Honda Generators
When getting the job done right is job 1
At Jack's we are proud to carry the Honda Generator
Line of Products.
For product details and models visit Honda Power Equipment at
www.hondapowerequipment.com
Honda Products can also be purchased
on-line from
Honda.com.
(Type 93458
for Zip Code and Select Jack's Repair & Sales)
HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT
GENERATOR FOR THE JOB
These are the things to
consider when selecting a generator:
HOW DO YOU PLAN TO USE YOUR GENERATOR?
Generators are used to perform a wide variety of tasks, and Honda
offers a variety of models to suit almost all potential users. Honda
generators provide a high quality power source that is reliable and
convenient.
Camping/Recreation/Boating (Visit EU
series)
Home Standby (Visit EM series)
Construction/Rental (Visit EB series)
HOW QUIET DOES YOUR GENERATOR NEED TO BE?
Honda generators are known for quiet
operation. Honda has engineered exceptionally quiet portable models,
but offers less costly options that may serve your application at a lower
cost. While a camping application may require a super quiet EU series
choice, home standby and construction applications would be satisfied with
a deluxe or industrial series model, and some applications will allow for
the Economy series that do not have the additional features required to
provide quiet operation. For Decibel
chart.
IS ELECTRIC START REQUIRED?
Honda engines are renown for the ease of starting, even when only equipped
with a manual recoil starter. Honda offers many models with the
convenience of electric start for applications that may require
remote start or where the ease
of electric start is preferred.
DO YOU REQUIRE EASY TRANSPORT?
While all Honda Generators are Portable by definition, many models include
standard wheel kits for easy
movement of the generator from storage to the work site. Consider the
options when selecting the right model for your application.
HOW MUCH POWER DO YOU NEED?
Generators produce AC voltage, very similar to the voltage
available in your home, however while your electric utility company
produces sufficient power for all your electric powered devices, a
portable generator is limited in power output directly relational to the
engine horsepower. The amount of power that a generator can produce is
rated in watts. Rated power is generally 90% of maximum power as certain
components lose efficiency as they are heated from use.
To determine wattage requirements you should determine which devices need
to be powered simultaneously and what the starting requirement of the
device is. A Wattage Chart is provided to
assist you. Remember that with simple "Power Management" techniques, a
small generator can provide adequate power for home or recreational
applications.
MAXIMUM AND RATED POWER
A generator should never be operated at its MAXIMUM power output for
more than 30 minutes.
RATED power, or the power that a generator can produce for long
periods of time, is a more reliable measure of generator power. Typically
the RATED power is 90% of the MAXIMUM power.
For Example, a 2500 watt generator produces a MAXIMUM 2500 watts of power.
This means at maximum power this generator could light up 25 100-watt
light bulbs at the same time. The rated wattage of this generator would be
2300 watts and should only be used to power 23 - 100 watt light bulbs.
When considering your power needs, first determine the highest power
application such as a well pump for home power or air compressor for the
job site. The power required to start the capacitor motor on these
applications will determine the rated power of the generator you should
choose for your
application.
TYPES OF LOADS
In the previous example, the light bulbs are the LOAD of the
generator. A 2500 watt generator can handle a LOAD of no more than 2500
watts maximum.
RESISTIVE LOADS: The light bulb example is called a RESISTIVE
type load and the POWER it requires is pretty easy to understand. Other
RESISTIVE types of LOAD are things like toasters, convection ovens,
hot plates, curling irons, coffee makers, stereos and TV's. RESISTIVE
LOADS are usually appliances that do not have electric motors.
RESISTIVE LOADS = 1 x Power
A REACTIVE load contains an electric motor. Some household
appliances like a furnace or refrigerator have internal fans that come on
intermittently, so extra wattage/power is needed to start the fan.
Another example is power tools. An appliance or tool with a reactive load
may require up to three times as much power (wattage) to START as it does
to keep it running.
Examples of REACTIVE type loads:
Refrigerators / freezers
Furnace fans
Well pumps
Air conditioners
Bench grinders
Air compressors
Power tools
REACTIVE LOADS = 3 x Power
RESISTIVE LOADS:
The equation shows the relationship between watts, volts and amps in a
PURELY RESISTIVE load. If you know any of the two variables,
the third can be calculated.
Example: You want a generator to power a 1000 watt flood light. The light
is 120V and requires 1000 watts of power. Using the equation, we can
calculate that the floodlight will draw 8.3 amps of electrical current.
For REACTIVE loads, the equation shows only a general relationship between
watts, volts and amps. That's because the power requirements for REACTIVE
loads changes with operating conditions.
Resistive Loads Volts x Amps = Watts
REACTIVE LOADS:
When determining the proper generator for REACTIVE type loads, you must
consider three modes of operation:
STARTING - The electric motor requires more power to start. The
starting power required can be up to THREE times the running amount.
RUNNING - The power required to run the electric motor once it has
been started.
LOADED - When the electric motor begins to work (saw begins cutting
wood, drill begins drilling thru a wall), its power requirement will
increase. This is not applicable for most household appliances.
DATA TAG:
Method 2 requires a visual inspection of the data tag supplied by the
electric motor manufacturer. All electrical motors have a data tag
attached to their bodies that give volts, amps, phase, cycles, hp, and
sometimes a code.
Volts (V) - The volts must be either 120 (110-120) or 120/240. 120/240
means that the motor can be wired to operate on 120V or 240V. Honda
generators are either 120V or 120/240V.
Amps (A) - Indicates the amps required to RUN the electric motor but
doesn't consider STARTING or LOADED power requirements.
Phase (PH) - Honda Generators can power only single phase motors only.
Horsepower (HP) - Rating of how much work an electric motor can perform.
Code - This isn't always provided on the data tag. It represents the
maximum STARTING power required of the electric motor.
Cycles (Hz) - All of U.S. electrical appliances run at 60 cycles per
second.
LOAD CODE:
Is a letter which represents Amps per Hp to start the motor. Multiply
CODE (amps) times Hp of motor to determine starting amps. For example:
The data tag on our electric motor shows a code of L. Our motor is 1/3
Hp. An L code is 84 amps per Hp x 1/3 (motor Hp) = 28 amps to start the
motor shown.