Honda EU2000 Eco?

stmar
stmar Solar Expert Posts: 370 ✭✭✭
When do you use the Eco setting on the Honda EU2000? Would you ever use it in a charging application or do you want max output during charging?

Comments

  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,431 admin
    Re: Honda EU2000 Eco?

    First, do not use the 12 volt output of the eu2000i for charging your battery bank (other than as an emergency solution). Not much current and, as I recall, ECO has to be off for it to charge properly (you may not be able to run AC loads at the same time as DC charging--I have seen the warning posted here over the years).

    Second, ECO Off is needed for surge loads. If you have an AC load that puts heavy surge current to the genset, the generator may not speed up fast enough to support the AC load. So, you might have to have ECO off when connecting your battery charger.

    Once the charger is connected and charging, you may be able to turn ECO ON at that point. Engine will run at high speed early in the charging cycle and slow down as the battery becomes more charged (later in the absorb cycle).

    ECO OFF will not hurt anything--Just burn more fuel than necessary as the AC loads drop.

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    Re: Honda EU2000 Eco?
    BB. wrote: »
    Once the charger is connected and charging, you may be able to turn ECO off at that point. Engine will run at high speed early in the charging cycle and slow down as the battery becomes more charged (later in the absorb cycle).

    ECO on will not hurt anything--Just burn more fuel than necessary as the AC loads drop.

    -Bill

    Backwards, Bill.

    Should read:
    Once the charger is connected and charging, you may be able to turn ECO on at that point. Engine will run at high speed early in the charging cycle and slow down as the battery becomes more charged (later in the absorb cycle).

    ECO off will not hurt anything--Just burn more fuel than necessary as the AC loads drop.

    And in reality the gens will run fine powering a stand-alone or built-in charger with ECO on as they can rev to full output as needed. The only reason to turn it off is if you are expecting sudden surge demands which the gen can't ramp up to fast enough before faulting.
  • stmar
    stmar Solar Expert Posts: 370 ✭✭✭
    Re: Honda EU2000 Eco?

    Curious as to why it would burn more fuel? I thought that setting was to save fuel.
  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,431 admin
    Re: Honda EU2000 Eco?

    Yea--I messed up On and Off for ECO throttle--Will fix now.

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
  • stmar
    stmar Solar Expert Posts: 370 ✭✭✭
    Re: Honda EU2000 Eco?

    Thanks for clearing that up for me.