I'm not an Electrician

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Rick53

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I'm not a professional but hope I can get some advice. I built a home 25 years ago . I wired a transfer switch into the panel . Wired in an outlet . Just never had the need for a generator as Power outages were no existent. But in the last 3 years I have had several. The advice I am hoping to get is simply : Do I get an Inverter Generator or just a traditional one ? I read a lot of hype but can't get a decent answer. Everyone wants to sell you the most expensive unit . Do I really need all that to power up a Few things for a week or so.\? Thanks :
Again I'm just asking for a professional opinion . Thank you kindly
 
By "inverter generator" are you referring to a battery as the source of energy instead of a generator as the source? There are a whole of of "it depends" responses you'll get. I have been trying to move away from mechanical generators, so I have a bias toward battery storage of energy and that would lead to "inverter generator"... if I'm reading what you mean here.

HOWEVER, in a small phrase at the end you said "for a week or so" and that might rule out all but the larger battery-storage systems. You can always keep pouring gasoline into your generator.
 
Size depends on what you want to run. If you have a well pump, you probably want something around the 5-6kw size minimum. With small generators you really pay for quiet. Those typical ones you get at big box are fine but usually rather load. Inverter types seem to be more quiet. I wouldn't buy an inverter type just because of the "clean" power, I've never had any problems with conventional ones.
 
Inverter generators, where the prime mover runs a DC generator and the DC is inverted to provide the 60Hz AC, are significantly more expensive. But the decoupling between the generator RPM and the output frequency allows the prime mover to run a lower RPM during partial load conditions. This greatly increases engine life and reduces engine noise level when the generator is not a full load.
This combination of advantages makes them desirable for portable use where generator noise would be a problem, such as powering booths at a street fair, or where engine life is important.
But it is not clear to me that the potential advantages outweigh the increased cost and complexity for a full house stationary generator installation.
For long run times, an 1800 RP prime mover can give the extended life and reduced maintenance without the high initial expense.
 
paullmullen said:
You can always keep pouring gasoline into your generator.
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You might want to consider propane instead of gasoline. No storage problems and easier to swap out rather than pouring gasoline.

But Goldigger is right. If you have extended run times and frequent outages then a permanent installation is the way to go.

-Hal
 
I've been hearing the term "Inverter alot lately on some electric motors. Esspecially wall AC's On them It reduces the need for the motor to run at high performance when not neccesary.
On a portable generator it seems it used to be called load controll or something.

It doesn't matter how exspensive it is. You're still going to need to learn how to clean the carburetor. The guy at the repair shop says it's because of the gas.
 
If you have a lot of electronics the inverter generator provides a more stable power than a standard generator. It uses electronics to stabilize the sine wave even under a slower generator speed caused by loading. A standard generator will fluctuate a sine wave with speed of engine slowing due to loading. Also this leads to needing a larger standard generator than an inverter one to get the same constant power even though technically rated the same.
 
I had a customer ask me the same thing, and was very happy with my recommendation of the standard type.
 
Fred B said:
If you have a lot of electronics the inverter generator provides a more stable power than a standard generator. It uses electronics to stabilize the sine wave even under a slower generator speed caused by loading. A standard generator will fluctuate a sine wave with speed of engine slowing due to loading.
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That, and an inverter delivers a clean 60Hz sine wave, not a waveform that can be full of spikes and distortions. I once had an outage where I had to connect a UPS powered server to a standard generator for a customer. The UPS kept turning off and on because it saw dirty power. I had to eliminate the UPS to keep the server running but I wonder what the power was doing to it.

-Hal
 
GoldDigger said:
Inverter generators, where the prime mover runs a DC generator and the DC is inverted to provide the 60Hz AC, are significantly more expensive. But the decoupling between the generator RPM and the output frequency allows the prime mover to run a lower RPM during partial load conditions. This greatly increases engine life and reduces engine noise level when the generator is not a full load.
This combination of advantages makes them desirable for portable use where generator noise would be a problem, such as powering booths at a street fair, or where engine life is important.
But it is not clear to me that the potential advantages outweigh the increased cost and complexity for a full house stationary generator installation.
For long run times, an 1800 RP prime mover can give the extended life and reduced maintenance without the high initial expense.
Click to expand...
Those inverter generators like you are describing can have the ability to connect additional units together to gain more capacity if needed as well. They will synch themselves where a small conventional generators just are not normally equipped to synch up with another source, and for informational purposes to the OP AC supplies that are not in phase with one another if interconnected doesn't normally have desirable results, something is usually going to fail.
 
hbiss said:
That, and an inverter delivers a clean 60Hz sine wave, not a waveform that can be full of spikes and distortions. I once had an outage where I had to connect a UPS powered server to a standard generator for a customer. The UPS kept turning off and on because it saw dirty power. I had to eliminate the UPS to keep the server running but I wonder what the power was doing to it.

-Hal
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Thanks . That's why I asked the question . With a home now 25 years old appliances are starting to wear out . Everything New is this smart dumb technology . I'm not concerned about my well pump. I'm concerned about my large freezers that are smart tech. They even have a setting if I were Jewish to auto shut off on shabat . ;) Thanks for the input
 
Dennis Alwon said:
I am allowing this post as the op is only asking for advice not "how to".
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Thanks I won't abuse the forum rules . Thanks for allowing me to ask . Much appreciated. Although in some ways I don't understand why electricians won't give advice to lay people. Is there some law that prohibits this ? I notice that Professional Power washers do the same . Just curious .
 
LarryFine said:
I had a customer ask me the same thing, and was very happy with my recommendation of the standard type.
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Yep the electrical store I frequent told me the same thing . Westinghouse does make a Traditional unit that has a THD of 5%. Most Inverters are 3% and traditional generators are 23%. Since posting I have learned that 7KW runs pretty much most household things. It's the surge that makes the difference.
 
Rick53 said:
Although in some ways I don't understand why electricians won't give advice to lay people. Is there some law that prohibits this ?
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I can't answer for Power Washers but there are liabilities associated with electrical advice be it wrong, incomplete, or misunderstood.

We don't know what a layperson may not be asking or including that is pertinent to the root question.
 
Rick53 said:
Although in some ways I don't understand why electricians won't give advice to lay people. Is there some law that prohibits this ?
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As a very simplistic example, suppose you asked how to wire something, and we drew you a diagram, but we just presumed that you knew the connections need to be insulated.
 
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roger said:
I can't answer for Power Washers but there are liabilities associated with electrical advice be it wrong, incomplete, or misunderstood.

We don't know what a layperson may not be asking or including that is pertinent to the root question.
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Thanks . wrong advice is easy to find . It's in every DIY forum I've been in .
 
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