Washing Machine That Will Work Off A Generator?

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DragonLady
DragonLady Registered Users Posts: 3 ✭
in Off Grid Solar & Battery Systems #1
We're in the UK. Off-grid as have bought land and live on it in a static caravan. We'll be putting in for planning for a house in two years' time, so until then it's a generator - a wind turbine will be up as soon as we get the concrete base sorted and solar will be added this coming year.

I bought a new Hotpoint washing machine, only it doesn't like the generator ('reverse earth' according to the plug tester). We've tried it with both the Clarke 3kw and the Hyundai 2.2kw and neither can run it.

Husband has just suggested we try hooking the washing machine up to the inverter first thing in the morning and see if that works. If it drains the batteries (4 x 120 ah agm - 2s2p configuration) we'll have all day to recharge them.

It's a bit testing to live here with all the dogs and horses and mud and not have a working washing machine... I've been searching to see if there's another make / model of either washing machine and / or generator that we need to get, but so far I'm either putting in the wrong searches or I'm not understanding the results. Can anyone make any suggestions?
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  • wellbuilt
    wellbuilt Solar Expert Posts: 763 ✭✭✭✭
    #2
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    Boy that sounds exciting 
      I know you have different power in the uk but having reverse ground is some thing I’ve never heard of , but I’m not a Electrision . 
       I’m sure if you can talk to hotpoint they should have a answer  for your. 
       Here in the us every thing just runs on standard current ? 
        I know there are adaptors that every one uses when traveling maybe you jus need a different unit ? 
       I’m sure some one will be buy that can help more with your problem then I can. 
    Out back  flex power one  with out back 3648 inverter fm80 charge controler  flex net  mate 16 gc215 battery’s 4425 Watts solar .
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  • 706jim
    706jim Solar Expert Posts: 515 ✭✭✭✭
    #3
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    To run my furnace from my Honda generator I had to make a plug that connected neutral to ground at the generator. Then it worked. Maybe that's what you have to do for your washer.
    Island cottage solar system with 2500 watts of panels, 1kw facing southeast 1.3kw facing southwest 170watt ancient Arco's facing south. All panels in parallel for a 24 volt system. Trace DR1524 MSW inverter, Outback Flexmax 80 MPPT charge controller 8 Trojan L16's. Insignia 11.5 cubic foot electric fridge. My 30th year.
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  • DragonLady
    DragonLady Registered Users Posts: 3 ✭
    #4
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    wellbuilt said:
    Boy that sounds exciting 
      I know you have different power in the uk but having reverse ground is some thing I’ve never heard of , but I’m not a Electrision . 
       I’m sure if you can talk to hotpoint they should have a answer  for your. 
       Here in the us every thing just runs on standard current ? 
        I know there are adaptors that every one uses when traveling maybe you jus need a different unit ? 
       I’m sure some one will be buy that can help more with your problem then I can. 

    Thank you. So far Hotpoint haven't been super useful, but I'll try a different route, see if that produces something useful :smile:
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  • DragonLady
    DragonLady Registered Users Posts: 3 ✭
    #5
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    706jim said:
    To run my furnace from my Honda generator I had to make a plug that connected neutral to ground at the generator. Then it worked. Maybe that's what you have to do for your washer.

    Thank you. I've made the suggestion to husband and he's contemplating how / if that would work here :smile:
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  • Estragon
    Estragon Registered Users Posts: 4,496 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #6
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    I'd suggest looking at the generator manual(s) regarding the grounding scheme.  Grounding should normally be done in one (and only one place).  The manual should say if there's a neutral/ground bond in the generator by default, and if not, there may be a suggested way to create one.  
    Off-grid.  
    Main daytime system ~4kw panels into 2xMNClassic150 370ah 48v bank 2xOutback 3548 inverter 120v + 240v autotransformer
    Night system ~1kw panels into 1xMNClassic150 700ah 12v bank morningstar 300w inverter
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  • RCinFLA
    RCinFLA Solar Expert Posts: 1,484 ✭✭✭✭
    #7
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    There are two possible issues but from your description it sounds like you are having problems with ground fault detection. (UK name is 'earthing' instead of 'grounding')  Other issue, which you may not be facing yet, is motor startup surge current. 

    Your washing machine or AC outlet socket may have a check for proper neutral / grounding.  In UK there are several methods on where neutral and ground(earthing) are connected.   General objective is all return current flows through neutral, not ground wire.  If neutral and hot currents do not match it declares a fault.  This means some of the return current is flowing via ground wire.

    First thing I would try is grounding generator frame to your fuse box case.  

    Inverter generators usually have H-bridge outputs with floating neutral not connected to ground.  Most inverters generators will allow the neutral to be connected to ground.  Many regular generators have neutral tied to frame ground although this might be different in UK.

    A 2.2 to 3  kW generator or inverter may not be capable of suppling the initial motor startup surge current for a washing machine, once you get pass the earthing issue.
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,443 admin
    #8
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    Another term for GFI (ground fault interrupter) is RCD (Residual Current Device or breaker):

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Residual-current_device

    If you have an RCD (GFI) breaker (on the genset output) and ground bond the neutral at (for example) the genset and the main breaker panel, the RCD will usually trip because both the Neutral/Return wire and the green ground wire are sharing current--And it looks to the RCD that somebody (or something) is getting shorted to ground.

    If you tie Neutral to earth/safety ground in one location (usually the main panel), then all the load current lows through your AC wiring--As things are supposed to.

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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