Field report - portable generator Westinghouse iGen2500

[rdubs]

Hi everyone
I own a SO469 and make it a hobby to try and keep hours off both the motor and the built-in Cummins Onan generator.  I was looking for an alternative to running the main generator at night while at anchor and thought I would try out the Westinghouse iGen2500.  Many cruisers use the famous Honda EU2200i (upgraded version of the EU2000i), but I was drawn to the Westinghouse because the noise level is about the same, the power output is higher, and the cost is about half.

The big question was, can the portable generator withstand the starting surge from the air conditioning.  For most generators the initial starting surge from the compressor kicking on will overload the generator, so to counteract this owners install a "soft start" system which slowly ramps the voltage up.  I did not want to mess the the air conditioners, rather if a single generator wouldn't hack it then I would just buy another and run them in parallel.  Also, the cost of one of the soft start devices runs about $300-$350, so a second generator would only cost about $300 more yet provide a lot more options.

To connect the generator to the shore power inlets, I bought two six foot long, 14 AWG extension cords and also two pigtail adapter cords (5-15P to L5-30R).  The generator has two 115VAC plugs, so one plug went to each shore power receptacle.  I sat the unit on the lowered swim platform to insulate it a bit plus get the exhaust away from the boat.

First I tested the owner's cabin AC unit, which I think is a 10K BTU one (it might be 16).  For these tests I kept the battery charger off so the generator started with no load.  The generator started the compressor like a champ.  You could hear the RPM's dip then rev back up before becoming stable, but it held no problem.  Then I tried it on the main salon 16K unit (Dometic DTU16 Turbo).  The generator started this one as well.  I watched the AC voltage meter on the electrical panel, it would dip to about 70 before coming back, but the important thing is it started without the generator tripping.  So test successful, you don't need a soft start with this generator to get it to start your A/C unit.  However, if I wanted to run a second AC, I'd need a second unit.

One note however.  With the generator powering the salon AC and the compressor going, I switched on the battery charger.  As the two battery chargers ramped their voltage up, the generator bogged down and eventually tripped offline.  So then I turned the AC off and turned the battery charger on.  You could hear the generator bog down a bit, but once the voltage stabilized it went back to normal.  I then tried to start the main AC with the battery charger on, and that worked.  So, lesson learned, turn the battery charger on and let the load get stabilized, and then turn the AC on.

One last item, I need to bond the ground and neutral at the generator.  Like the Honda EU-series, these generators come unbound since the manufacturer doesn't know if the circuit will be bound elsewhere.  My plan to bind the two is to buy a plug from Home Depot, connect a wire between the two inside the plug housing, then run a short wire to a receptacle.  So create a little 6" long pigtail which binds the neutral and ground.

The specs say this generator will run for 10 hours at 25% load off the internal tank.  Can't find the estimated duration at 75% load.  So I'm looking into getting an extended run cap and getting that set up, that way don't have to wake up halfway through the night to refill the tank.

Sorry for the long wall of text but if anyone wants an alternative to running their built-in generator, this little guy did a great job and is a lot more affordable than the EU2200i.  The EU2200i has a larger cylinder displacement (120cc vs. 100cc, if I recall), which makes it bog down less and recover better from when a surge load hits, but as I was hoping the iGen2500 can handle it.

Happy sailing
-'Dubs

[alenka]

Dubs,

Can I ask how heavy is it and is it small enough to stow away in a locker when not in use?

Thanks

[rdubs]

Hi Alenka
It weighs 48 pounds, a little more with the one gallon tank full.  
Dimensions:  19.8" long x 11.5" wide x 18" tall.  It fit with plenty of room into the storage areas behind each of the helm wheels, and would easily have fit in either of the main two seat lockers in the cockpit.  Some folks lash their portable generator to the front of the mast.

[moonshadow]

I am still new to my 469. Why do you want to limit the built in generator run?

[rdubs]

Aug 29, 2018 2:01:56 GMT moonshadow said:

I am still new to my 469. Why do you want to limit the built in generator run?

Hi Moonshadow
A couple reasons, but I’m pretty sure it’s just polishing the cannonball.  That is, I couldn’t really measure a definitive savings or improvement, but I feel better.

1) Mostly to reduce wear on the main generator.  Running it increases the chance of something happening, and the portable is a lot easier to fix or replace.  It is important though to run the main generator at least once a month, at load, to keep it in good shape. 

2) For anyone sleeping in the aft guest staterooms, that main generator would be a couple feet away and pretty loud.  I think the portable, especially if placed on the swim platform, would be less noisy.  Certainly less vibration.  Also, it makes me feel better having that carbon monoxide exhaust directly on the swim platform, as opposed to having the source of the CO two feet away from sleeping guests.  I have CO detectors installed in each aft stateroom, but still. 

3) Engine hours are the closest thing to mileage on a car.  So if I ever sold the boat, it would be nice to advertise low generator hours.  Same for the main motor obviously, but not much you can do to reduce that except take the sails in at the last minute and don’t motorsail.  Reducing generator hours, that’s something a lot more controllable.  

4) Need to check the numbers to see if the power fuel efficiency of the portable is higher or lower than the main generator.  Diesels are more fuel efficient that gasoline engines because they have higher compression and no pumping loss due to a throttle plate, but the diesel has 3 cylinders compared to the portable’s one, so much more friction losses.   Never mind, I just checked the Onan specs: at 25% load, the Onan consumes 0.3 gallons of diesel per hour, which is 3 gallons over 10 hours.  The iGen2500 says it consumes 1 gallon in 10 hours at25% load.  So the portable uses a third of the fuel that the main does.  But that being said, gasoline is more dangerous to store than diesel.  
Edit: 25% is not apples to apples; 25% of the main gen is about 1.5kw, whereas that would be like 70% on the portable.  So not a 3x reduction, but certainly better due to much less friction from only have one cylinder.