Generator question....portable

While we are on the topic..
does anyone have expreience with the generators that are actually DC
units with electronic inverters to make AC. That seems like a good
idea but I wonder about the surge capability. A regular generator can
handle a very large surge load due to it's mechanical interia is used
to over come the mechnical interia of the motor it is trying to start.
But a gen with an inverter may trip on overload when trying to start a
motor. Anybody have experience with this?

Mark

Posted by Jim Redelfs on March 31, 2008, 9:37 am

In article

> does anyone have expreience with the generators that are actually DC

> units with electronic inverters to make AC. That seems like a good

> idea but I wonder about the surge capability. A regular generator can

> handle a very large surge load due to it's mechanical interia is used

> to over come the mechnical interia of the motor it is trying to start.

> But a gen with an inverter may trip on overload when trying to start a

> motor. Anybody have experience with this?

Yes. My Honda EU2000i handles start-up surge just fine.
--
:)
JR

Posted by ransley on March 31, 2008, 11:09 am

> Rich wrote:

> >>I'm in the market for a portable generator and just need it to run the

> >>fridge the furnace and just small things after that. I went on a few web=

> >>sites and they seem to be geared to running your whole house instead of

> >>just

> >>a few things to get past the storm or what ever. I live SW of Chicago an=

> >>the longest I've been without power was 3 days when a tornado came

> >>through.

> >>I would like to buy one that would get me by for a day or two at the mos=

> >>and only run the basics. What I'm having trouble with is sizing the unit=

> >>to

> >>my needs. Sump pump, furnace, fridge and some lighting but I have all

> >>compact fluorescents.

> >>Thanks for any advice, especially from someone that has this basic setup=

> >>Rich

> > Something else to consider, is how you balance the load so you dont

> > burn our the unit, its two legs make 220, using only one is not

> > correct, thats where a transfer panel makes it work safely.

> Please explain. =A0Do transfer panels do dynamic load balancing?

> Boden

> > OK I've been looking at more units and switches and I think I'm going to=

use

> > my 16HP Briggs engine and get a 5500 watt PTO unit and make the generato=

> > from that. Then use the money I didn't spend on an engine to get a trans=

fer

> > switch and set this up properly.

> > Thanks for all who helped, Rich- Hide quoted text -

> - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text -

> - Show quoted text -

My 6 circuit Generac has 2 amp meters, one for each leg, you are
supposed to wire the apliance loads to balance it as best you can, and
monitor it through the amp meters so you can visualy see if you are
operating it safely. Im sure expensive multi circuit units are better,
but this is a safe way to do it. It is so you dont try to run
everything off one leg of the unit, and burn it up.

Posted by on April 1, 2008, 9:07 am

> > I'm in the market for a portable generator and just need it to run the

> > fridge the furnace and just small things after that. I went on a few web=

> > sites and they seem to be geared to running your whole house instead of

> > just

> > a few things to get past the storm or what ever. I live SW of Chicago an=

> > the longest I've been without power was 3 days when a tornado came

> > through.

> > I would like to buy one that would get me by for a day or two at the mos=

> > and only run the basics. What I'm having trouble with is sizing the unit=

> > to

> > my needs. Sump pump, furnace, fridge and some lighting but I have all

> > compact fluorescents.

> > Thanks for any advice, especially from someone that has this basic setup=

> > Rich

> Something else to consider, is how you balance the load so you dont

> burn our the unit, its two legs make 220, using only one is not

> correct, thats where a transfer panel makes it work safely.

> OK I've been looking at more units and switches and I think I'm going to u=

> my 16HP Briggs engine and get a 5500 watt PTO unit and make the generator

> from that. Then use the money I didn't spend on an engine to get a transfe=

> switch and set this up properly.

Am I the only one that sees problems with this? Like with a normal
generator bought as a unit, isn't there a better governor mechanism
that keeps the speed more constant as opposed to what you will get
with a bolt together approach?

Posted by on April 1, 2008, 9:10 am