Coleman Powermate Premium 6250-Watt Portable Generator?

Question

My husband & I jusr ordered this generator. We live in South Floirda & are tired of no power whenever a hurricane hits. It was a bit costly. Any reviews out there ? Did we get a good deal ? We paid $547. We also have never used a generator in our lives. Any safety tips ? We were thinking of putting it in the garage (with the garage door open) if we lose power, is that smart ? We really are looking for review both positive & negative & safety tips. Is it really noisy ? Thanks !!!

Answer 1

A couple of years ago, a severe ice storm knocked out power in my area for almost two weeks. We were prepared with a generator a lot like yours. While we has natural gas for heat, we had to use the generator to power the forced air blower in the furnace as well as power the refrigerator and freezer. It was a pain, but we came through it a lot better than out neighbors. No loss of food, no frozen pipes, and no stay in a motel. Just a couple of days of missed work because the roads were impassible.

I agree with the other answers. Do not run it in your garage. Carbon monoxide fumes will find their way into your house.

You have bought a decent generator at a competitive price. Now you need to know how to use it.

Do not try to connect your generator to your electrical service panel. It can be done, but requires special equipment and should only be done by a licensed electrician.

Plan ahead for a disaster. You will be limited with the number of electrical appliances you can plug into the generator. Calculate the load of each appliance you plan to plug into the generator so you don't overload it. Plan to run your freezer and refregerator sporadically and do not open them unless absolutely necessary. The same goes for any other appliances. Make sure you have enough heavy duty extension cords to reach all of the equipment you plan to power. I would buy a Coleman stove for cooking instead of burdening the generator with the task of powering an electric range. I would also heat water on the Coleman stove for "rat baths" instead of powering an electric water heater. If you are getting the picture that food preservation is the priority, you are right. Keep in mind that your generator will use a lot of gasoline and you must keep an eye on the oil. Plenty of both is essential.

Storage of gasoline is a problem. It is best to use metal gasoline cans designed for the safe (fume free) storage of gasoline. They are pricey, but worth the investment. I would have at least fifty gallons available for an extended emergency. If you fill the containers in anticipation of a hurricane, and the storm does not materialize, use the gas in your automobile and buy fresh gasoline when the next storm is predicted.

The owner's manual for your generator should give you a pretty good idea as to the safe number of appliances you can safely power with your generator. Best practice is to only run what you absolutely have to.

I hope this information helps.

Good luck this storm season.

Answer 2

Coleman Powermate 6250 Generator

Answer 3

No internal combustion engine should be run in your garage, even with the door open. Carbon Monoxide can infiltrate your home and at a minimum cause head ache and nausea, at worst it can kill you.

Second, most important electrical issue. You MUST disconnect your home from the utility grid, ANY TIME you are running the generator. If the power comes back on while you are hooked to the grid, the unit WILL be damaged. You may also put enough power back onto the grid that can injure an unsuspecting line man. You will be responsible for any injury or damage that you cause.

Now for the generator. You get what you pay for. Most portable generators are not brush type, which means that the alternator can be damaged by inductive electrical loads (motor starting), such as an air conditioner or refrigerator when they start.

Your best bet (if you own your home) is to buy a home standby unit with an automatic transfer switch. I believe Home Depot sells a complete package with a transfer switch for about $2800. It sits outside, usually powered by natural gas or LP (so you won't have to worry about finding gasoline) and will automatically start when the power fails. They are generally made to last longer and run for more hours than a portable, and are usually quieter. Briggs and Stratton, Kohler, and Generac are all pretty good names, but I think Generac has the best service network and is the easiest to hook up.

Answer 4

Coleman 6250 Generator

Answer 5

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RE:
Coleman Powermate Premium 6250-Watt Portable Generator?
My husband & I jusr ordered this generator. We live in South Floirda & are tired of no power whenever a hurricane hits. It was a bit costly. Any reviews out there ? Did we get a good deal ? We paid $547. We also have never used a generator in our lives. Any safety tips ? We were thinking of...

Answer 6

DO NOT run it in your garage! Even with the door open.

Make sure you shut it off while filling with gas.

You get what you pay for. The alternator quality is suspect and the engine is junk.

Better choices would have been;

Briggs and Stratton
Troy-Bilt
Craftman
Honda

Honda is quieter, but much more costly than the rest.