How many hours will a 7000 watt generator run....

SaltiDawg wrote:

zackyboy3rs wrote:
It ran 12 hours last night. Thanks. Manual states put to 14 hours at 1/2 load.

1/2 load is 3500 Watts... your 500 watt load is 1/7 of that. Would seem your generator could run like 7 * 14 hrs = 98 hours or ~ four days on a tank of gasoline.

Doesn't work like that at all..

Fuel consumption is more about the displacement (CID or CCs/liters) and RPMs so there is basically a point where there is no decrease in fuel under light or no loads..

Bigger displacement engine = more fuel consumption per hr vs a smaller displacement.

Higher RPMs = more fuel needed for proper air/fuel mix..

Generator engine is pegged at 3600 RPM whether it has a load or not..

OP most likely could get perhaps 16hrs per tank perhaps but not 98 hrs..

A smaller more appropriate sized gen to the load would use much less fuel.. That 7Kw gen in 12hr used about 5 gallon of fuel.. a 2Kw gen would use maybe 2 gallons for the same time..

There is a trade off for picking a larger gen and that is the amount of fuel it will use per hr..