.
"Thank you very much. Seems like that might be the one I'm going for!" the original poster replied.
Where can I learn more?
These stories cover generator quotes, portable versus whole-home systems, sizing advice, and a renter's solar-backup questions.
• A dealer pitched a $19,500 generator, but owners suggested a smaller setup could cost under $12,000.
• After pool pipes burst, a homeowner weighed a $3,110 portable generator against a $22,436 whole-home system.
• After four powerless days, a Florida homeowner learned whole-home generator costs could reach $15,000.
• A homeowner's generator sizing question for a three-to-four-bedroom house prompted outage veterans to recommend going smaller.
• A renter seeking a cheap solar generator to power a house encountered questions about what that meant.
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