Generator And Power Cord Setup.

[K5RCD]

I am considering purchase of a quiet inverter generator of 3700 watts (4500 peak). After looking on Amazon, I found several brands that appear nearly identical; Westinghouse, Champion, Wen, and Pulsar. Most of the reviews state the terrible customer service on all of them, so I guess that's something to have to live with. Honda is completely out of the question due to cost.

The generator will mostly only be used during power outages and on occasional RV road trips. I plan to use it at home to power a window A/C unit and a couple refrigerators in the summer, or a couple 1500 watt space heaters for the bedroom in the winter, again only during power outages. I don't really need a dual fuel setup.

I am trying to determine the proper power cord that will be needed. A 15 to 20 ft. cord will be fine. My RV has 50 amp service and dual 15k air conditioners. I am aware that I will only be able to use one A/C at a time, and hope the 4500 watt max will be sufficient to start the A/C. The generators list being equipped with a 120v 30 amp TT-30R outlet. What model cord will I need to buy? I do have a 50 amp to 30 amp dog bone to plug in 30 amp power to the trailer 50 amp input plug when necessary.

So, my questions are:

Will the generator be able to start and run the A/C, along with a few other low draw items such as a few lights, TV, computer, etc.?

Which brands if any, are deemed best from a reliability and customer service point of view?

Exactly what power cord will I need? Amazon shows so many different types I am confused.

Thanks.

 

[Jaydrvr]

I would avoid Amazon and go to Harbor Freight. 

https://www.harborfreight.com/3500-watt-super-quiet-inverter-generator-56720.html

These are nice and reasonably quiet units and you can purchase an extended service plan, if that helps. We had one and liked it. Easy to use, not quite as quiet as a Honda, but definitely not as noisy as a cheap set. Plus, their stores are everywhere for service. You're going to need a heavy duty extension cord, at least 12 ga, or better yet, 10ga, also available at Harbor Freight. Jay

P.S. We just ran the 50 amp RV cable through adapters, using the 30 amp adapter that came with the genset. It ran a single a.c. fine, with power to spare.

Edited August 29, 2021 by Jaydrvr

[Twotoes]

Check the dB noise level. I camped hosted in a Nat Park and they have a 60db max. Had to have several campers shut off their generator after several complaints due to noise. Most were commercial construction generators. 

[Kirk W]

1 hour ago, K5RCD said:

Most of the reviews state the terrible customer service on all of them, so I guess that's something to have to live with. Honda is completely out of the question due to cost.

Which brands if any, are deemed best from a reliability and customer service point of view?

Do you really want to buy a generator of questionable reliability for use in a power failure? Without question the 2 brands of portable generator with the best reputation for reliability and serviceability are Honda and Yamaha. Just like when buying an RV, or an automobile, or most anything else, the lowest price is rarely ever reliable or easily serviceable. When we lived in a rural area where power loss was fairly common, I bit the bullet and pad to get a used Honda and never regretted it. It always started when needed and served very well. When we left that area five years later, I put it up for sale for about 80% of what I paid for it and the very first caller bought it. 

My question to you is, which is most important, low price or quality equipment? 

[Jaydrvr]

2 hours ago, Kirk W said:

Do you really want to buy a generator of questionable reliability for use in a power failure? Without question the 2 brands of portable generator with the best reputation for reliability and serviceability are Honda and Yamaha. Just like when buying an RV, or an automobile, or most anything else, the lowest price is rarely ever reliable or easily serviceable. When we lived in a rural area where power loss was fairly common, I bit the bullet and pad to get a used Honda and never regretted it. It always started when needed and served very well. When we left that area five years later, I put it up for sale for about 80% of what I paid for it and the very first caller bought it. 

My question to you is, which is most important, low price or quality equipment? 

I agree with your philosophy, but the OP did specifically say the Honda was "completely out of question due to cost". I took him at his word. Plus, it's only intended for occasional use. Jay

[GlennWest]

2 hours ago, Kirk W said:

Do you really want to buy a generator of questionable reliability for use in a power failure? Without question the 2 brands of portable generator with the best reputation for reliability and serviceability are Honda and Yamaha. Just like when buying an RV, or an automobile, or most anything else, the lowest price is rarely ever reliable or easily serviceable. When we lived in a rural area where power loss was fairly common, I bit the bullet and pad to get a used Honda and never regretted it. It always started when needed and served very well. When we left that area five years later, I put it up for sale for about 80% of what I paid for it and the very first caller bought it. 

My question to you is, which is most important, low price or quality equipment? 

Westinghouse generators have been around a long time. Why do you consider it unreliable.

[JimK]

Anyway, back to the original question.  If you want to handle up to 30 amps with a 20' extension cord, you need a minimum of 10 gauge.  I am puzzled how you plan to run air conditioners, refrigerators and lights off of one short extension cord.

[Kirk W]

10 minutes ago, GlennWest said:

Westinghouse generators have been around a long time. Why do you consider it unreliable.

There is nothing of that sort in my post. I only pointed out that the Honda & Yamaha have the best reputation. Nowhere did I even mention Westinghouse generators, or any other. The Westinghouse comment is in the original post.

 

Edited August 30, 2021 by Kirk W

[GlennWest]

The original poster did and you were referring to his pick. Surly you didn't intend too by your response. Did not mean to criticize

[Kirk W]

19 minutes ago, Jaydrvr said:

Plus, it's only intended for occasional use. Jay

True, but how important is that occasional use for power failure?

1 minute ago, GlennWest said:

Did not mean to criticize

I misunderstood the intent. You may well be right but my only experience was with a Honda and in one case we were without electric power to make morning coffee! My Honda saved the day, not that a Westinghouse would not have......   😉

[oldjohnt]

15 hours ago, K5RCD said:

The generator will mostly only be used during power outages and on occasional RV road trips. I plan to use it at home to power a window A/C unit and a couple refrigerators in the summer, or a couple 1500 watt space heaters for the bedroom in the winter, again only during power outages. I don't really need a dual fuel setup.

I am trying to determine the proper power cord that will be needed. A 15 to 20 ft. cord will be fine. My RV has 50 amp service and dual 15k air conditioners. I am aware that I will only be able to use one A/C at a time, and hope the 4500 watt max will be sufficient to start the A/C. The generators list being equipped with a 120v 30 amp TT-30R outlet. What model cord will I need to buy? I do have a 50 amp to 30 amp dog bone to plug in 30 amp power to the trailer 50 amp input plug when necessary.

So, my questions are:

Will the generator be able to start and run the A/C, along with a few other low draw items such as a few lights, TV, computer, etc.?

Which brands if any, are deemed best from a reliability and customer service point of view?

Exactly what power cord will I need? Amazon shows so many different types I am confused.

K5 Great questions let me tackle them one at a time.

1) What power cord ?

    Since you state the genset has a 120 Volt 30 Amp NEMA TT-30 R outlet, a standard 10 gauge 3 Conductor (Hot Neutral Ground)  30 amp 120 Volt RV cord will suffice for plugging into the gennys matching receptacle, shorter the better to reduce line voltage drop. Then if you want to plug up your RV's 50 amp power cord you need the 30 Amp Male to 50 amp female dogbone adapter which will power up BOTH your RV's 120 Volt legs but with ONLY 30 amp capacity and only one leg of 120 VAC. IE run only one AC... I would use NO LESS then a 10 gauge 3 conductor cord, not 12 or 14 Gauge and no longer then 25 feet which is a standard size for a 30 Amp RV power or extension cord

2) Typically, subject to design and actual (NOT hyped up) specs for continuous and short term surge capacity, a 3700/4500 Genset should start and run a single RV rooftop AC unit. However its still good to have a Soft Start installed to soften the blow even if it should work okay without it.

3) I'm reluctant to recommend brands, take a look at the ton of reviews over on You Tube for that. While many say bad things about them I have seen several Predator units sold at Harbor Freight that worked fine. Still Yamaha and Honda and maybe a few others have excellent reputations YOUR CHOICE NOT OURS

4) You mention powering an AC and a couple refrigerators ?? Such may or may not be possible based a lot on how many might try to start at the same time and the gensets actual capacity. Its not that an AC and fridge cant run on a 3700 its that when they start they pull much more current. That's where a Soft Start can help and make the difference.   

5) Some gensets come from the factory with a Bonded Neutral others a Floating Neutral. If plugging an RV into it which (unlike homes panel) has Neutral and Ground busses insulated and isolated (NO Bond) you would use a Bonded Neutral genset. However, if you're trying to backfeed a homes panel with emergency power and you connect the home and genset Neutrals together (NOT switch the Neutral) the genset should use a Floating Neutral.   Things may still work otherwise but an RV EMS and some Surge Protectors will throw an error code if they sense a Floating Neutral.

 

 You got this, its easy peasey

 John T Long retired power distribution engineer and rusty on the latest codes but believe this is still true

[Ray,IN]

re: "occasional use only"; I stopped using my Boliy 3600 inverter series genset after we bought a MH. Sitting is not good for a small engine, I hadn't started during all last year, this spring it would not start. I removed the silencer housing enclosure and found the gas lines deteriorated and falling apart from modern gasoline blends.

I also suspect the carburetor requires removal and cleaning, again due to  gasoline blending. Good part is a new carb is $39.

My point is a portable genset should be exercised monthly under load just like a genset in a MH if you want it to perform when needed.

Edited August 30, 2021 by Ray,IN

[oldjohnt]

20 hours ago, Ray,IN said:

My point is a portable genset should be exercised monthly under load just like a genset in a MH if you want it to perform when needed.

AMEN Neighbor Ray, manuals even call for doing that and in addition I use Sta Bil which can help.

 

 John T

[K5RCD]

Wow!

I am amazed at the number of helpful replies I received regarding this subject. I have made a decision and ordered everything I need. I was in a bit of a hurry to get at least the generator on the way, as due to Hurricane Ida, I fear they may soon be in short supply. Only recently has the inventory on most portable generators started to return to normal following the dramatic cold snap suffered in the southern part of our country last February. 

Here are the decisions I made, and what I bought, and what went into the decision making process:

First of all, the input I received led me to start a diligent search on the internet using Google, You Tube, Amazon, and other websites. I really spent a lot of time the last few days researching, as I've been suffering hyperthyroid health problems, which have made me really energetic, but suffering from insomnia, giving me time to consider all the issues involved. 

I have ordered a Westinghouse i4500 (gasoline only powered) as it is very reasonably priced on Amazon Prime, is in stock, and is RETURNABLE within 30 days. I read a lot of horror stories on the internet about the damaged condition many of them arrived in when shipped by UPS. Mine is already on the way, being shipped and to be delivered by Amazon drivers. I buy a LOT of things from them and they seem to take good care of the merchandise, and are always happy to bring it right into my garage. If it turns out to be a faulty item right off the bat, I can simply have a return label printed on line and request replacement or refund, no muss no fuss.

On researching the reliability issues, I found hundreds of good reports, and a number of problem issues. However, after reading between the lines, only 2 issues were of undetermined cause. The others were all caused by the automatic choke malfunctioning, because it was shipped from the factory with the wire disconnected internally. An easy 15 minute fix for that issue is available on line, showing how to easily remove the side panel, loosen the front panel, and plug the connector together. It seems that the issue has now been resolved at the factory level, so if I should happen to receive one of the problematic units, I can easily deal with it. It is true that by all reports, Westinghouse Customer Service is the pits. However, once I can get through to Customer Service and receive a case number, I can take it to any Northern Tool Company location for repair, as they are the designated repair facility. Luckily, there is a Northern Tool location only a few miles from me. 

There are quite a few identical generators on the market under different branding, but all those except Champion seem to have as bad or worse CS than Westinghouse. 

Regarding the cost issue, any way I look at it, in order to buy Yamaha or Honda products to meet my needs will cost 2 or 3 times what the Westinghouse costs. Granted, they are probably better built, more reliable and have better customer service, BUT as I am a disabled veteran living on a rather fixed income, that cost difference is the difference between one of the premium quality units sitting in inventory in a warehouse somewhere, and one of potentially lesser quality being in service with ME.

As far as the occasional use issue goes, I'm not concerned about the fuel going stale, as I (properly) treat all my stored fuel with Yamaha Fuel Treatment and Conditioner, which easily keeps even ethanol (E10) based fuel sweet and fresh for over 12 months. It is the best stuff on the market, much better in my opinion than Sta-Bil. I have 2 tractors I can burn the stored fuel in after a few months, before it goes stale. One advantage of the gas only Westinghouse unit(and clones) is a built in fuel supply shutoff allowing the carb to be run dry.

I also bought an 8000 BTU window A/C unit for cooling my home bedroom, and a couple 12 gauge extension cords to reach my freezer and extra fridge in my garage during any extended summer power outage. That will allow me to hole up in the bedroom during an extended outage, summer or winter. Granted it won't allow for heating or whole house A/C (I have central heat and air in my home), but I can shut off the water, if necessary, in the winter and stay cozy in my bedroom with a couple space heaters, wife and 2 dogs, and a pitcher of vodka martinis.

For use in my 30 ft. dual air 50 amp travel trailer which I keep in a campground at Rockport Texas (2 hours drive), I can use the generator to power everything. If power also goes out down there (which it did for several days in February), I can stay down there or bring it home and live in it here until the worst is over.

Regarding the true need for an emergency generator, I fear that the future may hold some unpleasant surprises for us and our way of life. Political dissent, terrorism, rioting etc. may be in our future, and while I'm not a "prepper", I do want to be able to comfortably survive a short to medium term emergency such as an internet attack on the power grid. 

I have figured out and ordered all the wiring etc. that I will need with the generous help of y'all, and want to thank everyone for their input.

My total cost for generator, air conditioner, wiring, fuel containers, hoses and supplies, basically everything needed for home and RV use (except the 2 excellent Vornado space heaters I already own) comes to $1600 Inc. tax. That's money well spent for peace of mind for this 75 year old geezer, and some options in case of an emergency. 

THANKS EVERYBODY!

[oldjohnt]

K5R   WOW thanks for the update and detailed research you did it was YOUR decision what to buy, certainly none of ours CONGRATULATIONS ................

That 4500, assuming that's the true rating, should with no problem start and run your AC even without any after market Soft Start plus some limited whatever else (fridge or freezer etc) subject to their actual starting and running current...Time and trial will tell....

 I think choosing an Inverter Genset was a wise choice.......Keep those fuel stabilizers and other preventive measures to keep the fuel fresh and prevent carb problems...........Dont forget to exercise the unit under load at recommended times...Use as big gauge (like 10 or 12) and short as possible extension cords to reduce line voltage drop....Use safe and appropriate connection and wiring methods.... 

God Bless, best wishes and good luck

John T