What voltage does your generator run at?

[Oldpath05]

Do microwave and table top ovens take more volts? my 15 year old Generac 7000 watt will struggle to run them, although the generator still maintains good rpm's, I can here the micro bog down and takes longer to heat something up. So I just run the fridge, lights, tv, laptop and the most important 220 volt well pump.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

They don't take more "volts", they take more watts and amps...

SR

 

[TomSeller]

Do microwave and table top ovens take more volts? my 15 year old Generac 7000 watt will struggle to run them, although the generator still maintains good rpm's, I can here the micro bog down and takes longer to heat something up. So I just run the fridge, lights, tv, laptop and the most important 220 volt well pump.

A microwave is usually 600 to 1200 watts which on its own would not bog down a properly running 7000 watt generator. But it matters what other loads are being powered, the total load.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

I think I'd disagree. Depends on what you're going to run on it. Voltage is just as important as Hz if you're running motors or electronics. That 110v could drop to less than 80v under a load and cook motors where less than 60Hz will just make them a little noisy. Electronics will just stop working. Not good for delicate stuff. Most everything will tolerate +/_ 5% voltage but not less. And products today usually tolerate 50/60Hz without problems.

Disagree about the electronics. Older electronics had a switch in the back to switch from US 110v to European 230v, but modern electronics will take any ac source you can feed them. The specs on my APC UPS are over 40% THD, which means it's outputting a square wave. A radio would get pretty staticey, but the tanking power supply in the computer runs fine. Low frequency is more critical, since tanking power supplies lose efficiency when the power drops below 50 hz, but anything from 50-70 hz. will be fine. Power companies regulate their frequency more closely because some industrial installations still use synchronous motors, but I don't know anyone who still has a a plug-in analog clock, which was the only place to find a synchronous motor in the home.

Motors are a different situation. They will overheat given low voltage. That is because the amount of power a motor pulls depends on the load. If the voltage goes down, the current increases to compensate. This may cause resistive overheating. Very few motors larger than a 1/6 hp furnace fan or refrigerator motor run on 110v. Well pumps, air compressors, etc. are wired to run on 220/240v. because it cuts their amperage in half. A 3/4 hp garbage disposal gets by because it only runs for a few seconds at a time.

 

[Oldpath05]

A microwave is usually 600 to 1200 watts which on its own would not bog down a properly running 7000 watt generator. But it matters what other loads are being powered, the total load.

I think something's out of sink with my 7000 watt Generac, it was almost brand new when I bought it used off a friend back in 04, if I remember half-way right, it always had trouble running the micro, toaster, toaster oven, coffee maker, but since 04 have not noticed 220 well pump not running right but then again that's down the well so couldn't know if was or wasn't. Have not noticed the side by side refrigerator not running different, maybe it is and I dont know it, think it runs on 1200 watts. The 47" TV seems to operate ok along with Netflix and TBN.

So I just run fridge, TV, two laptops, few lights, 220 well pump, 220 volt hot water heater>from 3-9pm and you can tell when that kicks in. So add this all up and it doesn't max out my meters on my transfer switch box, two meters that go to 3750 watts ea. the transfer box has 6>110 switches and 2> 220 volt switches. I'm thinking of sticking my finger in the Generac outlet and see if I can feel 110 volts coming out, that way I'll know if it's in wack or out of wack, probably only putting out 109 volts.

 

[Coyote machine]

I think something's out of sink with my 7000 watt Generac, it was almost brand new when I bought it used off a friend back in 04, if I remember half-way right, it always had trouble running the micro, toaster, toaster oven, coffee maker, but since 04 have not noticed 220 well pump not running right but then again that's down the well so couldn't know if was or wasn't. Have not noticed the side by side refrigerator not running different, maybe it is and I dont know it, think it runs on 1200 watts. The 47" TV seems to operate ok along with Netflix and TBN.

So I just run fridge, TV, two laptops, few lights, 220 well pump, 220 volt hot water heater>from 3-9pm and you can tell when that kicks in. So add this all up and it doesn't max out my meters on my transfer switch box, two meters that go to 3750 watts ea. the transfer box has 6>110 switches and 2> 220 volt switches. I'm thinking of sticking my finger in the Generac outlet and see if I can feel 110 volts coming out, that way I'll know if it's in wack or out of wack, probably only putting out 109 volts.

You're missing the point; if TBN and Netflix are working -NOTHING else matters!:cool2:
Instead of using your middle finger to test for in or out of 'whack', try buying even a cheap VOM and testing it that way. You might need that finger to type your reply on TBN.

 

[Oldpath05]

You're missing the point; if TBN and Netflix are working -NOTHING else matters!:cool2:
Instead of using your middle finger to test for in or out of 'whack', try buying even a cheap VOM and testing it that way. You might need that finger to type your reply on TBN.

You may be right, sometime this summer when I get a few minutes, I'll check it out but if it is out of wack whack, I wont know what to do but wack whack it again, with a Ford wrench.......

 

[buickanddeere]

Microwave could be dumping harmonics and noise back into the generator which could send a false signal to an electronic voltage regulator .
Microwave here also sounds wonky when on gen set power.

 

[TomSeller]

Microwave could be dumping harmonics and noise back into the generator which could send a false signal to an electronic voltage regulator .

Interesting thought.

 

[dirt ditch]

Do microwave and table top ovens take more volts? my 15 year old Generac 7000 watt will struggle to run them, although the generator still maintains good rpm's, I can here the micro bog down and takes longer to heat something up. So I just run the fridge, lights, tv, laptop and the most important 220 volt well pump.

Last January we had to run our 8500w run/10,000w surge generator for 5 days because of an ice storm. The 220v well pump starting up was the only thing that would cause the generator to throttle up for an instant. The generator ran everything with no problems, but our 1000w microwave did sound like it was struggling to work. My wife and I could both tell there was something wrong with the way the microwave was running. The humming sound was slower and it had a constantly changed pitch. We decided not use it on generator power. After grid power came back on the microwave worked fine.