Interesting...not that I'm doubting your #'s but my 1/2 HP 240V set at 110' draws about 4200W on initial start up confirmed by the watts gauge on my transfer panel...if it's accurate. I'm waiting for an amp probe that I ordered to confirm actual amperage drawn during start and running.
Another generator query
- Thread starter TCBoomer
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Interesting...not that I'm doubting your #'s but my 1/2 HP 240V set at 110' draws about 4200W on initial start up confirmed by the watts gauge on my transfer panel...if it's accurate. I'm waiting for an amp probe that I ordered to confirm actual amperage drawn during start and running.
Thanks for the info guys, I greatly appreciate it!! We got power back this afternoon, but it's been on and off a few times. Back on now, but for how long?
A buddy who got power back loaned me his genny yesterday, and it was nice to have running water again!! Since it was a borrowed unit I was very selective on how much load I put on it. I paid close attention to the wattage drawn and as I just mentioned, I was a little surprised my well pump drew about 4200W at initial start up. Then I noticed the coffee maker drew about 2100W at start up(then back to about 500W after it finished) but every few minutes or so it would surge up to 1500W for a moment. I assume this is due to the heater element. I made a mental note about the wattage for several items, but I plan to go back again and test run all the basic needs and write it down. When I get my amp probe I'll repeat the tests and measure the actual amperage. The reason for doing this is...based on my observations this AM...I'm starting to believe I overloaded my 5500XL last fall with Irene and caused the well pump to fail.
With that said...I'm on to my next query...a larger generator.
Just spent the last hour looking online and if I'm not mistaken, all the portable Honda units are splash lubrication? If so...Honda or not, forget it. Just my opinion though if what I found is correct.
So now back to Generac...so far, my research and what I've heard about them is above par, in general. Some negative comments but those were mostly the lower end units. The larger units had rave reviews. I found this model and it was love at first sight
Might be a little overkill but I would think this unit will remove any chance of overloading again. At least for my usage and I do plan to test each and every item I want to run during an outage and document it for future ref. Amazon has this unit for $2700 but Sears has it for $2042, which I'm currently exploring.
Any comments, suggestions or opinions about this one would be appreciated!
Thanks!!
A buddy who got power back loaned me his genny yesterday, and it was nice to have running water again!! Since it was a borrowed unit I was very selective on how much load I put on it. I paid close attention to the wattage drawn and as I just mentioned, I was a little surprised my well pump drew about 4200W at initial start up. Then I noticed the coffee maker drew about 2100W at start up(then back to about 500W after it finished) but every few minutes or so it would surge up to 1500W for a moment. I assume this is due to the heater element. I made a mental note about the wattage for several items, but I plan to go back again and test run all the basic needs and write it down. When I get my amp probe I'll repeat the tests and measure the actual amperage. The reason for doing this is...based on my observations this AM...I'm starting to believe I overloaded my 5500XL last fall with Irene and caused the well pump to fail.
With that said...I'm on to my next query...a larger generator.
Just spent the last hour looking online and if I'm not mistaken, all the portable Honda units are splash lubrication? If so...Honda or not, forget it. Just my opinion though if what I found is correct.
So now back to Generac...so far, my research and what I've heard about them is above par, in general. Some negative comments but those were mostly the lower end units. The larger units had rave reviews. I found this model and it was love at first sight
Might be a little overkill but I would think this unit will remove any chance of overloading again. At least for my usage and I do plan to test each and every item I want to run during an outage and document it for future ref. Amazon has this unit for $2700 but Sears has it for $2042, which I'm currently exploring.Any comments, suggestions or opinions about this one would be appreciated!
Thanks!!
Speaking of overloading a generator...
I'll skip all the details but when I first noticed the well pump problems last fall during the Irene outage, I shut off the transfer panel. With the genny running-no load, I found one side of the 240V was dead...no voltage measured at the genny itself. The other side read about 108V IIRC. Shut it down and pushed it in the corner. I did pop of the end cover of the power head and nothing burnt or loose or any odor. Figured it was dead.
A year later...thanks to Sandy... a discussion else where led me to investigate and test a little deeper. Before I proceeded, I started it up and measured voltage again...no load just to verify my last tests. NOW it reads 128V on both sides. Prior to connecting the gen to the house, I thought I had found a cable/plug problem because I only measured 26V and 90V at the plug for the house cable. Took apart both plugs and nothing found. Put the plugs back together, read ok now. No idea what happened there but it read 128V on both legs going into the house. Fired up the genny, switched on a couple circuits at the transfer panel. Just lights at first which were nice and bright. Lamp outlets in the house read 126-127V as well. Flipped on the fridge(empty) and it too was fine and within an hour it reached operating temp. Left lamps and fridge on for 3 hours and all was good. No well pump yet as I was still concerned about smoking it again.
Next night with just 2 lights and the empty fridge running, I noticed a rapid flicker with the lights...fridge light included. Added a resistive load (toaster) and no change...still flicker. Forget it, all bets off and I'm not taking chance with this genny again. Being a big box item, didn't feel confident it was worth putting any $$ into a 12 yr old gen. Then I get my buddies genny...a Honda 5500W/6500W and his did the same thing with the rapid flicker. Was told this is a common problem with single cyl gensets. yet during the handful+ times I used my 550XL over 12 yrs, I never noticed this rapid flicker other than the normal dimming when a load was put on it.
Any comments about this matter?
How or why did the genny fix itself with no repair? I did hit the breakers last fall and again this time, maybe a breaker on the genny?
I'll skip all the details but when I first noticed the well pump problems last fall during the Irene outage, I shut off the transfer panel. With the genny running-no load, I found one side of the 240V was dead...no voltage measured at the genny itself. The other side read about 108V IIRC. Shut it down and pushed it in the corner. I did pop of the end cover of the power head and nothing burnt or loose or any odor. Figured it was dead.
A year later...thanks to Sandy... a discussion else where led me to investigate and test a little deeper. Before I proceeded, I started it up and measured voltage again...no load just to verify my last tests. NOW it reads 128V on both sides. Prior to connecting the gen to the house, I thought I had found a cable/plug problem because I only measured 26V and 90V at the plug for the house cable. Took apart both plugs and nothing found. Put the plugs back together, read ok now. No idea what happened there but it read 128V on both legs going into the house. Fired up the genny, switched on a couple circuits at the transfer panel. Just lights at first which were nice and bright. Lamp outlets in the house read 126-127V as well. Flipped on the fridge(empty) and it too was fine and within an hour it reached operating temp. Left lamps and fridge on for 3 hours and all was good. No well pump yet as I was still concerned about smoking it again.
Next night with just 2 lights and the empty fridge running, I noticed a rapid flicker with the lights...fridge light included. Added a resistive load (toaster) and no change...still flicker. Forget it, all bets off and I'm not taking chance with this genny again. Being a big box item, didn't feel confident it was worth putting any $$ into a 12 yr old gen. Then I get my buddies genny...a Honda 5500W/6500W and his did the same thing with the rapid flicker. Was told this is a common problem with single cyl gensets. yet during the handful+ times I used my 550XL over 12 yrs, I never noticed this rapid flicker other than the normal dimming when a load was put on it.
Any comments about this matter?
How or why did the genny fix itself with no repair? I did hit the breakers last fall and again this time, maybe a breaker on the genny?
cobb71
Member
Thanks to sandy, 18 in of snow high winds and trees all over, my titan 7500 saved our butt. We are in our sixth day without power and I got tired of cold showers. Today reading a generator thread i ordered a rural king 15000 pto gen. This our second outage in 4 months. Now that we got the big one we wont have another outage for years, although I hear there may be another noreaster on its way. Be safe
aczlan
Good Morning
- Joined
- Mar 7, 2008
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- 17,540
- Tractor
- Kubota L3830GST, B7500HST, BX2660. Formerly: Case 480F LL, David Brown 880UE
A large part of that is probbaly due to the distance and wiring. Those numbers are with a motor getting a full 120 or 240 volts. By the time you go 100' across the yard and 100-500 feet down the well, you may be down to 105 volts at the motor itself and as such, you could use lots more the watts that the motor's nameplate says.
Someone on here mentioned that when he switched the wire in his 200' deep well from 12 gauge to 10 gauge, his 5500 watt generator which would could JUST start it before (and then only with nothing else running) could start it without much fuss (I might be mis-remembering the depth and generator size, it was a while back).
Aaron Z
hr3
Veteran Member
TC you don't mention what your current generator is so I'll ask a general question,, have you checked your brushes "if it has them" on the unit ?? They could be hanging up or worn,, "making sometimes and not others",, If the voltage reg. were bad it should just stay the same or get worse..
Generac 5500XL 5500W rated 6500W surge purchased 1999 from HomeDepot. About 130 hrs on it now 100 or so was from Irene.
No idea if it has brushes or how to access them without major disassembly...or so it appears. Someone was willing to walk me through some diag earlier this week but when i found the voltage output ok i decided to give it a try again.
The rapid flicker...not severe but noticeable ... with the house lamp gave me enough concern to stop using it. Never noticed it before and yet my buddys Honda causes the same thing. Normal?? Don't know for sure but told it was with single cyl generators.
Edited to add...i now believe i overloaded it towards the end if the Irene outage.
Huffmang
New member
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- Oct 21, 2012
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- 20
- Location
- Warm Springs VA.
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- 1936 F-20 Farmall John Deere H 165 Massey Ferguson
Good choice. Honda motors are hard to beat.
Yes, if the wire is close to, at, or below the minimum size for the application, you can get a much higher current surge on start up than normal. Cable length is of course, also a factor.
When in doubt during installation, spend the money, and run a larger cable.
Some fast flicker is noticeable on some of my lighting, when I use my generator. If you spend enough money for a generator, I am sure they buffer it out.
I experience an outage exceeding 3 hours, on the average of once every 12 years here. So, though I would love to have a massive, propane fueled, automatic standby generator, it's not economically sensible for me.
When in doubt during installation, spend the money, and run a larger cable.
Some fast flicker is noticeable on some of my lighting, when I use my generator. If you spend enough money for a generator, I am sure they buffer it out.
I experience an outage exceeding 3 hours, on the average of once every 12 years here. So, though I would love to have a massive, propane fueled, automatic standby generator, it's not economically sensible for me.
