generator newbie
i just got a good deal on 2 honda 2000 gens i have 50 amp in my 5er and there is a 30 amp plug on the gens what do i need to hook it up to gens thanks
Forum Discussion
- If you've one AC and just don't try turning everything on at the same time, 30 amp will be fine. Our Monty is wired for 50 amp, but doesn't have a second AC installed. We've not had any problems yet, although I haven't had the AC, the hot water heater, both tvs, the microwave AND coffee maker all on at once.
- i have 2 ac but never run both at same time while i am pluged into gens will it chare my batterys
- Get a 50A Female to 30A Male adapter (WalMart, CW, Amazon, etc.) Plug the power cable from your FW into the adapter, and the adapter into the 30A socket on one of your generators. The generator is taking the place of a 30A socket you'd find in a campground. If you try to draw more than 30A (2nd A/C, A/C plus microwave plus hair dryer, etc.) the breaker on the generator should trip. This will charge your FW battery, just as plugging into shore power would.
Your second generator becomes a spare. There's no simple way to parallel two generators to produce more power (i.e., 60A from two 30A generators), unless that capability is built into the generators. - I believe Ballentine (sp?) is not correct. I think those Hondas are each only about 15 amp. I have read that sometimes they will handle an AC unit and sometimes not. So running in parallel would be about right, in my opinion.
twindman wrote:
I believe Ballentine (sp?) is not correct. I think those Hondas are each only about 15 amp. I have read that sometimes they will handle an AC unit and sometimes not. So running in parallel would be about right, in my opinion.
this sounds right if the generators are the Honda 2000's, i.e. each will put out approx. 15 amps continuous. If they are companion generators they can be paralleled to give approx. 30 amps continuous which is enough for 1 AC. On the companion generators i had only 1 had a 30 amp connection. I'd set the generators up for parallel operation by connecting them together with parallel cables. Then I made a pigtail with a 30 amp male connector to go into the one generator's 30 outlet receptacle and on the other end a 30 amp female connector to connect with an RV 30/50 amp power cord adapter. Had to do this cause the 30 amp outlet on the one generator is not configured the same as a 30 amp receptacle for an RV. So, the generators are paralleled, there's a pigtail connection from the one generators 30 amp outlet to the RV 30/50 amp adapter, and the RV 50 amp power cord is connected to the RV.
If your generators are in fact companion type that can be paralleled you should google 'honda companion generators' or something similar as there is a lot of info out there on operating them.- Don't forget to make sure your water heater is on propane when hooking a 50 amp rig to 30 amp. Yes, you can ask. I did it once.
twindman wrote:
I believe Ballentine (sp?) is not correct. I think those Hondas are each only about 15 amp. I have read that sometimes they will handle an AC unit and sometimes not. So running in parallel would be about right, in my opinion.
You're right. I saw "30A receptacle" and my mind translated that into 30A output. I should have realized that the 2000 in the model number meant 2000W (~15A).
But the main point remains. Unless they're designed to do so, you can't simply parallel two generators to get the sum of their outputs. (Now 30A, not 60A :S ) The reason, of course, is that the two sine waves have to be in sync.- An adapter.
- Aren't there "parallel kits" available for what the original poster wants to do?
