Generator AC question

RollTideCamp wrote:
Question #1: Will the generator dropping voltage quickly and the AC shutting off ruin the AC?

It is certainly not GOOD for the long term health of your A/C !

RollTideCamp wrote:
Question #2: I have been looking at the HF predator 3500w inverter generator, will this inverter style generator allow voltage drops like this?

Without knowing the ROOT CAUSE of the generator sputtering, you can not answer this question.

My educated guess is that there is "dirt" in the fuel tank and it is making it way into the carburetor. Removing the gas tank and thoroughly cleaning the inside, a disassembling and cleaning the inside of the carburetor will likely solve your problem.

Could the same thing happen on a Honda/Yamaha/Predator/Champion/etc. inverter generator ? ABSOLUTELY !

Have you been successfully running the A/C's off of that same generator in the past?

theoldwizard1 wrote:

RollTideCamp wrote:
Question #1: Will the generator dropping voltage quickly and the AC shutting off ruin the AC?

It is certainly not GOOD for the long term health of your A/C !

RollTideCamp wrote:
Question #2: I have been looking at the HF predator 3500w inverter generator, will this inverter style generator allow voltage drops like this?

Without knowing the ROOT CAUSE of the generator sputtering, you can not answer this question.

My educated guess is that there is "dirt" in the fuel tank and it is making it way into the carburetor. Removing the gas tank and thoroughly cleaning the inside, a disassembling and cleaning the inside of the carburetor will likely solve your problem.

Could the same thing happen on a Honda/Yamaha/Predator/Champion/etc. inverter generator ? ABSOLUTELY !

I agree. Don't junk out the old generator just yet. Just have the fuel system cleaned and the rest of it checked.

Thanks for all the quick responses,


PNW_Steve - we have been using this particular generator with this AC about 12 times per year for 2-3 years now, before that we were using a champion 3500.

theoldwizard1 - I am going to check the gas tank, I am hesitent to try to tear down the carb before the weekend, do you think I could use something like gumout without taking the carb all the way apart?

CavemanCharlie - I agree, I have been looking at inverter generators for a while but cant see getting rid of something that gets the job done.

Install a soft start unit on the A/C. It's superior to the old capacitor hard start. I'm able to run my 15k btu unit on 2500 watt generator

philh wrote:
Install a soft start unit on the A/C. It's superior to the old capacitor hard start. I'm able to run my 15k btu unit on 2500 watt generator

Like this...
micro-air

RollTideCamp wrote:

theoldwizard1 - I am going to check the gas tank, I am hesitant to try to tear down the carb before the weekend, do you think I could use something like gumout without taking the carb all the way apart?

Personally, I have never had good luck with any carburetor cleaner additives !

I have done some research and the BEST additives use P.E.A. (polyetheramine). Some Gumout products have P.E.A., so do not. Techron is a brand of P.E.A (like Kleenex is a brand of facial tissue.)

"An once or prevention is worth a pound of cure !" At least once a year drain the fuel tank, slosh some crab cleaner in it and drain that also. Re-fill with fresh fuel. If you do this, you likely can run E10 with no issues !


Very hesitant to add this, but ...

Single cylinder, 4 stroke engine carburetors are virtually identical. The quick way to clean one is as follows. (If this does not work, you need to remove the carburetor and completely disassemble it.) I can do this job is less than 10 minutes.

• Turn off the fuel (use Vise Grips to lightly pinch the hose or drain the tank).
• There is a nut on the bottom of the carburetor bowl. Carefully remove it. You will spill some gas at this step !
• Inspect the bottom of the bowl for "crud". Clean if required.
• The nut is also a jet. Make sure all passages are clean. You might need a sewing needle to unclog them if they are very bad.
• Using spray carburetor cleaner with a straw, bend the straw and shoot the cleaner up into the tube where the nut/jet threads into.
• There is a rubber gasket/O-ring between the bowl and the carburetor body. DO NOT SPRAY CARBURETOR CLEANER ON IT BECAUSE IT WILL SWELL AND YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO REASSEMBLE THE CARBURETOR !
• Re-assemble

If that gasket does swell, clean it with some warm soapy water, rinse and let dry. It should shrink back to it proper size.

bob213 wrote:

philh wrote:
Install a soft start unit on the A/C. It's superior to the old capacitor hard start. I'm able to run my 15k btu unit on 2500 watt generator

Like this...
micro-air

A 5000w or even 3500w generator shouldn't need a soft start and his issue with sputtering is a generator problem.

wnjj wrote:
A 5000w or even 3500w generator shouldn't need a soft start and his issue with sputtering is a generator problem.

Is hos 5,000 watt generator single or dual phase? If it's dual phase, he may only have 2,500 watts available, and that may not be enough