Thread: Generator issues

My cheapo 3500 inverter gen set just decided to randomly sieze, so I grabbed a spare that a mate had sitting idle.
It took a bit of tweaking, but I got it running. However! As soon as I put a load on, in this case a 2.4 kw heater onto a generator rated to 3100w, the gen packs a sad. Guessing it is alack of voltage ?
Is it worth pissing around with or do I bite the bullet and buy new ?

What model had the seize ?

Someone might have a motor


Sounds like your loading it up considerably

What’s the 2.4 heater for ?

Can u use firewood ?

I dont consider lit to be loading up when gen set is rated to 3.1 and heater only 2.4.
Heater is a bi of an experiment due to design of the house. Wood is my go to

Originally Posted by Pengy

I dont consider lit to be loading up when gen set is rated to 3.1 and heater only 2.4.
Heater is a bi of an experiment due to design of the house. Wood is my go to

It’s probably a Chinese 2400 watts.

Or the heater is trying to drag 4.1 on crank up until it settles in to it's work. Some things drag a scary amount of power in the first few moments of switching on, it's normally considered a motor startup thing but I've been surprised by it with a couple of other devices that normally aren't considered high load on startup.

A 2400w heater off a 3k geny will probably struggle due to the draw. 3 k is peak. If its a variable heater try turning down temp and see if it works.

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Generators are rated at kva, which is a bigger number than KW, so looks better written on the side of the generator. Generators usually have a power factor of 0.8. They also hate going to maximum power when cold.

If you are simply using it to run a heater, you would be far far better off running a Chinese diesel heater made for RV's. About 3 hundy and will produce 3-5kw of heat all night long for a couple of litres of diesel burnt

When got our bach to save some money I purchased a cheapo 3.1kVA inverter generator for ocassional vacuum cleaner, power tools, top up batteries if solar is poor, etc. Thought it'd be fine a surge rating was supposedly 4.2kVA. But it needed slow ramp up of the 1300W vacuum cleaner otherwise would cut out! Couldn't handle a 850W grinder. Piece of crap.
Brought a Honda EU20i and has zero issues with any of my loads. Quiet. Starts every time even after months of no use. Should have followed almost everyone's advice and brought Honda in first place. Lesson learnt. If buying an ocassional use generator buy a Honda.
EU20 has been discontinued (now EU22) but if you're wanting to run 2.4kW continious you'd need the EU30 anyway.

I stuffed my inverter gen a year ago but the shop fixed it for me
I was told I need to double up the req watt for loading up.
E.g. 2.4KW heater, you need a 5kw inverter to be on the safe side.

Originally Posted by uk_exile

When got our bach to save some money I purchased a cheapo 3.1kVA inverter generator for ocassional vacuum cleaner, power tools, top up batteries if solar is poor, etc. Thought it'd be fine a surge rating was supposedly 4.2kVA. But it needed slow ramp up of the 1300W vacuum cleaner otherwise would cut out! Couldn't handle a 850W grinder. Piece of crap.
Brought a Honda EU20i and has zero issues with any of my loads. Quiet. Starts every time even after months of no use. Should have followed almost everyone's advice and brought Honda in first place. Lesson learnt. If buying an ocassional use generator buy a Honda.
EU20 has been discontinued (now EU22) but if you're wanting to run 2.4kW continious you'd need the EU30 anyway.

A man with sense!!

Pengy, by a 6kva good quality unit and walk away. Probably $3-$4k. Or find a good quality secondhand one.

The original (siezed ) geny is a Powertec 3100 inverter model from Repco. Had it for almost four years and not done big hours as I only used it to run washing machine etc etc and top up house battery now and then.
The borrowed replacement is another chinese job, Powermax xpg3000, rated 2700 w to max 3100.
Interesting that the first time I used this one to run washing machine, the wash cycle stalled part way and wont carry on. This never happened with the old generator, which is what made me suspect low voltage. It would be a bastard if my washing machine has crapped out at same time as the generator but then old Murphy works in odd ways

Pengy, by a 6kva good quality unit and walk away. Probably $3-$4k. Or find a good quality secondhand one.

Originally Posted by Maca49

Pengy, by a 6kva good quality unit and walk away. Probably $3-$4k. Or find a good quality secondhand one.

Honda or Dunlite are two good makes, sold heaps of the Hondas, they were assembled in NZ, coupled to an Italian alternator, no longer made, they were an open frame model.
Your better with an inverter model for computer TVs etc, give a stable, clean sine wave.

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