- Thread starter zardoz
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matt1978
www.lorch.eu
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Yes mate, it can be a problem........especially on some of the cheaper inverters.
There is a big difference between Generator compatable and something merely being Generator friendly.
Ours for example, are fully Generator compatable and provided that you match the KVa output of the genny to the requirements of the machine you'll be fine.
There is a big difference between Generator compatable and something merely being Generator friendly.
Ours for example, are fully Generator compatable and provided that you match the KVa output of the genny to the requirements of the machine you'll be fine.
zardoz
Old school Socialist
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I was thinking of my small 110volt Lincoln 100 amp arc inverter ?
lincoln inverter specs
just cant seem to find my manual on the Lincoln website. Otherwise that'd be the first port of call.
English Steve
Senior Bumpkin
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Generator should also be a good one, with automatic voltage regulation to avoid spikes.
Sam
Banned
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As said the issue is as much to do with voltage spikes as genny output. 110 or 230V are RMS values, peak voltage is around 320V (for 230V). Gennys aren't as smooth as mains so that 230Vrms can have much higher peaks than 320ishV.
Have you tried googling for the owners manual? Sometimes works better than manufacturers website. Not particually helpful but my Lincoln v205t (genny compatable) is rated for a peak voltage of no more than 410V IIRC. I still wouldn't plug it into any genny without finding out it's output specs though
Have you tried googling for the owners manual? Sometimes works better than manufacturers website. Not particually helpful but my Lincoln v205t (genny compatable) is rated for a peak voltage of no more than 410V IIRC. I still wouldn't plug it into any genny without finding out it's output specs though
davey 1000
New Member
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In general it is a BAD IDEA to run anything off a generator unless one takes precautions against voltage spikes. The good news is that arranging to have a sixty watt bulb running all the time is usually enough to snub the spikes.
Case number 1 A friend wanted me to drill and tap some steel. I took my treasured German variable speed power drill along and used his 2.2 KW Japanese generator. The drill's plug had been fitted with a Varistor to protect the drill's electronics from voltage spikes so it was a great surprise when smoke began to come out of the mains plug! Presumably the output of the generator was highly inductive so the chopping of the current by the drill produced an effect similar to water-hammer in a pipe. Once an inspection lamp was plugged in as well the Varistor stopped smoking!
Case number 2 Another friend who lived off-grid was using an old Nissan ND50 diesel generator that was bought at a boat jumble. The generator was excellent apart from the fact that it was hand-start and rather noisy. The generator was boiling a 2.4 KW automatic electric kettle. When the water boiled the kettle switched itself off. A massive voltage spike must have occurred as the generator has never worked since.
Case number 3 A farmer had got a flood in his yard as a result of a blocked drain. He was pumping away the water using a submersible pump that had a float-switch. The power was coming from a 3.5 KW Honda generator. When the water had gone the pump switched itself off. A massive voltage spike must have occurred as the generator has never worked since. I suspect that the problem is shorted turns of the windings as a small amount of power is produced when the engine first starts. As the engine speed rises the voltage dies away, most unusual!
Haverhill Generators used to make building site generators that were immune to such problems. These employed "Direct Compound Excitation". A large capacitor was wired across the output and the current that was being drawn by it flowed through a bridge rectifier. The DC output of the rectifier was then used to energize or "excite" the field winding. As more current was drawn from the generator the current in the field winding also increased so the machine was self-regulating. Unfortunately Haverhill appear to have ceased trading.
The use of ordinary light bulbs (not the low energy type) would have saved those two generators.
As to voltage spikes, several decades ago there was a bloke in my digs who had worked for a welder company in the 1960s. The firm made state of the art welders which were thyristor controlled. One factory that they supplied complained that the welders were no good. The buck was then passed to the thyristor manufacturer who installed "Event Recorders" on the factory mains. Amazingly spikes of 4000 volts were common and the highest one ever recorded was around 6000 volts! Some kind of surge arresters were then fitted and all the problems disappeared!
Good luck!
PS The bulb can be anything up to 100 watts or more but 60 W bulbs are good value and easy to get. Varistors (AKA Voltage Dependent Resistors) can also be extremely useful.
Forget all the barrack-room-lawyers and their BS as the problems are simple to work around.
Note that I am a retired engineer and what worked for me may not work for. Use this information at your own risk as I cannot be held responsible for other people's mistakes.
BrokenBiker
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i have run my parweld xti160 from a genny, not sure what rating but it was on a farm so quite a big one. Only ran it for about an hour, burning 3.2 rods at about 120 amps and all was well. Did notice the arc wasn't quite as crisp though, was more like using a transformer machine
CompoSimmonite
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Get an inverter generator 
They are coming down in price to the point where there is little difference in price between ordinary and inverter types.
I think use by caravaners who require smooth power to avoid blowing the electrics has helped inverter generators become more popular. They are also quieter !
Paul H
They are coming down in price to the point where there is little difference in price between ordinary and inverter types.
I think use by caravaners who require smooth power to avoid blowing the electrics has helped inverter generators become more popular. They are also quieter !
Paul H
