HOT HOT HOT! running AC on Honda generator

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

I don’t understand it either, on mine and I’m sure others, the boat doesn’t know it’s generator power, it’s exactly the same as shore power, just limited of course.
I’m wondering if your Honda may have some kind of issue?

Does your boat have a ground fault sensing system of some kind? I ask as I think portable generators have a floating ground.
Only difference I can think of between it and shore power.

I think you need to get to the bottom of why is your breaker tripping.

I have galvanic isolators and the reverse polarity light is on when running the on the Honda. Maybe this is the "issue", but I don't understand why turning on the charger makes a difference.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by wsmurdoch

I get a "ground wire" fault on my boat's galvanic isolator when using my Honda EU2200IC generator connected to the boat using my 30A shore power cord connected to the 120V 30A twist lock on the generator. I can fix that problem by plugging a replacement 12V plug with a wire connecting the ground and neutral pins into the 120V 20A outlet on the generator.

See page 18 of the manual.

But, I don't see why your breaker is tripping.

Bill

I understand why the breaker trips and stopped that

I don't really understand what/how you are connecting that ground.

[wsmurdoch]

As delivered my Honda generator does not have the 120V neutral connected to its ground. Normal U.S. 120V utility service has the neutral and ground connected at the "service", that is at its source. My galvanic isolator alarms when it finds that the neutral and ground are not connected. I can connect them at the generator with a 120V 20A plug that is wired with the ground and neutral connected with a jumper. I can just plug it into the 120V outlet.

Bill

[sailorboy1]

I'll try that

I don't understand why that would make a difference far was having to have the charger on in order for the Honda to power my panel, but see no reason not to try it (maybe when I turn on the charger that is connecting them)

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

(maybe when I turn on the charger that is connecting them)

I’m thinking that may be the case, my Magnum inverter/Charger has that option, of bonding both together when it’s own, I believe it ships that way.

[sailorboy1]

THAT WORKED!!!!!! Getting power now without having to turn on the charger. Thanks all that responded about the neutral and ground. That was enough for me to do a google search and read and watch a couple of videos. Had to sacrifice a plug to make one, but that's OK.

[a64pilot]

Now will it start the AC by itself?
Screenshot of yesterday’s weather in Jacksonville, yes that is unusual, but look at the wind for those that wonder why we want AC.

[sailorboy1]

It was 95 yesterday here in Sarasota!

I put a hard start kit on the 16K unit as it was easy to get to and figured it would be good way to learn how to do it. Started that up off the diesel generator and it cut the starting amps from 38-39 to 24 amps. But tried that on the Honda at full speed and it wasn't enough. I'm sure I can get it to run off the Honda by starting it on the diesel gen and quickly flipping the breakers (that's how I'm starting the 7K unit right now).

In a while I'm going to attack installing a hard start kit on the 7k unit. The battle is going to be getting to the electrical box without tearing apart a lot of "stuff".

[Outlaw7]

Flagship Marine just published a test they did with their units and a Harbor Freight 2000W generator just to set the bar low. It started their 9K and 12 K but bogged down on their 16K without any hard start caps or other devices.


We have just completed testing our 9000 BTU and 12000 BTU self contained air conditioners on a 2000 Watt Harbor Freight generator. We figured that if a Harbor Freight unit could run them then a Honda 2000 easily could. The Harbor Freight failed miserably on a 16000 BTU unit and if any one locally has a Honda 2000 we would happily rerun the test, and buy you lunch as a thank you.

[sailorboy1]

I think it would take a soft start to start most 16k units unless you have a power assists inverter (mine wouldn't start with the hard start and a newer EU2200i)

I won the battle on the aft 7k unit. Put the hard start kit in and it was fairly easy as I had just enough room in the air intake opening to do the wiring. It started on the EU2200i with the ECO off and is drawing 7 amps running on ECO

[weavis]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

I think it would take a soft start to start most 16k units unless you have a power assists inverter (mine wouldn't start with the hard start and a newer EU2200i)

I won the battle on the aft 7k unit. Put the hard start kit in and it was fairly easy as I had just enough room in the air intake opening to do the wiring. It started on the EU2200i with the ECO off and is drawing 7 amps running on ECO

As I told a patient yesterday... "sometimes its better to be cured than know how the heck it happened..."

[boatpoker]

Turn on the fan first, wait a few seconds for that load to settle down then turn on the a/c compressor. It worked for me with a slightly undersized Honda 2000 that could not fire up both at the same time, it would just trip the breaker.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by boatpoker

Turn on the fan first, wait a few seconds for that load to settle down then turn on the a/c compressor. It worked for me with a slightly undersized Honda 2000 that could not fire up both at the same time, it would just trip the breaker.

I think most newer systems do that anyway.
Both my Webasto’s first start the fan, then the water pump and then a minute or so later the compressor.
Although the surge on the 16K is big, real big, no way a Honda 2000 could do it, and that’s with a Supco hard start cap.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

I think it would take a soft start to start most 16k units unless you have a power assists inverter (mine wouldn't start with the hard start and a newer EU2200i)



I won the battle on the aft 7k unit. Put the hard start kit in and it was fairly easy as I had just enough room in the air intake opening to do the wiring. It started on the EU2200i with the ECO off and is drawing 7 amps running on ECO

I bet you feel a whole lot better about buying that Honda now don’t you

Nothing is easy on a boat, not much works right out of the box. For some reason most stuff takes “tuning” to work.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

I bet you feel a whole lot better about buying that Honda now don’t you

Nothing is easy on a boat, not much works right out of the box. For some reason most stuff takes “tuning” to work.

I spent about $1300 so far on my Honda "project". So yes I'm feeling a lot better now that it's working. Now I am going to have to get some more fans to blow air from the aft berth into the salon.

Meanwhile it was 99 degrees as we walked back from dinner at 7pm. So I have my water leaking finely crafted Italian POS running at the moment so that both ACs can run till the boat cools down before switching to just the Honda powering the aft small unit.

Got my extended fuel cap today, so tonight I going to let it run all night and see how it goes. Hope my next post tomorrow isn't about how the boat caught fire and burned up and that I'm going RV shopping.