Question Inverter generator or standard generator?

[Hogster]

I’m wanting to get a generator for our RV but I’ve heard conflicting stories. I was currently going to buy a inverter generator but I was told I should buy a standard generator since my RV has a built in inverter and I would be only wasting my money if I bought an inverter generator. Any thoughts?

 

[sanda]

The inverter in your RV has nothing to do with the generator. An inverter generator has 'clean' power which is better for your electronics. One BIG issue is the noise put out between inverter and standard generators. If you really want to make your camping neighbors mad just crank up a standard generator.

 

[Hogster]

I’ve heard inverter generators are more quiet and use less gas. I’m not sure how or why I was told that a standard generator is all I needed since my RV has a built in inverter. Inverter generators cost much more also.

 

[Rich W.]

Inverter generators just add an inverter to improve the quality of the power delivered by converting (rectifying) generated AC to DC then inverting it back to “clean” AC. Its essentially just a new and improved way to deliver portable power. And again, as Sandra stated, completely unrelated to, and isolated from the on-board inverter which takes DC from your house batteries to make AC for your appliances. Power from an external generator will not go through your on board inverter or be affected by it in any way.

Here’s a basic explanation of both:

“A typical non-inverter generator produces what is called “dirty” power, which is basically power with voltage spikes that can harm sensitive electronic equipment. It has a high total harmonic distortion (THD), which represents the variance from the standard 60-herz frequency. This means that if you were to plug your computer into a regular open-frame generator, the power fluctuations could cause computer memory loss or operating errors.

An inverter generator “cleans” up that power by inverting the electrical wave in a way that allows for a consistent flow of electricity without the ripples and irregularities of dirty power. It has a clean THD of less than 6%. You would need an electrical engineering course to understand all the complexities of how this works. Just know that an inverter generator improves the quality of electricity and allows you to plug in a computer or smart phone without fear of damage.”

And yes, inverter generators are known to be more fuel efficient, less noisy, and have parallel capability allowing you to combine two inverter generators with a parallel cable to double the power.

 

[Lab00Rat]

Regular generators rotate at 3600 rpm continuously to make sure they have 60Hz. Therefore, regular generators are always running the same speed, but differ under load by motor pitch, not speed.

Inverter generators operate based on load only. They are low idle until needing to provide power. The engine speed is independent of 60Hz because it has an onboard inverter to match the proper power frequency. Therefore, it takes less gas to operate overall, and it's much more quiet as the motor speed is less than 3600 rpm.

For you, an inverter generator would be no different in total power needed. You will be more pleased with the greatly reduced noise on the inverter generator. I'm assuming that the generator will be used for two purposes; 1. recharge you batteries, and 2. run your heavy amp appliances (AC/Microwave). Once your battery is recharged, the inverter will go into low idle mode and save gas. For your heavy amp items, the generator will change output upon load needs, then return to low idle after.

 

[Hogster]

Inverter generators just add an inverter to improve the quality of the power delivered by converting (rectifying) generated AC to DC then inverting it back to “clean” AC. Its essentially just a new and improved way to deliver portable power. And again, as Sandra stated, completely unrelated to, and isolated from the on-board inverter which takes DC from your house batteries to make AC for your appliances. Power from an external generator will not go through your on board inverter or be affected by it in any way.

Here’s a basic explanation of both:

“A typical non-inverter generator produces what is called “dirty” power, which is basically power with voltage spikes that can harm sensitive electronic equipment. It has a high total harmonic distortion (THD), which represents the variance from the standard 60-herz frequency. This means that if you were to plug your computer into a regular open-frame generator, the power fluctuations could cause computer memory loss or operating errors.

An inverter generator “cleans” up that power by inverting the electrical wave in a way that allows for a consistent flow of electricity without the ripples and irregularities of dirty power. It has a clean THD of less than 6%. You would need an electrical engineering course to understand all the complexities of how this works. Just know that an inverter generator improves the quality of electricity and allows you to plug in a computer or smart phone without fear of damage.”

And yes, inverter generators are known to be more fuel efficient, less noisy, and have parallel capability allowing you to combine two inverter generators with a parallel cable to double the power.

 

[Hogster]

Thank you for such detailed answers. I now have much more knowledge with these responses. Thank You!