3000W Chinese Gensets Info.

professor95 wrote:

According to WEN (distributor), the breakers are only rated for 13 amps in each circuit. Would a single 20 or 25 amp breaker protect and allow full power (open the unused side of the twistlok) or should a double 20 or 25 amp ganged breaker be used? Will standard home size breakers fit?

You are right in thinking you will be limited by the capacity of the original breaker. If you want to take advantage of full power available you must replace the breaker with a larger unit. Parallel breakers are not a good idea on 120 circuits UNLESS they are tied together so that if one trips the other will cut off as well.

Finding a replacement breaker of a larger size may be a problem since residential breakers like CH, Square D and Murray will not fit. Most local supply sources do not carry breakers like you need.

An alternative approach is to eliminate the internal breaker for a generator by just wiring around it and add an inexpensive external two circuit breaker box (about $7 to $10) and put a residential breaker in it. Wire a plug to the external breaker box for the generator and put a duplex (or RV) outlet in a box on the other end. As long as you are the only one who uses the generator and remember to use the outboard box, all should be OK.... but if you loan it or sell it, there could be a different story.......

Edit added:

I just had another thought on the breaker size thing.......

If each INDIVIDUAL coil in the stator is protected by a separate 13 amp breaker BEFORE they are tied together, there is no need to change breakers. The current in each individual coil should not exceed 13 amps under this configuration (i.e. 13 in coil A plus 13 in coil B = 26 amps).

But, if the combined output of the parallel windings feeds a single 13 amp breaker, you will be limited to the capacity of that single breaker. In this case, you will need to change the breaker.

I think what I would do if I were converting a series coil 220 volt generator with two 13 amp breakers to a parallel coil 110 volt generator is bring the feed from each individual coil out to the breakers BEFORE combining them. This should solve the problem without any additional expense or hardware.

Professor:

Please provide a diagram and instructions on wiring the parallel breaker. When/Where are the coils combined in the PowerPro 3500? I've done the 220 to 110 modification, but would like to get the full 30 amps from the unit.

Thanks
Curtis