XW inverter charger behavior @120V

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Comments

  • dwh
    dwh Solar Expert Posts: 1,341 ✭✭✭
    Re: XW inverter charger behavior @120V

    Coot,

    Yea, I'm aware of the Champion inverter generators. They also have their new 1600w/2000w unit that has been on sale at Costco for the last week for $399. Most places are charging $499 for it.

    I just don't see the point in spending big bucks for an advanced generator if all I'm going to do is charge batteries - especially if it doesn't get any better fuel economy than that little 1200w synchronous does for $200.



    maverick06,

    Sure, if you have an extra I'll take it. I'll probably take the Honeywell apart and put a new rope on it maybe next week. Figured since I'd be at the lawnmower shop getting a rope for it, I might as well get a normal type primer - like you see on a chainsaw - and hook it up and see if that helps the hard start. It's worth a try if I'm going to tear it down anyway.
  • TheBackRoads
    TheBackRoads Solar Expert Posts: 274 ✭✭
    Re: XW inverter charger behavior @120V

    Sorry for diggin up an old thread but my father bought one of these Honeywell 2000i generators last summer/fall. Very interesting read and I greatly appreciate you taking the time to explain all this DWH! I too found it odd to run 15w-40 oil.. Might put an Amsoil 10w-40 or 5w-40 in it see if that does anything. As for starting, I too loose track pulling on the thing to start it. However when running runs decent... in eco mode it surges a bit on idle and struggles to fully rev up for larger loads. However it was purchased simply for power outages that last year lasted a few days more than once. I was interested in your hour meter and will defiantly be purchasing one of those. Any idea on how to get this thing to start quicker?

    Again, thanks again for this thread!

    TBR:D
  • dwh
    dwh Solar Expert Posts: 1,341 ✭✭✭
    Re: XW inverter charger behavior @120V

    My only idea was to fit a chainsaw primer pump to the fuel line. The first generation HWs had a primer, the second generation units didn't.

    I haven't messed with mine. I bought the little 1200w Champion and so far (50 hours) it works great - and gets better fuel economy than the HW.

    Eventually, I'll have to do a post on it.
  • maverick06
    maverick06 Registered Users Posts: 20
    Re: XW inverter charger behavior @120V

    Well the honeywell is taking forever to start... I have to pull it for about 20 min before it lights up.... Today I took it to the service center, its still under warranty. We will see what happens. Of course as soon as I drop it off the tech looks at it, opens up the gas tank sniffs it and says "boy thats terrible gas, you just clogged up the carb" Im sure thats not it, i run the gas in my lawnmower and wood chipper with no problems and its only a couple months old and I have it stabilized. Also once the generator gets going, it works fine.

    So we shall see. hope I get a new unit. I used it for the hurricane. But it took so long to start up that between power going out and the generator starting I had an inch of water in my basement.... ugh. BUT it ran fine for the next 8 hours after that.

    We shall see. Of course there is a $40 "assessment fee" that only gets refunded if it is a warranty item.... who knows.

    Even when it works its pretty hard to start. I am thinking about getting the 800 watt harborfreight one for the little stuff (sump pump and fireplace). I figure my wife should be able to move and start that one. Its good enough until i get home from work or travel when power is out.
  • maverick06
    maverick06 Registered Users Posts: 20
    Re: XW inverter charger behavior @120V

    UPDATE: The repair center said that it was just stale gas and the carb needed to be cleaned.

    BS: the gas was bought in july and stabilized right away. The generator has 9 hours on it and has only used stabilized gas, certainly not dirty. Its the same stuff i use on everything else with no problems.

    The service center is claiming $97 for the job and its not covered. I will be calling honeywell today to say that this problem has always been there. But its the service guy's word against mine. So guess who is going to get the same generator with a different tank of gas in it and the same problem.

    I hope it takes forever in to start in the parking lot so that they see the actual problem. Im not a happy camper. I would still be less happy is I spent $2k on a honda though. Can a carb really be so super sensitive that gas that works fine in all my other engines (lawn mower 2 wood chippers, tiller, chain saw, and snow blower) never causing a problem could kill this engine?
  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    Re: XW inverter charger behavior @120V

    Load of dingo's kidneys.

    I use gas that sits about in containers for 6+ months without fuel stabilizer and have never, ever had a problem with gummed-up carbs in anything. Not lawn mowers or chainsaws or boat motors or generators. This idea that gasoline suddenly goes bad because you didn't burn it right away is something made up by the oil industry and crooked repair services to make money off you by selling new gas and lots of expensive repairs. The days of old when fuel would "varnish" in the tank are long past. Have you not seen all the gasoline companies bragging about how their gas cleans your engine as you drive? Not likely any such fuel would do harm to a carburettor just by sitting in it.

    Disagree if you like, but don't bother telling me I'm wrong because that would mean my actual real life experiences don't happen. I'm not that senile. Yet. :p
  • TheBackRoads
    TheBackRoads Solar Expert Posts: 274 ✭✭
    Re: XW inverter charger behavior @120V

    Perhaps it was dirty when it was assembled and such, but as you said, these things are just plain and simple hard to start. I hope it doesnt start easy in the lot haha. Ive even noticed that after running mine, turning it off, filling it with gas, and *trying* to restart it, it still takes many pulls. odd.
  • Vic
    Vic Solar Expert Posts: 3,208 ✭✭✭✭
    Re: XW inverter charger behavior @120V

    maverick,

    Perhaps just tell the service center, "well, I bought the gas, fresh, the day I began trying to start it, but by the time it started, the gas was over three months old!", or something. Seems to be a design flaw. Too bad that there is no socket on the generator, so you could use an electric or cordless drill motor to start it.

    EDIT: Perhaps HW should market this generator as an "Upper-Body Exercise Machine' And, place a statement in the manual that, if the machine should "begin exercising on its own, turn off the machine, allow it to rest and recover for one hour. Then you can turn if back to the on (or run) position and continue your exercise session"

    Good Luck, and thanks again dwh for the detailed info on the HW. Vic
    Off Grid - Two systems -- 4 SW+ 5548 Inverters, Surrette 4KS25 1280 AH X2@48V, 11.1 KW STC PV, 4X MidNite Classic 150 w/ WBjrs, Beta KID on S-530s, MX-60s, MN Bkrs/Boxes.  25 KVA Polyphase Kubota diesel,  Honda Eu6500isa,  Eu3000is-es, Eu2000,  Eu1000 gensets.  Thanks Wind-Sun for this great Forum.
  • sub3marathonman
    sub3marathonman Solar Expert Posts: 300 ✭✭✭
    Re: XW inverter charger behavior @120V
    Load of dingo's kidneys.

    Disagree if you like, but don't bother telling me I'm wrong because that would mean my actual real life experiences don't happen. I'm not that senile. Yet. :p

    I won't tell you that you're wrong, but I will still disagree about the possibility of the fuel being bad. Because E10 shouldn't be called "gasoline." What is interesting is that apparently it is E10 under optimum conditions, but in reality it varies greatly depending on how thoroughly it has been mixed with the gasoline it is added to. There is a vast amount of experiences, most all bad, with E10. It is my opinion that it has decreased the mileage of the Prius by 10%, which would indicate it is worthless as a gasoline additive. Others have claimed only a 5% decrease, but it certainly isn't the gigantic boost to our energy dilemma.

    I had to have the pressure washer carburetor rebuilt twice because they said each time it was "bad gas." Now I pay 25% more to get true gasoline, and since I have done this for the past couple of years, my pressure washer, mower, and other small engines have been fine.
  • halfcrazy
    halfcrazy Solar Expert Posts: 720 ✭✭✭
    Re: XW inverter charger behavior @120V

    We are seeing the same thing here some carbs hate the ethanol and need to be screwed with every blessed time you use them and some could care less?

    It seems to look like the cheaper engines have the issues but I can not really say? I gave up and started buying non ethanol gas at a 25% increase in cost and life is good everything runs like it used to and now I can mow the lawn instead of rebuilding the mower.
  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    Re: XW inverter charger behavior @120V
    halfcrazy wrote: »
    We are seeing the same thing here some carbs hate the ethanol and need to be screwed with every blessed time you use them and some could care less?

    It seems to look like the cheaper engines have the issues but I can not really say? I gave up and started buying non ethanol gas at a 25% increase in cost and life is good everything runs like it used to and now I can mow the lawn instead of rebuilding the mower.

    Ethanol-blended gasoline is another matter. Alcohol is a solvent and can damage some rubber seals if they aren't the right type of rubber (expensive neoprene). It is also evaporative and will absorb moisture (water) easily. These gasolines aren't recommended for small engines, and can mess up some automotive ones as well. So much for saving the environment! :roll:

    Up here they are more expensive than regular gas, which is currently $5.43 per gallon in US measure & currency.
  • maverick06
    maverick06 Registered Users Posts: 20
    Well I got my HW2000i back from the shop! Want to play guess what? Never mind, no reason.

    Allow me to go through the experience.

    I show up and ask to see the guy start the genset. he says "no problem" and takes me to the back of the shop (cool, many places wont let you). He goes into telling me about how my 2 month old stabilized gas was clearly horribly stale, and the carb was gummed up. He says he drained everything and cleaned the carb out. Well he primes it, and chokes it, and pulls.... and pulls and pulls... then pumps some more... and pulls a lot more... then unchokes it... pulls.....rechokes it and pulls it a bunch, and eventually it fires and runs....

    All said, it probably took the tech 10 min and 40ish pulls. I am just staring at him at this point. The dialogue went something as follows:
    "see it now runs"
    "I brought it in because it was hard to start"
    "yep, and the gas was stale, so now it runs"
    "Honeywell says it should never take more than 3 pulls to start"
    "Yeah, thats about right"
    "How many times did you pull it?"
    "oh, about 40"
    "So it still starts hard, even though thats why I brought it in"
    "yep, but you had stale gas in it"

    seeing as how arguing with an idiot is a foolish endeavor, I acknowledge that I paid a moron $97 to do nothing to my generator (and over 4 hours in the car, a little over an hour each way). So that was an absolute utter waste. The generator is the exact same as before, but my wallet is lighter.

    I will be filing a incident form with honeywell. However, I am sure they will simply look at it and acknowledge that it is my word against his. He is a "certified honeywell tech" and I am just a "consumer". They will side with him.

    I wont take it to another service center, as it will just cost me more money, and the next nearest one is in a very bad area and about an hour and half away.

    If you can get it going, it works well. But its hard for me to get going, and nearly impossible for my wife to get going.

    So, I have gotten no satisfaction, and it cost me $97, plus 4 hours in the car.
  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Re: XW inverter charger behavior @120V
    mike90045 wrote: »
    On mine, the brass grommet the pull rope goes through, has torn out, and the rope quickly sawed through the plastic case. And still takes 20-40 pulls for a cold start.
    I think the oil sensor is just a single wire that shorts out the ignition system, if you pluck the wire off the crankcase sensor, and tape it up well, you should be good.

    After it's been running, restarts, even when toasty hot, need at least 1/2 choke to fire up on the 2nd pull.
    Well I got my HW2000i back from the shop! Want to play guess what? Never mind, no reason.


    Update. The starter cord finally wore through, and took it to the shop to let them weave a new one into it.
    After my $90 - I've discovered they gave me someone elses generator, it now starts on the 3rd pull when cold.

    Bummer you got a brain dead tech.
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