Tested Generac iX2000 Generator today.

[JimPghPA]

I have read on some internet sites that a honda 3000 inverter gen-set would not run a furnace, and even saw one where a 5000 watt non-inverter would not run a furnace. Other post talk about 2000 watt inverter gen-sets working fine with a furnace or AC. And some have problems with 2000 watt inverter gensets running an AC.

Different manufacturers and model of furnaces and AC units seam to have different requirements regarding what generator will work with them. It really does seam to be a hit or miss thing, that you should check before you can be sure it will work.

Some fancy furnaces like the ones that pulse, or regulate the speed of the fan, and some others seam to be more of a problem to run from a generator. Also older AC units, or low efficiency units seam to draw too much at start-up. If you were running one of these from a genset, you should either get someone who has a generator to test that that size will work before you buy it, or go for something with a lot of reserve capacity.

Also, because you have to have your gen-set far from the house so you do not get any carbon-monoxide into the house, be sure you have a heavy enough gauge of wire for the amount of current and length of wire. I suspect that about half of the time people can not get a generator to run a furnace or AC unit, they are using too light a gauge of wire.

So I ran the our forced air furnace from the Generac iX2000 today to be sure that it would work properly. Even in eco-mode it ran the furnace fine with a few compact florescent lights and a small TV , cable box, and DVD player powered up.

Previous current readings for the furnace were 6 amps running, and 10 amps peak. So I expected that it could handle it along with some room light, and the small TV, and everything worked.

The only thing I did notice was in eco-mode, at the instant you turn on some compact florescent lights the TV will shut down, and if the furnace is running, it will shut off the gas, and then go into the re-light the gas sequence of running the draft blower then the igniter, and then the gas. The forced air fan stayed on through-out this.

Running a furnace or a AC unit from a generator can be a hit or miss thing, and you really only know that a given generator will work with a given furnace, or AC unit after you actually run them together.

When the furnace cycles on it did does not cause the TV to shut down. Only turning on compact fluorescents to any room caused the TV and gas to the furnace (if it is running) to drop out.

Ran the generator without eco-mode and the drop out of TV and furnace did not happen when compact florescent lights were turned on.

I also tested that the generator can run the fridge when the breaker to the furnace is off. It works fine.

The starting current for the fridge was previously measured at 11 amps. Starting the fridge with furnace, room lights, and small TV would exceed the peak power rating of the generator, and was not tried.

Bottom line, the Generac iX2000 can run our furnace, compact florescent room lights, and small TV. But not the fridge and furnace at the same time. It is light enough for one person to move it from the cellar to the far end of the back yard (this is a real big plus).

Because it is an inverter design, in the eco-mode it will get over 4 and a half hours form one gallon of gas. I rigged up an add on tank cap from a honda compatible gas cap that I got at lows for five bucks. Connected to an external 5 gallon tank, + the one on the generator it should run for 27 hours.

I broke it in with the supplied straight 30 weight oil when the ambient was warm enough. Now I am running GC in it and plan on changing it every 100 hours.

I think the Generac iX2000 is a good value, and a good generator for running most common simple design forced air furnace.

 

[Cup of Joe]

You are testing on a gas furance. In my case I have a heat pump. The outside unit requires 9k watts at startup and you still need to power the blower. I have a generac XL7000 7K working capacity 15k surge and its just enough. I can run the whole house but that heat pump is by far my largest draw. During heat pump startup it sucks in all the available juice.

 

[eljefino]

Insane that the CFLs have an effect. They must dirty the power somehow and ruin it for everyone. (They sure don't draw that MUCH power.) Did you try different brands of CFL?

The one nice thing about non inverter generators is the startup draw of electric motors is handled by the flywheel effect of a large mass spinning at 3600 RPM.

 

[JTK]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
Insane that the CFLs have an effect. They must dirty the power somehow and ruin it for everyone. (They sure don't draw that MUCH power.) Did you try different brands of CFL?


I'm thinking the ballasts might draw an in-rush of current until the lamp lights-off, then the draw settles out to almost nothing.

Joel

 

[meep]

agreed--- thats a lot of burst current tho. maybe crummy powerfactor or high frequency kick-back freaks out the inverter electronics in the genset?

 

[RF Overlord]

I recently purchased 2 Subaru Robin 4300-watt inverter generators, one for my M-I-L and one for myself. She has oil-fired forced hot water heating while mine is gas-fired. This generator handles both kinds with ease, even when other appliances and lights are on.

 

[JimPghPA]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
Insane that the CFLs have an effect. They must dirty the power somehow and ruin it for everyone. (They sure don't draw that MUCH power.) Did you try different brands of CFL?

The one nice thing about non inverter generators is the startup draw of electric motors is handled by the flywheel effect of a large mass spinning at 3600 RPM.


I agree, it was a surprise. I know the CFLs do not draw that much wattage once they are on.

I did not switch out different brands of CFCs, but we do have some different size and brand in the small up-stairs bathroom. It only has two CFLs, one of them puts out the equivalent of 100 watt bulb. Even turning on the lights in that room tripped the small TV. It is an acceptable problem, as all we want from the small genset is something that will power the furnace so we can have heat if we ever do get a long outage in the winter. When the furnace cycled the gas off I was the only one who noticed it. The blower kept blowing warm air. Since this problem only occurs when a light switch is thrown on it is not that often.

One thing that had me concerned initially was the fridge. When I first tried the fridge it seamed that the fan in it would not come on, and with the slight hum from the genset on the far side of the back yard, heard in the kitchen, I could not tell if the compressor was running. About 15 or 20 minutes after that when I had the house back on the main power I heard the fridge compressor running. Then I realized that the fridge had been in a defrost cycle. What are the odds on that? So I switched the house back over to the genset and fired it up again and found that the fridge worked fine even in eco-mode, but again without the furnace breaker on.

2K, 2.2K peak for the whole house is restrictive, but being able to run the furnace is a heck of a lot better than no heat. In the winter we can put frozen food outside, and we have a ton of blue ice packs that we can use to keep the inside of the fridge cold. If we have to we will cycle the breakers for fridge or furnace one at a time.

I like the idea of being able to run overnight with the extended tank and not have to get out of bed to service the unit every 4 and a half hours.

If you do add an extended tank to a Generac iX series, be sure to prime it with the original cap, and then install the extended run cap before starting.

Also, the choke lever on the Generac iX gensets initially was too fragile of a design. They now have a stronger piece of plastic. But the clearance for the service cover for the choke lever could be bigger. I always place the choke in the center position when the unit is not in use, so that if the service comer is ever removed, there is little chance of the choke lever getting snagged in the slot for it when the service cover is put back on.

 

[eljefino]

Originally Posted By: JimPghPA
About 15 or 20 minutes after that when I had the house back on the main power I heard the fridge compressor running. Then I realized that the fridge had been in a defrost cycle. What are the odds on that?


Few years back during an outage I was running the cable modem, router, and my computer off my generator when it started surging from running low on fuel. I ordered a Windows XP shutdown and it declared it was installing update 1 of 8 and I should leave it alone and not unplug it!!

 

[JTK]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
I ordered a Windows XP shutdown and it declared it was installing update 1 of 8 and I should leave it alone and not unplug it!!

LOL! That always happens at the best of times.

Joel

 

[4Kings]

How loud is it, I've tried to find decibal ratings for those units but keep strikiung out. I'm looking for a gen for my rv and the quieter the better.

 

[JimPghPA]

Originally Posted By: 4Kings
How loud is it, I've tried to find decibal ratings for those units but keep strikiung out. I'm looking for a gen for my rv and the quieter the better.


Regarding how loud the Generac iX2000 genset is. I did not measure it with a db meter, but it is quiet enough that you can start it, and be around it to adjust the choke as it warms up, without any danger of hearing damage.

I have a Coleman Powermate 5000 watt 6250 watt peak generator with a Tecumseh HM-100 10 HP engine. I added a car muffler to that genset, and it still is too loud to be around without ear protection.

The Generac iX2000 is significantly less noisy than my Coleman Powermate even with the car muffler on the Coleman.

I have read some sites that say the Generac iX is somewhat nosier than a small Honda inverter genset, but not by much.

If I were camping I would want the Generac iX2000 to be 100 feet from everyone, and use an 8 gauge cord (and with the price of copper these days, that is going to cost you plenty). And I would try to place it so it was also noise blocked by any hill, or trees that could be used. You probably want to chain and lock it to a tree, so that when it is out of sight it does not disappear. I use a chain and lock even in my back yard.

For my use I place it about 45 feet from the house, on the end of a 10 gauge 50 foot cord. When you are in the house with the windows and door closed, you can make out a small hum from the engine, but it is not enough to be concerned about.

By the way, the gas cap size and thread for the Generac iX 2000 are the same as a Honda. You could use the extended run tank that are made for hondas with a Generac iX 2000.

I made up a cap from a five dollar honda compatible cap I got at Lows. Take the cap from the generator to Lows with you and you will be able to see what cap is the same size. Drill the cap with a step drill, because step drills drill plastic very clean. Then put fuel hose through that hole and run it to an external tank.

Prime the genset with the original cap, then put on the extand run cap before starting.

 

[Ausfahrt]

Nice write up Jim.

I have a similar Honda EU2000i that I am very happy with. My needs are a little different than yours and running a furnace is not one of my concerns.

We haven't had any hurricane issues down here for a few years but in '04 or '05 we were without power for 4 days and that experience really opened my eyes. We had to live with my in-laws for a few days.

Lots of people want the big 12-15kw whole house generators but they suck a lot of gas and it was simply not available around here when we experienced our prolonged power outage.

The inverter generators are great for their ability to produce even power and for their fuel efficiency. I tested my EU200i and it ran a small 6000 btu window ac, computer, small tv, refrigerator and a couple of lights all at the same time.

I also have a well and septic tank so we do not have water during outages but I deal with this by keeping a supply of bottled water on hand for drinking and cooking.

And I always have a few 5-gallon buckets on hand to carry water from the swimming pool to the toilets.

 

[JimPghPA]

I have an uncle in Rochester NY who was without power for two weeks because of an ice storm about 10 years ago. There were so many lines down that the number of electricians and buck-trucks were no match. I remember my uncle said that the local radio station was asking people to not complain to the electricians when they saw them in a fast food place because these men were all working double shifts, and did not have time to go home to eat.

My sister by Allegheny county airport near Pittsburgh was without power for three days from the big storm last winter. The roads were unusable, and we could not get a generator to her. Fortunately her husband had a Kerosun heater, five gallons of fuel for it, and an inverter to run the nebulizler for there kid from a cord going to his truck. He had to walk in more fuel.

There was a major wind storm here about a year ago, and some people I know were without power for three days. The demand for a generator was so great that they had to travel about 40 miles to find a store that had one, and that was not the exact size they wanted, but good enough.

There have been ice storms that cause major outages in all four directions of the compass from Pittsburgh PA. And while they may only occur once every ten years or so, when they do hit, things are so messed up that purchasing a genset then is a real shot in the dark.

One thing I did learn from the big storm last winter, was that the garage I rent about a block away would have been a real challenge to get the gas jugs from. This winter I kept the twentytwo 2 and a half gallon jugs stored under a tarp on the front porch, but will put them back in the garage and exchange the winter gas for summer gas soon.

If I had the money I would have an automatic unit that handles the whole house and runs on natural gas installed. But that is not in the cards right now.

The Coleman PowerMate 5000 watt 6250 peak will handle the whole house AC if required during hot summer days, and the Generac iX2000 will handle the furnace for however many days an ice storm may require if that ever hits us. Going without AC on very hot days or without heat in the winter is not an option, with the people who live in our house.

A big thanks to everyone here on BITOG where I learned about StaBil marine, P1 oil filters, GC, (M1 V twin 20W-50, only for the hottest days of summer for the Coleman genset) and Seafoam for the car.

 

[IndyIan]

Originally Posted By: 4Kings
How loud is it, I've tried to find decibal ratings for those units but keep strikiung out. I'm looking for a gen for my rv and the quieter the better.

I've got a yamaha EF3000iSE and it is very quiet at partial load, 51dB and you can still have a normal conversation standing around it at full load, 57dB. The down side is that its heavy, 150lb, so its not something you toss in and out of the pickup yourself everyday. The inverter models don't seem to have high startup ratings but this one does have one heck of a flywheel in there and I haven't had a problem.
Yamaha also makes a EF3000iSEB, a boosted model for more startup capacity. 20 hours of run time at 1/4 load on 3.5 gallons, too so if you use it alot even the fuel savings would add up.

 

[tig1]

Not to discourage anyone from buying a Gennerac whole house generator, but a friend is a certified tech on these units. I must say they are heavy in maint. and very costly to have work done on them. Right now as soon as the weather clears we have an engine to replace on one of the 15-17KW machines. About $900 for the engine, not counting the labor we will have to pull the generator out and take it to a shop and replacing the engine. Most of the problems he sees is engine and control systems. Also several coil packs which are a bear to replace.

 

[JimPghPA]

Update. for anyone who wants to use Generac iX 2000 for to power a camper.

Some of the other more expensive brand units have an option of tying two units together. The Generac iX 2000 does not have that ability.

I have not tried it, if your AC will run on one iX 2000 you could dedicate one unit to the AC. You probably will have to turn off the economy/flex mode to have enough start power for an AC unit (run separate 8 or 10 gauge wire depending on length of run, directly from the AC to one iX 2000). And you could run the rest of your camper on a second iX 2000.

Yamaha makes a slight larger model with a optional higher cost version that uses the onboard starter battery to provide starting surge. Those units still run in flex mode to give great fuel economy, while having the good start power for an AC. However those units go for around 2,200 dollars.


On Electric Generators Direct, someone purchased two Generac iX 2000 units for their camper, only to find that there is no way to tie two units together. However they still gave them four out of five stars. They did not say if they dedicated one to the AC, but if they were happy with it, maybe they were able to use them that way.

I just wanted to pass the warning about not being able to tie two units together so no one buys two expecting to be able to tie them.

 

[JimPghPA]

Additional info on using the Generac iX2000.

The starting current of our refrigerator combined with the running current of our furnace and a TV and some lights would exceed the rating of the iX2000. When testing the iX2000 I never ran the refrigerator when the furnace was on.

I paralleled the Normally Closed 30 amp rated contacts of double pole breaker (the kind that has a coil to make it operate) and put them in series with the house wire for the circuit breaker for the refrigerator. The new breaker has its 120 VAC coil wired in series to one pole of a double pole switch, and then to the power feed to the blower for the furnace to supply power to the breaker coil when the furnace blower is powered. The other pole of the double pole switch is wired to a 120 VAC indicator light that lights if the switch is in the closed position. The power for the indicator light is from the breaker for the refrigerator.

When running the iX2000 to power the furnace, and throwing the switch to enable this circuit, this new circuit will open the normally closed contacts when the furnace blower is running. This disables the power to the refrigerator, and prevents the refrigerator from running when the furnace blower is running. The indicator light lights to indicate that this circuit is active. The main reason I put an indicator light on it is incase some visiting kid finds the switch and activates this circuit. I do not want to limit the on time for the refrigerator when not using the iX2000 gen-set.

With this set up the iX2000 can run the furnace and refrigerator (not at the same time), and a small TV and some compact florescent light, and never have the amount of power drawn exceed its rating.

 

[meep]

it sounds like thr ix2000 has very sensitive inverter protection- seeing that it will immediately trip if it sees a load it doesn't like.

the honda takes a different approach-- it trips based on inverter temperature. so you CAN run it above rated load, even says so in the manual, though at reduced lifespan, which is also stated in the manual.

If a surge hits and the V drops, it will shut output, rpm up, and re-engage output. Fine for a saw, not so dandy for a fridge.

Essentially, the honda will let you overtax it for brief periods until the temp sensors finally see what's going on. It gives you everything it has, but you have to watch it, as it can hurt it. So-- if I'm running the circular saw and it's taxed, I keep a peripheral eye on the overload lamp-- as it will glow before the system decides to shut down.

M

 

[JimPghPA]

On page 5 of the Generac iX2000 Operatator' Manual item 15 reads "OVERLOAD LED (red) Lights up if the generator experiences a load greater than the rated output, low voltage, overheats, or the power circuit experiences a short. The output is stopped, even though the engine keeps running."

On page 7 under NOTE: "When an electric motor is started the "OVERLOAD LED may light for up to five (5) seconds (this is normal). If it stays on, a fault has occurred. Remove all loads and shut down generator to reset the alarm. Restart the generator. If the "OVERLOAD" LED remains lit, contact a Generac Dealer for assistance."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Honda eU2000i, and the Generac iX2000 both have different advantages.

The Honda has a proven history of being able to run for well over a thousand hours if properly maintained. It is very quiet for a generator, and is very reliable.

The Generac cost less than half the price of the Honda, and has higher continuous and peak wattage rating.