Any tech's here?

[Glenn]

We had freezing rain for a couple days and our juice went out. This time, only 9 hours for us. Across the street, they were off for 35 hours. The last time I used the generator, I ran it for 7 days to the hour.

I have a generator (5000 watt) out in the shop that I can tie into the 240 V main panel via a back feed from the shop through the welder breaker. I trip the main 200 amp breaker in from the pole so as to not feed the whole neighborhood or knock some lineman off a pole and that makes my whole panel hot. No, there's not enough juice to run everything at once but I can light any light in the house or run TV etc. You just need to be a little discriminatory as to how much you turn on at once. Example running the microwave, I reached over and turned the crock pot off.

Finally I'm getting to the question. Does anyone know how critical cycling is? My clocks gained a little over 2 min during the 9 hour run so the cycle must be a little fast. Maybe 61 cycle? How critical is that for something as fussy as a computer for example?

[Chas Hurst]

I have a generator (5000 watt) out in the shop that I can tie into the 240 V main panel via a back feed from the shop through the welder breaker. I trip the main 200 amp breaker in from the pole so as to not feed the whole neighborhood or knock some lineman off a pole and that makes my whole panel hot. No, there's not enough juice to run everything at once but I can light any light in the house or run TV etc. You just need to be a little discriminatory as to how much you turn on at once. Example running the microwave, I reached over and turned the crock pot off.

Finally I'm getting to the question. Does anyone know how critical cycling is? My clocks gained a little over 2 min during the 9 hour run so the cycle must be a little fast. Maybe 61 cycle? How critical is that for something as fussy as a computer for example?"

Most if not all electronics run on DC. Other than a clock, most other electical devices are resistance type-light bilbs and crock pots- that are not sensitive to cyclic rate. I run my generator the same way as you, plugging into a 50 amp welder receptacle in my barn. I have a 4500 watt unit and it will run the house as normal except I turn off the electric water heater.

[Glenn]

Thanks, I needed a conformation on that. That's what I understood.

[PeterD]

Not terribly critical, but...

Your process is a major code violation, and a major safety hazard. I'd recommend a proper switchover box, if the power company finds you doing what you have been, they will pull your meter in a flash.

[Chas Hurst]

Your welcome. Get ready for the busybodies to chime in.

[Chas Hurst]

[PeterD]

And what part of that reply was inappropriate? The part where I said "not critical" which directly answered his question, or the part where I said he was taking a major risk (which is true)?

Sheesh, if you don't have something constructive to say, don't troll.

[Glenn]

Always one [g]

[Glenn]

The power and light crew walking past my shop commented on it running and I told them I had it tied into the main box. They said do you have the main 200 amp flipped off. I said of course. They said good, we should have you up soon. That ended it. Common sense prevailed.

[S. Barker]

BS.

[S. Barker]

perfect example. The power company didn't steal his meter, he didn't go to jail. imagine that.

s

[CWatters]

Finally I'm getting to the question. Does anyone know how critical cycling is? My clocks gained a little over 2 min during the 9 hour run so the cycle must be a little fast. Maybe 61 cycle? How critical is that for something as fussy as a computer for example?

I make it 60.222 Hz so not too bad. Computers will be fine with that.

Of more importance is the wave shape and the amount of noise the inverter puts out. Is it a nice clean sine wave or ? Noise spikes can sometimes travel through a power supply and cause problems for hard drives etc.

I'm an electronics engineer.

[Chas Hurst]

The ice storm took out my power this morning. I'm running on my generator as I type. I agree some older generators might have an output that will confuse a computors power supply.

[CWatters]

cycling is? My clocks gained a little over 2 min during the >>9 hour run so the cycle must be a little fast. Maybe 61 cycle? How critical is that for something as fussy as a computer for >>example?

puts out. Is it a nice clean sine wave or ? Noise >spikes can sometimes travel through a power supply and cause problems for hard drives etc.

I forgot to add.... Sometimes these inverters aren't very good at absorbing spikes created by other equipment. I wouldn't recommend running something like a vaccum cleaner, milling machine or inductive loads in general while the power is out even it the total load is less than 5KW. Best think about unplugging the computer first.