Sine wave Inverter type back up generator for well pump.?

[ericm979]

Non inverter generators have to run at a fixed rpm to output 60hz AC. Usually 3600, sometimes 1800 for more expensive generators.

Running at 3600/1800 takes power even if there is no electrical load. There's friction (mostly pistons in the cylinders) and pumping air around the crankcase and sucking against a mostly closed throttle plate. That will put a floor on the fuel consumption.

Inverter generators generate AC internally, convert that to DC and feed that to the inverter which turns it back into AC at the output plugs. So they can throttle down when the load is low.

 

[DarkBlack]

Plus, balanced loads reduce the return current on the neutral.

Your neutral should be sized 100%.
Assuming you didn’t go cheap with an undersized neutral conductor, the current on that neutral will be the same or most likely, less, than the current on either hot conductor, so it should be of no concern.
Of course, to maximize power from the generator you want to load both sides of the generator’s center tap.