Generator question... Balls out or off... any way for an in-between?

[Dadnatron]

I purchased a 7Kw HF Predator Generator last year, primarily to run my welder at 220.

KY had a severe windstorm last Friday, knocking out power for over 60K. 60mph sustained winds caused havoc. I live in the country and those big beautiful trees did not take the wind well. I had 3 large walnuts pushed over and one 4ft walnut completely obliterated. It breaks my heart, but it is what it is. It took power down all over the place.

Anyway, I hooked up my generator, which was used for the HOUSE for the first time, and plugged in my refrigerator and a light. MINIMAL use, all in all. This house is a rental and I had to run an extension cord through the window which wasn't a big deal at all, but I didn't use much of the overall output of the generator.

The question is... the generator has no 'auto-regulation' of how hard it runs. Basically, it is full throttle or off. Now, when I use it for my welder, that is just fine. But I recognized that I was using FAR more gas than necessary for the power I was actually requiring. Is there anything I can do you'd recommend in this case? I suspect this is just a limitation of this particular generator. I have no complaints with it other than this aspect. It was cruising along pumping out 7Kw and I was using it for a fridge and a small fan.

I'll be putting in a Multifuel generator when I build my house, but that won't help me until then. Any thoughts ?

 

[TractorGuy]

That is how a generator has to run to regulate the frequency. Anything below a specified RPM will not produce the 60 HZ you need to match regular current.

Get a generator geared to run at 1800 RPM instead of 3600 if you want to save fuel and noise levels. IMO Diesel is the way to go.

Those multifuel generators will really get into your pocket if you run propane or NG.

 

[LouNY]

The only generators that can run at less then governed speed are the inverter style and when you go to 110/220 in those your going to be paying a bunch.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Yeah, it's normal for that style of generator. Almost full throttle to maintain 60HZ and then the Governor puts the fuel to it when loaded while trying to maintain 60 HZ (3600rpm).

Some generators of that style idle down and sense load, good for a skilsaw, but will fry your electronics, pumps and compressors.

 

[RNeumann]

The only generators that can run at less then governed speed are the inverter style and when you go to 110/220 in those your going to be paying a bunch.

This thread may help some answer the question- why pay $3000 for a generator when a $500 one will put out the same amount of power........yes they both put out the same amount of power- the extra is for convenience, noise, fuel consumption etc.

They both have their place or ideal use.

 

[Industrial Toys]

It would be interesting to know what the long term reliability of Inverter Style generators is. They make their power with transistors in which I have very little confidence, for this application and market. Especially when engineered to be cheap!

 

[Dadnatron]

Well, that is about what I expected. I did like having the power. But 15gal of gas to run a fridge for 36hr was a bit of a stretch. I can see it if I had it wired to a panel running my AC and Hot water. I would do something like this if this was my place.

Maybe I need to invest in one of those small 2kw hand portable units. But then again, I hate small tanks. That was one of the issues I had even with the 5gal tank of my generator. It made it through the night, but if I was out in the field all day, by the time I got back, it had run empty.

 

[CobyRupert]

The question is... the generator has no 'auto-regulation' of how hard it runs. Basically, it is full throttle or off. Now, when I use it for my welder, that is just fine. But I recognized that I was using FAR more gas than necessary for the power I was actually requiring. Is there anything I can do you'd recommend in this case? I suspect this is just a limitation of this particular generator. I have no complaints with it other than this aspect. It was cruising along pumping out 7Kw and I was using it for a fridge and a small fan.

Any thoughts ?

As other have noted, it "has to" run at a speed that produces 60 hertz. (Though, it doesn't really have to, most electronics don't care, but motors will.)
Yes, your genny is running full speed, but not at full power. It's only producing the power that the loads need at any given time, and is only burning the gas required to generate that power at that given time (plus what ever fuel it takes to keep the motor and genny spinning at no load (i.e.: losses, inefficiencies, etc.., not much).
If you were really producing 7kW all the time, you'd of burnt a LOT more gas.

 

[RNeumann]

Side note- why was the gen running 36hrs straight for the frig? In most cases the frig will hold the cold for that long without power.

Maybe you could just run the gen for a few hours at a time and before bed.....then sleep in silence.

 

[aczlan]

Maybe I need to invest in one of those small 2kw hand portable units. But then again, I hate small tanks. That was one of the issues I had even with the 5gal tank of my generator. It made it through the night, but if I was out in the field all day, by the time I got back, it had run empty.

Many of the inverter generators can be had with a "Extended Run" cap that you use to connect to a larger can (such as a boat gas tank), then it will automatically fill its on board tank from the boat fuel tank. Here is one: Amazon.com : iFJF Aluminum Red Extended Run Gas Cap Adapter for Honda Generator EU2i EU2i EU1i EU1i fit 1/4"NPT Line(1/8" Thick Fuel Resistant Sealing Gasket with Each Kit) : Garden & Outdoor


Aaron Z