shootandfish1
Central Kentucky
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Joined: 02/28/2008
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Had a Tech today repairing my stick house refrigerator. I was discussing using residential appliances in travel trailers. We discussed using isolation pads to reduce vibration and shock from be hauled around, extra insulation, ect.
During our talk, he told me that after the last ice storm (it was a bad one) he had over 20 service calls in my area replacing circuit boards and relays in refrigerators.
In every case, the home owner had been running a generator.
It was the tech's opinion that voltage spikes caused the failures. I was wondering if the low end generators produced a modified sine wave AC instead of a pure sine wave AC?
I would guess that over 90% of these generators came from Lowes or Tractor Supply as they are practically our only sources.
I assuming that this makes a good case for buying Honda's or something similar?
Comments?
Thanks-Fred
2003 F-250 4x4 Reg Cab 5.4l V-8 Gas 6spd 4.10 Camper Package Bilstiens Michelin XPS Traction Prodigy Brake Controller
2009 8.5x24 Diamond Cargo Soon To Be Converted to Toy Hauler/Travel Trailer
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tvman44
Southwest Louisiana
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Joined: 09/25/2007
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I have used a Coleman for many hours over here after a hurricane once for 5 days + numerous other times and never had a problem. Possibly starting and stopping the ginny with a load on it which is a no no.
Papa Bob
1* DW "Granny"
1* 2008 Brookside by Sunnybrook 32'
1* 2002 F250 Super Duty 7.3L PSD
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2oldman
Indio CA
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The tech is probably right, as most people wouldn't think to turn the refer off before stopping or starting the gen. I'd be curious as to how these folks hooked up to the house.
For my camping experience, I wouldn't subject my refer or anything else of value to a cheap generator. That, plus I just don't like the noise.
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MrWizard
Van Nuys, Ca
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low cost open frame generators using a generator head, do NOT, can NOT produce a modified sine wave.
the rotating field in a generator head produces a sine wave, BUT the brushless kind of ( diode & capacitor ) 'excitation' can produce spikes in the field and AC output, and stopping the genny with out unplugging the load can produce some pretty ugly EMF spikes from the fridge motor or maybe the well pump etc.
it is noted in every generator manual, unplug before turning off or starting up.
no matter what type of generator, brusheless, automatic AVR, or inverter, turning off the genney with the load on, is bad for both the genny and the appliances
Options, always have options, and the journey goes much smoother
....
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shootandfish1
Central Kentucky
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2oldman wrote:The tech is probably right, as most people wouldn't think to turn the refer off before stopping or starting the gen. I'd be curious as to how these folks hooked up to the house.
For my camping experience, I wouldn't subject my refer or anything else of value to a cheap generator. That, plus I just don't like the noise.
I've learned something else today, I did not know it was bad to start a genny hooked up to a load.
My guess it that most folks simply ran an extension cord from the generator to refrigerators and freezers.
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bigfootford
Fair Oaks, California
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Most of the appliance failures due to a generator is loss of regulation....in a non-inverter type. Especially on gen start up, the engine over revs and the voltage increases enough to blow the power supply capacitors in the appliances/tv's/vcr's and the list goes on. Most appliances fail around the 130-135 vac threshold.
Best thing to do is to make sure your Rv main is off during gen start and warm up....make sure it's running steady before turning things on, I would turn on a couple of things at a time...
Surge suppressors do not help this kind of event. They are good for the spikes you all talk about.
Jim
94 F-250 ex cab,460, E40D tranny,airbags w/pump,bilstein shocks, 2000 Bigfoot 9.6 2500 camper, Progressive Dynamics 9260, Trimetric monitor and an eu2000i honda genny.
Wife and Molly- Ausie,Queensland healer
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Chuck&Gail
In the Colorado Mountains
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Joined: 06/16/2004
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This may be sort of relevent.
I have a solar PV system in my stick house. 6kW Xantrex inverter. Inverter has an input for a generator. When commissioning system I tried to verify operation of generator with Xantrex solar inverter using my old trusty Coleman. Xantrex would not allow generator input to pass into house system.
Hmmmm.
Went and rented a Honda "inverter type" generator. Connected to same Xantrex solar inverter input. Guess what, it worked fine.
Must be some difference.
Chuck
Wonderful Wife
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2oldman
Indio CA
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Chuck&Gail wrote:would not allow generator input to pass into house system. Must be some difference. There is. Xantrex didn't like something about the Cole's waveform. My Prosine 2.0 will not pass MSW power.
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Salvo
California
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Joined: 06/01/2008
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This isn't my data. It's from LooseNut.
KingCraft (All Power America) generator
I wouldn't want to plug my gear into that gen.
Sal
No load
500W load
2200W load
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