Underpowered generator?

[ctom87]

Well, I am a heck of a lot more prepared for the 12 hours without power this time around than the 3 days during snow-mageddon.

However, I ran into two issues I'm hoping the wonderful folks on here might be able to help me troubleshoot and understand. The first...

The generator works, and I am very thankful. However, it seemed to bog down and shut off shortly after the heater would come on. I flipped off all breakers except the heater, and it still bogged down and shut off. The generator I bought is rated for 11,500/8,500 watts... My dad is a retired electrician and he came over with a tool that measured the running watts at the panel with everything in my house and all my power tools in the shed running, and I did this generator based on that information. Does a heater alone really draw over 11,500 watts by itself when it cranks up?

Next issue... My fireplace is also running on LP and it goes out when I start the generator, nor will it light up if the generator is already running. The generator is run on the same line via a T joint. Is the fireplace really not able to get enough fuel to maintain the flame? Seems odd to me.

Thanks in advance for any thoughts or assistance.

[Killer]

Probably start up amps on the heater
It might be enough to trip the gen off

[Killer]

Some kind of safety switch on the fireplace maybe?

[Bisch]

Don’t know anything about the fireplace. I do know I just looked at this for myself and my heater was too many watts to be run by a 12000watt generator.

Bisch


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[ctom87]

Probably start up amps on the heater
It might be enough to trip the gen off

To my knowledge nothing is tripping. There is a breaker on the generator itself that doesn't flip. It's just dying.

Some kind of safety switch on the fireplace maybe?

That's a possibility. I've been having since yesterday and it seems to be safety-switch related, I believe. Today was different because it was happening exactly when I turned the generator on.

[justletmein]

To my knowledge nothing is tripping. There is a breaker on the generator itself that doesn't flip. It's just dying.

That's what my little one does when I hit it with too much power in the camper, just bogs and shuts off.

[tx_basser]

U need a 15kw generator min to really be self sufficient in times like this. Along with a separate LP line to supply it.

[Electrican]

Being your LP fireplace goes out, I’d say you have a gas supply issue.

[Bucknaked]

When running off of LP don’t they have less power?

[ctom87]

When running off of LP don’t they have less power?

It is 12,500/9,500 gas or 11,500/8,500 LP

[ctom87]

Being your LP fireplace goes out, I’d say you have a gas supply issue.

Good point.

[Dejashoot]

Not enough flow from the propane to the gen.

[DedDuk]

Just a thought, maybe try turning the fan on first for the heater. It may use less of a start up load. Probably wrong, but, worth a try.

[Bucknaked]

It is 12,500/9,500 gas or 11,500/8,500 LP

Put some gas in it Then Now

[BrianL]

There is a lot a variable in what you described.

Heat pump, gas furnace, or heat strips for central?

Do you have high pressure regulator all the way to the the house and generator?

My guess is you tested under heat pump mode but due to temp range the heating strips are coming on and overloading your genset. When there is a large difference between thermostat temp and actual temp the emergency heat strips come on and suck a bunch of electricity.

Other issue is you need more gas flow to your genset and fireplace. This is a wrong sized regulator.