3000W Chinese Gensets Info.

byates wrote:

professor95 wrote:

byates wrote:
Champion's generator with the 389cc/13hp engine is advertised at 6500/7800 watts with no posted amperage output.

Does anyone know if the champion amps are posted anywhere? The manual says there is a 25amp breaker on the 30amp RV outlet, but I need something more concrete than that.
I can't comment on Onan's service, since my Homesite 6500 has been problem free.

you can divide the wattage by the voltage to get the amperage. Thus, 3,500 watts / 120 VAC = 29 amps.

But, as you noted, the circuit breaker for the RV outlet is 25 amps and the breaker for the duplex outlet is 20 amps. Those will be your limiting factors. The generator will provide the full amperage of the breakers.

I understand the formula for deriving amperage from wattage and voltage-basic physics learned in high school. What I don't understand is why the amperage is not specifically stated, as other manufacturers do. 3500 watts from that size engine doesn't seem plausible. If indeed 3500 watts are being produced, what is being sacrificed to attain it? It is noted in previous posts, that many believe the Champion 3500 is only capable of producing 2600 watts, which would translate to 21.5 amps. Before I buy, I would like to know for sure what amperage the unit is actually producing. As I stated in a previous post on a different subject, factual data is important to me.

byates

I think you will find that I was the one that said 2,800 watts was the "dependable" power delivery for any of the Chinese built 3,500 watt generators. For a 3,000 watt, figure on 2,200 to 2,400.

These numbers are not the maximum you can get out of the generator, just what is realistic for sustained use. BTW - these are sea level expectations for locations such as where I live (elevation 162 feet). Take the generator to Denver and you can expect even less power.

Actually, 6.5HP is equal to 4,781 watts of equivalent power. But, that rated 6.5HP is not just producing electricity. Significant energy is diverted to heat and magnetic radiation. So, if the power conversion factor is .7 then we can expect 3,350 watts of electrical power. At .6 it will be 2,868, which is to me a much more realistic number for continuous use.

I cannot tell you why all the manufacturers do not list amps use. Perhaps we need to send an e-mail to some and ask?

As for your wanting to know exactly what to expect in the way of power delivery...... well, I can't tell you that either. All I can tell you is while a 3,500 watt generator can deliver 29 amps at 120 volts it is not going to sit there and do it all day in extreme temperatures like I have experienced this summer. 18 to 21 amps is a good number to rely on.

BTW - I do NOT know of any non-commercial generator in the 3,000 watt class that WILL deliver its advertised power continuously at all elevations and outside temperatures.

Sorry I cannot give you the exact numbers you are looking for.