Parallel Hondas

[DarkSkySeeker]

I have the Honda EU2000 and am considering buying a Honda Companion to get the power to run AC.

My question is about the parallel cable kit. Do the wires in the kit pass current at 12V to the Companion from the EU2000, and then the inverter the Companion inverts this power to 115V?

[ctilsie242]

I have one of those Champion 4000 watt open-frame models sitting by my now-defunct 3000 watt Yamaha.

There are some advantages of two 2000 watt Honda generators. The biggest is that they are portable/luggable. After that, you can attach an external extended-run fuel tank (some tanks have two outlets), so you have a lot of run time. You can find parts and service for those anywhere. You can use eco-throttle which does help on fuel consumption, especially if you are using the generator for battery charging.

[ktmrfs]

kerrlakeroo wrote:
I have seen several comments and ads for paralleling 2000 Honda generators. My question is why? a standard 4000 watt generator has 230 volt power available, so why screw around with 2 small generators and try to parallel them?

a) normally I only need one, like 90 percent of the time
b) I can lift the honda 2000 easily and carry it around
c) I use it in the yard instead of running a long extension cord.
d) DW can easily put it in the truck bed

[MrWizard]

trail-explorer wrote:

time2roll wrote:
120VAC ONLY so don't go putting any 12v wire in there.

LOL.

12v wire....

Sorry, but I can't help but laugh.

Wire is Wire.

wire is wire .. yes

but the answer meant , don't plug a 12v circuit into the the honda 120v outlet

there is NO..12v between generators, only 120v

many people said it, and i described why

[wnjj]

DarkSkySeeker wrote:
I never really got the answer to my question

Mr.Wizard answered your question directly on page 1.

The parallel kit does nothing more than join the two 120V outputs together, just behind the circuit breakers. The companion model is the same generator, except it has a 30A recepatcle to handle the total power.

[2oldman]

DarkSkySeeker wrote:
I never really got the answer to my question

If you don't like the concise answers you DID get, but didn't like, find a schematic. I never got an answer to mine. What would lead you to think it would work like that?

[DarkSkySeeker]

I never really got the answer to my question except through the example that if the voltage was 12V, the current in the cabling would be so high.

So from that I infer the connection is 115V.

[trail-explorer]

time2roll wrote:
120VAC ONLY so don't go putting any 12v wire in there.

LOL.

12v wire....

Sorry, but I can't help but laugh.

Wire is Wire.

[2oldman]

SoundGuy wrote:
SO - you know for a fact that an EU2000i "works very hard" because you've done it yourself?

Yeah.

At 1200' and temps in the 80s my single eu would start and run my DuoTherm brisk air, but just barely. And sometimes it would quit, as if giving up because it was running too hard. I didn't want to subject a nice expensive generator to that kind of abuse. So I threw away my money on another one.

Everyone's situation is different.

[road-runner]

SteveAE wrote:

I installed a similar soft start and my AC easily starts on one Honda EU 2000 at 3500 feet in 90+ degree weather. The problem is running the AC. A single EU2000 just can't run my AC when it is hot out. Maybe if I was at sea level and the ambient temperature was 60 degrees (i.e.; the Oregon Coast in the summer), but not when I am at 3500 feet or higher and the ambient temperature is above 80 degrees. Just sharing my experience so others don't make the same assumption. Use two EU2000's (or a single larger generator) if you want to run a typical AC.

I've made a similar observation with the eu2000i. Above 3,000 feet it struggles to supply its maximum 1,600 VA load. Coming from idle, it will exceed 1,600 VA initially, then as it heats up the maximum it can handle ramps down. Close to sea level, it chugs along indefinitely, not even running at maximum RPM with a 1,600 VA load.

[bikendan]

kerrlakeroo wrote:

The 4 kw is listed as 70db @ half load.

WOW!:E

That generator will get you kicked out of the campground real quick.
Don't think I've ever seen a 4k generator with that loud of a noise rating.

[SteveAE]

SoundGuy wrote:

DarkSkySeeker wrote:
I have the Honda EU2000 and am considering buying a Honda Companion to get the power to run AC.

No longer necessary to parallel two 2K gensets or run a larger 3K to power your A/C ... instead of wasting $$$$ to buy a second EU2000i spend far less on a soft starter kit for your A/C unit, such as the Micro-Air Easy Start Soft Starter Kit. 🙂

Search rv.net for Micro-Air Easy Start and you'll come up with discussions like this.

I installed a similar soft start and my AC easily starts on one Honda EU 2000 at 3500 feet in 90+ degree weather. The problem is running the AC. A single EU2000 just can't run my AC when it is hot out. Maybe if I was at sea level and the ambient temperature was 60 degrees (i.e.; the Oregon Coast in the summer), but not when I am at 3500 feet or higher and the ambient temperature is above 80 degrees. Just sharing my experience so others don't make the same assumption. Use two EU2000's (or a single larger generator) if you want to run a typical AC.

[MrWizard]

kerrlakeroo wrote:
I have seen several comments and ads for paralleling 2000 Honda generators. My question is why? a standard 4000 watt generator has 230 volt power available, so why screw around with 2 small generators and try to parallel them?

your RV does not use 230vac

RVs use 30amp 120vac service
or
a 50amp service which is (2) 120vac 50amp lines, aka (100amps at 120v)

you don't need or want 230vac

the 'inverter' style generators use less fuel and make less noise when at low power battery charging or watching TV

Champion makes qood equipment, you won't use 4000w unless you are trying to MW while the A/C is on, and that may not work if its too hot outside
A/C compressor surge is the biggest load any generator will see
even a large 1100 cooking watt MW only uses around 1600w input power
the lock rotor start up on a roof top A/C can be 54amps 120v
some newer A/C units use less power and have a lower start surge on the A/C compressor, the numbers you need to know are stamped on the metal plate on the A/C compressor, removing the cover and getting this info, is helpful to have around,

[SoundGuy]

SoundGuy wrote:
instead of wasting $$$$ to buy a second EU2000i spend far less on a soft starter kit for your A/C unit

2oldman wrote:
I wouldn't call it wasting money. A single 2k Honda is working very hard to keep an a/c running. With two it's less loud and much easier on each one.

Yes, your kit helps with getting it started with one.

I would call it wasting money, and did ... and it's not my kit as I have nothing to do with Micro-Air in any way ... it's just a useful product that could really be a great solution for many RV owners.

SO - you know for a fact that an EU2000i "works very hard" because you've done it yourself? I have, and my EU2000i did not work very hard at all to keep the A/C running, it's starting the compressor that was the issue. Proof is in the pudding - I posted a link recently to a video of a test I did in which my 13,500 BTU Mach 3+ A/C ran just fine with my EU2000i running easily on ECO mode, with genset speed only moderately higher than the lowest ECO speed. The issue was starting the A/C compressor, especially once A/C head pressure had increased, and that's what the Micro-Air Easy Start soft starter kit is designed to solve. Maybe you ought to try a soft starter kit yourself before suggesting it isn't a viable solution that makes more sense than investing in 2 paralleled generators. 😉

[SoundGuy]

kerrlakeroo wrote:
My current 4kw cheapie is no louder than my prior 8HP honda was, so I had not expected noise to be the issue.
The 4 kw is listed as 70db @ half load.

Ummmm, 70 dbA is ear shattering. :M Presumably you do realize sound level is measured on a logarithmic scale and as such an inverter genset running full tilt at say 58 dbA is dramatically quieter than another genset running at 70 dbA. :R