Generator advice

aquaholic

aquaholic

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Have been looking into getting a generator for some time, conveniance really for female members of crew......Ideally I would like one that I could plug directly into the shore power socket in the cockpit so I can just use the 240v sockets on the boat, nothing too heavy, laptop, small heater, possbly kettle and for staging charger.
I think the KIPOR-IG2000 will probably do the job but need to know a few basics,
Can it be left outside in the rain or does it need to be covered?
Is possible to vent the fumes over the side via a tube of some kind?
If not where would it normally be placed when being used?
 
I notice you slipped in a heater and a kettle under "nothing too heavy". These are fairly high-load devices - kettles in particular generally pull the maximum permissible from a domestic socket (about 3KW). Anything that turns electricity into a useful amount of heat will need a fair bit of power.

Pete
 
I am interested in the answers. I currently have a very old 300W Honda, far louder than the modern 2kW ones. When perched on the rear deck it rattles the boat. I definitely need one much quieter and less smelly.
 
aquaholic said:
Have been looking into getting a generator for some time, conveniance really for female members of crew......Ideally I would like one that I could plug directly into the shore power socket in the cockpit so I can just use the 240v sockets on the boat, nothing too heavy, laptop, small heater, possbly kettle and for staging charger.
I think the KIPOR-IG2000 will probably do the job but need to know a few basics,
Can it be left outside in the rain or does it need to be covered?
Is possible to vent the fumes over the side via a tube of some kind?
If not where would it normally be placed when being used?
Click to expand...

I have the KIPOR-IG2000 and I'm very impressed with it. It's not as quiet as a Honda but it costs £750 less. It canot be left out in the rain because you're generating 240v from it so you want it dry! But I have run it in damp conditions. Run it on the foredeck and fumes aren't an issue and they say don't attach a pipe to the exhaust as it creates back pressure on the engine.

It runs a 1KW immersion heater in the calorifier, a 16amp 12v battery charger, computer charger and that's it - they have overload protection but you run the risk of blowing the circuit board - £220 to replace.

No way should it or anything like it be used for a kettle, that's what the Origo/ gas stove is for! A heater is OK if it's a 1KW job but it hardly seems worth it, there are much more efficient ways of heating a boat.

What it does for us is extend our independence, we can have hot water twice a day for showers and washing up, charge all the toys up and top up the domestic batteries; just makes life easier for a family of four.
 
We have a wee cheepy chinese 600watt unit that came with the boat. It sits on the aft cabintop under a canvas cover (since 2006).
I plug the shorepower lead in using a short adapter cable, and add a piece of plastic hose to the exhaust (it doesn't melt) to take the fumes high enough to clear any vortex that may trap them.
It does everything we want (but not kettles uwaves etc. as mentioned already) I keep the rusty bits painted (exhaust mainly) and if the fuel is kept fresh, it works well.
Far better than running the engine to charge batteries (don't use the 12v outlet, use the mains charger if it's correctly sized.)
Less cost and palaver than windmills and solarcells - never again!
 
Ahh thats the beauty of this forum.....I am a complete numpty when it comes to electronics, as I didnt have a clue how much a kettle draws!
So these things can only be used when its dry..mmmmm interesting. Wont be getting too much use over here then :)
The reason I mentioned about the fumes was that I was thinking about having it secured in the cockpit locker but vented over the side.
 
I have the Honda E20i and it's used for everything that can't run on 12volts .... Kettlle, microwave, hairdryer, laptop (240volt and charging) and anything else we need to use. Without it we'd be cream crackered, but, and it'a a big but in my opinion, Don't be fooled that Honda purrs like a pussy cat - It doesn't. When it's knocking out anything above 1kw it's noisy. So noisy that it would easily upset a temperamental neighbour if it was left running unchecked.
We do use ours regularly but we need to be aware that not everyone around us appreciates the racket it makes.
I should also say that if the Honda is the quiestes on the market, as they claim, I would hate to have on of the cheaper noiser makes!
 
quite a few of the inverter output generators have a circuit board that isnt protected from damp and condensation, the ones i have fixed all could have done with taking apart from new and spraying with tropicalising spray.
 
I have a now four year old Kipor IG2000, and it's very good for the money. I use it on the bathing platform secured on a plywood base with some sound deadening mat underneath. Believe me, you'll need some form of sound deadening if it's mounted anywhere on the boat.... actually more for the low frequency vibration than the actual exhaust noise.

I leave mine outside all summer, so it gets the occasional drenching. Reading some of the above posts, maybe I shouldn't do that, but after four years the only damage seems to be fading of the decals and yellow case.

It happily runs the (1kw) immersion heater, 45 amp 12v batt charger, TV, all gadget chargers. Only have to be careful when using the microwave - can't use that and the immersion at the same time. Having said that, last summer we had two boats running off it (it has two output sockets...) and my mate accidentally turned on too much stuff - the genny cutout, but on restarting hadn't suffered any permanent damage.

You can buy 3 kipors for the price of one Honda, I'm on year five now, so I will get (hopefully..) at least fifteen years of service before the Honda would be a better buy, assuming it also lasted that long!
 
rosssavage said:
I have a now four year old Kipor IG2000, and it's very good for the money. I use it on the bathing platform secured on a plywood base with some sound deadening mat underneath. Believe me, you'll need some form of sound deadening if it's mounted anywhere on the boat.... actually more for the low frequency vibration than the actual exhaust noise.

I leave mine outside all summer, so it gets the occasional drenching. Reading some of the above posts, maybe I shouldn't do that, but after four years the only damage seems to be fading of the decals and yellow case.

It happily runs the (1kw) immersion heater, 45 amp 12v batt charger, TV, all gadget chargers. Only have to be careful when using the microwave - can't use that and the immersion at the same time. Having said that, last summer we had two boats running off it (it has two output sockets...) and my mate accidentally turned on too much stuff - the genny cutout, but on restarting hadn't suffered any permanent damage.

You can buy 3 kipors for the price of one Honda, I'm on year five now, so I will get (hopefully..) at least fifteen years of service before the Honda would be a better buy, assuming it also lasted that long!
Click to expand...
One of the best posts for a long time!
Stu
 
I just got an 850W powercraft generator from ebay for £65 new delivered. It's not going to run a kettle but runs the battery charger just fine. It's a 2 stroke so a bit noisy and smelly but so far I'm pleased with it.
 
I use a Kipor 2600, great bit of kit. We have a piece of tubing 1.5m long to take the fumes away - no problems so far but then I have kept the tube the same diameter as the exhaust of the engine.

We run ours outside but put a cover over it when its raining. We run kettles, heaters, 2 ring hob, power tools no problem, obviously not all at the same time.

But for £400.00 its well worth the money.
 
Kettles and heater will be fine as long as you get the right one. Many kettles are now 3kw, but the cheaper ones are often much less. I have a 1kw Kipor and bought a very small, (enough for 2 cups only), kettle which is only 850watt. Takes a while to boil but it will do the job if required.

Most fan heaters are switchable between 1, 2 and 3kw so just choose the right setting.
 
mikecontessa26 said:
Am I the only one who thinks one engine and all the maintenance, noise, smell is enough on a boat!
Click to expand...

I'm sure you aren't and I'd have one for emergency use only. (to power the battery charger)

The main engine heats the hot water and with good batteries and a digital alternator regulator to charge them up quickly and fully when the engine is running, I don't need one.
Yes I am plugged into the shorepower the rest of the time, but still would not use one on a daily basis.

Gas hob boils the kettle and just about everything you can cook in a microwave you can cook on the hob or oven.

I
 
prv said:
I notice you slipped in a heater and a kettle under "nothing too heavy". These are fairly high-load devices - kettles in particular generally pull the maximum permissible from a domestic socket (about 3KW). Anything that turns electricity into a useful amount of heat will need a fair bit of power.

Pete
Click to expand...

There are 750w Low Watt Electric Kettles around
 
ianj99 said:
I'm sure you aren't and I'd have one for emergency use only. (to power the battery charger)

The main engine heats the hot water and with good batteries and a digital alternator regulator to charge them up quickly and fully when the engine is running, I don't need one.
Yes I am plugged into the shorepower the rest of the time, but still would not use one on a daily basis.

Gas hob boils the kettle and just about everything you can cook in a microwave you can cook on the hob or oven.

I
Click to expand...

Hear Hear!

Let's be quite clear, generators are noisy, smelly antisocial shake boxes and frankly I really believe they're completely unnecessary.

For the space that a generator takes up, and for equivalent or less cost you could buy several additional domestic batteries and a decent fast charging system. Silent, reliable, considerate of your fellow boating neighbours, and no need to carry fuel or refill it.

TV? Get a 12v one
Kettle? Use the gas stove - quicker, silent, facility already there
Battery charger? With properly set-up charging system, separate engine start battery and decent domestic capacity you won't need it. If you do, start the engine for 30 mins max, rather than the genny for 4 hours
Hairdrier? Get a 12v one
Laptop? Get a 12v adaptor (Maplins)
Heating? Fit a proper boat heater
Virtually anything and everything else - buy 12v equivalents. It doesn't have to be expensive, you can get most things from caravan & camping suppliers.
 
I don't think I can fit several additional domestic batteries for £65. On a 22 footer I won't place them either, running the outboard to charge is going to be worse than running the genny. Antisocial is generally a bit academic in the North East. What boating neighbours?
 
Running the main engine just to charge batteries is apparently not at all good for the engine and actually costs quite a lot per kWh. My last engine lasted 4000 hours over 33 years (a sailing yacht). It's replacement cost nearly 20000 euro installed. That looks like 5 euro an hour without fuel and maintenance.

In my case, I have a 12 V 80A alternator, so even with it putting out full power, that only gives me 960 Wh in one hour's running or 80 Ah into my 440 Ah battery bank. So costing me over 5 euros a kWh, just on amortisation.

A 1KW genset is costing a lot less amortised cost and fuel to create the same 1 kWh and it's not endangering my engine with bore glazing.
 
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