Generator Issues

[TBone]

I've got a similar generator that plugs into a L14-30 outlet just like yours does. I have my outlet wired into my inside panel that contains all of my 120v circuits and have a lock-out device on my panel so that it is fed from either my outside panel or my generator but cannot be fed from both. This protects the generator and also prevents an accidental backfeed into the the power grid. Since my inside panel supplies all of my 120v circuits I can turn the breakers on one at the time and isolate a problem circuit if I have one. You should not have a problem running your microwave and a few other low draw items. The problem might be the microwave not liking the power your generator is producing, like someone else already said.

 

[Jchonline]

Could your well have been running as well? Yes 100ft vs 40 ft will have quite a bit more resistance and therefore V drop. Test it again with the same loads at 40ft and see how it works.

 

[TBone]

Could your well have been running as well? Yes 100ft vs 40 ft will have quite a bit more resistance and therefore V drop. Test it again with the same loads at 40ft and see how it works.

OP stated that the well was NOT running at the time.

 

[Jchonline]

KillaWatt is great if you have a 2 or 3 prong standard plug to plug into it. If we are talking direct wired appliances/mechanicals it won't help. The generator will tell you the % load correct? At least mine does.

 

[Jchonline]

OP stated that the well was NOT running at the time.

I see that farther down now.

It sounds like the OP really doesn't know what was running. I would start with figuring out the actual loads and try to plug 1 at a time up to re-create the issue. You can also use a multimeter (the caliper type are great for putting over 1 cable) to check the Volts/Amps then calculate the total watts.

A coffee maker will pull 1000-1500 watts a piece. A microwave about the same. Being off grid I think about loads all the time.

 

[Topzide]

10 ga is rated for 30 amps and at 100 + feet, that's quite the strain on generator! I would use 8/4 so cord on that long of a run. I use 6/4 so on a 10k - 12k surge at 50 ft and have run my hvac to cut humidity after a tropical storm. Had everything else turned off. It's a 3 ton unit. Was a bit of a struggle but managed it! Coffee pots, toasters, electric water heaters are heavy hard loads due to elements for heating! Could've been a fluke but need to know loads you need to run when off the grid on backup power.

 

[grsthegreat]

The instructions I post on all my portable gen installs with interlock say to shut off ALL 2 pole breakers, and to cycle them as needed. You never know when an automatic device decides to turn on.

 

[s219]

Regardless, we know the 100' cord won't help things. It doesn't take much voltage drop to result in a bottleneck. Because the appliance/load/whatever wants to pull a certain amount of watts, when voltage drops the current will try to ramp up to compensate and then the cord becomes like a restricted pipe.

 

[travisbb]

Since the cord is one thing you know you've changed, if you still have the old cord you could try again with that.

However, unless there was a surprisingly high load on the generator (I don't know what it could be though) that sounds like a more than adequate generator. Have you eliminated things like a dirty carb (not run in a while?), bad gas (ditto), and forgetting to turn the choke off (everybody's done it)? Those are the sorts of things which will make the engine weaker than its rating and struggle at much lower power usage.

A guy I know once had low power and high fuel consumption with his generator because the spark plug came loose. It sounded fine with no load, but struggled under load.

 

[PILOON]

Another handy tool to measure loads is a clamp on ammeter.
Decent units on the web are quite affordable.
Unlike 'kill a watt' it will also measure 220 vac.

 

[TheMan419]

Was the microwave the only thing running on the generator at that time?

Dehumidifier in the basement.
Couple of lights in the bedroom (60watt x 4)
1 ceiling fan.

Generator is rated at 6500 watts running.

Microwave is 1000 watts. The rest of that stuff should not be 5500 watts.

 

[TheMan419]

Since the cord is one thing you know you've changed, if you still have the old cord you could try again with that.

However, unless there was a surprisingly high load on the generator (I don't know what it could be though) that sounds like a more than adequate generator. Have you eliminated things like a dirty carb (not run in a while?), bad gas (ditto), and forgetting to turn the choke off (everybody's done it)? Those are the sorts of things which will make the engine weaker than its rating and struggle at much lower power usage.

A guy I know once had low power and high fuel consumption with his generator because the spark plug came loose. It sounded fine with no load, but struggled under load.

Yes I have the old cord still. I will run a test this weekend with that cord and the microwave.

Choke was not out because I had a lesson with the wife about starting generator and pushing choke back in was one of the steps

Interesting about teh spark plug. I'll check it.

Fuel was fresh.

 

[LouNY]

Another consideration is how well the load was balanced,
if the majority of the load was on one leg it would severely curtail the available power.
6900 watts divided by 240 volt yields about 28 amp.
But if the load was being carried by just one leg it can cause issues.

 

[MossRoad]

Dehumidifier in the basement.
Couple of lights in the bedroom (60watt x 4)
1 ceiling fan.

Generator is rated at 6500 watts running.

Microwave is 1000 watts. The rest of that stuff should not be 5500 watts.

dehumidifier 1000
lights 240
fan 120
microwave 1100

2460watts, maybe more with surge.

Maybe they are all on the same leg of the generator?

Are all those breakers on the same side of your panel?

 

[MossRoad]

Another consideration is how well the load was balanced,
if the majority of the load was on one leg it would severely curtail the available power.
6900 watts divided by 240 volt yields about 28 amp.
But if the load was being carried by just one leg it can cause issues.

Like he said.

 

[HEC]

You guys have given Lots of great information on this issue . I was new to generators a few years ago and overloaded my generator and ended having to replace a well pump and oil burner motor as they were trying to keep going without the proper current and didn't like it very well . Costly error on my part . I now have two and one is the inverter type for sensitive electronics .

 

[Larry Caldwell]

On 110v you only get half the wattage from each leg, so if you only tap one for 110v appliances you max continuous is 3450. Ignore the peak output, which is momentary and depends on the flywheel effect to pick up momentary loads. If your engine is derated for anything from dirty spark plugs to running on E10, NG or propane, you will get less than 6900 watts continuous.

If you have a 2 hp well pump, common for submersibles, you don't have much power left to run anything else.

 

[TheMan419]

When panel was installed electricial said that odd numbered breakers were on one leg and even on the other leg. I will have to check if all of those things were on the same leg.

Good info here and lots of stuff to trouble shoot over the weekend. I'll pull the spark plug too and see if it is fouled.

E10 gas is not the issue as it has always been run on E10 and have not had this problem in the past.

 

[workinonit]

How long has it been since you last ran the gen? The adverse affect of ethenol is not immediate, it degrades components over time. When tis was happening was the gen just running with a loaded sound or was it running roughly?

 

[Larry Caldwell]

E10 cuts your horsepower a few %. If you want to boost your horsepower a few %, add a little kerosene to the gas. Don't overdo it or you will have trouble starting the engine. Those of us who farmed decades ago drove a John Deere with a 1 gallon gas tank and a big fuel tank that we filled with stove oil. Once the engine got warmed up, it would generate more power from the stove oil, but you had to switch back to gas before you shut down or you would have to drain the carb to get it started next time. Fuel makes a difference.