UPDATE: Honda eu2000i and home furnace

[Mr Wizzard]

Damn! - the RFI filter trick didn't work for the furnace after all. Got around to building an official RFI filter in an electrical box, but it all together, and it didn't work! - flame sensor kicking out.

Back to the drawing board, running experiments, come to find out that is has something to do with "grounding" (as one poster mentioned). Took all the RFI crap out of the circuit, and just ran line/neutral from the Honda eu2000i, and let the ground float, and it all works fine. I have a cheater cord which is an old 2-prong cloths iron coard, with aligator clips on the other end. Plug that into the generator, and aligator clip to just line and neutral of the 3-prong plug on the furnace, and it works. Whats the dealy-O ? I don't imagine that I can tie neutral and ground together at the generator since its an inverter. Ain't that something. when I "thought" I got it to work with the RFI torroiods and such, I realized that I was testing all of that with my trusty 2-prong cheater cord (I love that thing). So when I thought I solved it with the RFI filter, I was doing it with the ground floating (which is all that it takes to make it work).

Back out to the bench with scope in hand, will let you know what I ultimately conclude.

[philkryder]

One of the earlier question was along the lines of: "?Is the Honda itself properly grounded?"

How are you grounding the Honda?

[Mr Wizzard]

I'm not. Shall I try it? (usually operate the Honda on the concrete driveway). Maybe I can try one of them cork-screw dog hold down deals off to the side of the driveway ?

Thanks

>

[Tom Horne, Electrician]

No, don't try to ground the portable generator at the generator that is totally unnecessary effort. Instead install a double pole double throw center off switch in place of the furnace disconect switch. One end of the switch connects the furnace to the neutral and hot of the furnace branch circuit of the homes wiring. The other end of the switch connects the furnace to the neutral and hot of a flanged inlet to which the female cord cap of an extension cord from the generator will connect. since the switch is two pole the Equipment Grounding Conductor (EGC) of the generator and the home are now interconnected. That will clear up the furnaces floating neutral problem when on generator power.

[Mr Wizzard]

See? now *thats* the answer I was looking for! Thats a wonderfull idea. I'm goning to try that in a little bit here. If that works, then I'll try to locate a DPDT switch thats approved for home wiring. And this "flanged inlet" thing you are talking must be one of them recessed male extension cord connectors, like a "wall clock recepticle". Which would be a cleaner deal - just run the extension cord over to the furnace, plug it in, and flip the switch. That way I wouldn't have to unplug the furnace, and can actually go back to having the furnace hard-wired. Right now I got a big cord cap on the end of the BX cable coming from the furnace.

Thanks!

for general use." Thomas Alva Edison

[Tom Horne, Electrician]

Mr Wizzard wrote:

a catalog page with a flanged inlet as the top item. The inlet will install in an appropriate raised cover on a deep 4" square box.

[Mr Wizzard]

Dude, you rock! Hell, I can cut that right into the side of the furnace itself. I like it. Thanks man. For the switch, I'll have to hunt that down. Or something clever like a relay that will fall out when house power fails to connect the firnace to the new recepticle. All good ideas, and I really like this flanged thing. I always called them things "wall clock recepticles". Also, could one cut one of these things in the exterior or the house? (protected under an eve?) Be good to easily connect the generator to the house when the power goes out.

[Nick Pine]

Anyone tried this $168 propane conversion kit?

Nick

[nicksanspam]

They say that note no longer applies. They now sell 2 EU2K kits, type A, $157+$49 for a 12' hose, with an external regulator, and "special," for $168 with a 12' hose, with a regulator that fits under the Honda cover. The unit can be operated with the cover in place with either kit. They say people prefer the A kit because it is easier to install the kit and adjust the regulator.

Propane and NG only, unless you buy another carb and unbolt the converted carb to go back to gasoline. They say a lot of people say they plan to do that, but few ever go back to gasoline.

US Carb also sells the 70 lb Yamaha EF2400is for $1549 with a conversion kit and an hour meter installed. These can be paralled like the Hondas, and they have a "smart throttle" that runs the engine slower for lower loads, so they may also have cogen potential. I wonder about the waveform from the "PWM inverter." US Carb says the converted Yamaha is tri-fuel with no carb swap, and Yamaha will definitely honor their warranty after conversion. Honda is iffy about that.

Yamaha's specs a "greater than 8.5 hour run time" at 1000 watts with a 1.6 gallon gas tank, ie 5.31 kWh/gallon.

The Honda EU2000 burns 1.08 gallons of gasoline in 4 hours at 1600 W to make

6.4 kWh at 5.93 kWh/gal, ie 12% more electrical generation efficiency.

They both have a 2 kW rated output. The Yamaha has a larger engine with a cast iron sleeve.

Nick

[Derek Broughton]

After I installed an hour meter on my Honda, and explained to my wife why you guys recommended it, her immediate question was "Why doesn't Honda sell it with one - at least as an option?" A very good question.

[Newby]

Did you buy the hour meter from Honda? Where did you place it; inside or outside of the cover. I have one but don't see (or am overlooking) a convenient place to attach it.

Regards, Newby

[Derek Broughton]

I bought the hour meter from Newark-in-one, cut a hole in the case to mount it, and connected it to the DC socket for power.

[Pop]

I put my hourmeter right on the transfer switch outlet. It's not powered unless the gen's running it, so it'll count the gen hours for now at least. Next spring I'll worry more about getting it actually on the unit itself.

: > > US Carb also sells the 70 lb Yamaha EF2400is for $1549 with a conversion : > > kit and an hour meter installed. : >

: > After I installed an hour meter on my Honda, and explained to my wife why : > you guys recommended it, her immediate question was "Why doesn't Honda : sell : > it with one - at least as an option?" A very good question. : > -- : Did you buy the hour meter from Honda? Where did you place it; inside or : outside of the cover. I have one but don't see (or am overlooking) a : convenient place to attach it. : : Regards, : Newby : : : :