Running stove on generator?

[IHATEPROPANE]

Been reading through this thread and many others discussing the issue/s of running a pellet stove on a generator. Wanted to share my experience and concern.

I have a QuadraFire Castile purchased in 2013. Just purchased a Champion 7500 Watt Generator for the house. I have the pellet stove on a UPS, the CyberPower CP1000AVRLCD (600 Watt).

I tested out my setup by starting up the generator and connecting the line to the UPS while the stove was running. UPS did its job and kept the stove running, however, there was a slight change in sound from the fans when running off the UPS and after connecting the UPS to the generator.

The UPS was putting out 120/60Hz while on battery, after connecting to the generator it changed to 62Hz. The UPS also cycled to the battery a few times while connected to the generator, but seemed to stop that after a few minutes.

How concerned should I be about the change in sound from the fans? I’m assuming this indicates they’re not running quite the same as when its on outlet AC.

Also, how concerning should the change in Hz be?

Any info greatly appreciated!

The sound when you are running on battery via the UPS is due to the modified sine wave produced. Motors don't particularly like a modified sine wave.
As for the the generator. I have then 3500 version and it runs just fine. I also get about 62 Hz but it doesn't seem to bother anything. The change in sound is probably due to the change from modified sine wave of the UPS to the normal (although dirtier) wave form of the Generator. Also. The generator may be putting out a slightly higher voltage than your normal utility so it may sound a bit different for that reason.
I would be more concerned about running on that UPS than the generator. I have never met anyone who destroyed anything running on a Genny.

 

[BrotherBart]

As for the the generator. I have then 3500 version and it runs just fine. I also get about 62 Hz but it doesn't seem to bother anything. The change in sound is probably due to the change from modified sine wave of the UPS to the normal (although dirtier) wave form of the Generator.

Since when is the Champion generator not modified sine wave too?

 

[michpelletburner]

I have a 9000 watt generac that powers the whole house, stove seemed to run just fine on it no abnormal sounds or anything but i do have a monster power surge protector on it. The only thing in the house that seems to sound funny some times is a small fan i run in the bedroom

 

[jdinny]

We have an 8500w Black Max.
We also have an Eaton whole house surge suppressor, and the P43 is plugged into a UPS to give me time to switch over to generator power as I am vented straight out.
I have the generator hard wired into the breaker box with an interlock.
last year, we were on generator power for 6 days straight, and several other short outages.
Over Thanksgiving, we were out from wed am to fri am.
No problems at all.

 

[IHATEPROPANE]

Since when is the Champion generator not modified sine wave too?

Regular generators have the same wave form as your outlet. Not as clean a sine wave, although some are not that bad. Modified sine waves and square sine waves and pure sine waves are terms to distinguish between inverter technologies.

 

[IHATEPROPANE]

Here is a pic: you can see the wave is not perfect and who knows if it always looks like this

 

[abarone]

How concerned should I be having it connected to the UPS? My reasoning is that if/when the power goes out, my pellet stove will run for another 15 minutes or so, giving me time to get the generator going. Also, when the gene runs out of gas, it will protect the stove from the brownout.

Is the square sinewave more of a concern than the brownout? If not a UPS, should I just use a surge protector?
Again, really appreciate the help. I'm kinda new to all this and trying to sort it all out.

 

[IHATEPROPANE]

How concerned should I be having it connected to the UPS? My reasoning is that if/when the power goes out, my pellet stove will run for another 15 minutes or so, giving me time to get the generator going. Also, when the gene runs out of gas, it will protect the stove from the brownout.

Is the square sinewave more of a concern than the brownout? If not a UPS, should I just use a surge protector?
Again, really appreciate the help. I'm kinda new to all this and trying to sort it all out.

Now I have no way to know and this is not my area of expertise. But short lived once in a bluemoon usage for a proper shutdown, I would not be concerned. But that's me. Brown out verus Modified sine wave?? Not sure. I have had things die do to prolonged low voltage.

 

[IHATEPROPANE]

Cyberpower and APC make pure sine wave inverters. I have a Cyberpower model. I bought it after hearing my pellet stove motors sound labored after trying an APC modified UPS.

 

[Jason845845]

I have a couple old kerosun brand kerosene heaters and use the generator to power the home theatre and margarita machine.

 

[Bridgeman]

I don't run any electronics on my generator. That includes the flat screen and my pellet stove. I managed to fry the clock on my electric cook stove on this last storm by killing the motor prior to cutting the power. A dumb move on my part. I just got out of sequence on the shut down when I finally got the power back. There was a problem with the utility power last year where I lost the flat screen, washing machine and coffee maker. Electronics don't like dirty power. Too much or too little voltage, bad sine wave, out of phase spikes from your neighbors. With the whole neighborhood running generators who knows what's in the grid in a big event. The fridge and the oil furnace are at risk too but mine are older units and what's the point if you can't run those.

 

[unbidden]

I have a couple old kerosun brand kerosene heaters and use the generator to power the home theatre and margarita machine.

It's about time somebody gave the correct answer for this thread.. ;-) .. salt or no salt?!

 

[Jason845845]

It's about time somebody gave the correct answer for this thread.. ;-) .. salt or no salt?!

Salt and cheap tequila! Arrrrrrrriba!

 

[abarone]

Cyberpower and APC make pure sine wave inverters. I have a Cyberpower model. I bought it after hearing my pellet stove motors sound labored after trying an APC modified UPS.

I bought a CyberPower UPS and after some correspondence with their Sr. Tech Support guy, he told me it is a "Simulated sine wave, stepped waveform".

 

[Jason845845]

Back on subject kind of.... You really can't beat a convection style kerosene heater for emergencies. One of mine does 13,000 btu for almost 24 hours on a gallon of fuel and as a bonus, it is also a lantern. As far as safety goes, they are ul listed and all you really need to do is crack a window and have a co detector.

 

[BrotherBart]

You really can't beat a convection style kerosene heater for emergencies.

Yes I can. It weighs five hundred pounds and burns cord wood.

I don't have to let it cool down and take it outside to refuel it safely. I have heated with kero before. Stinks on start-up and shutdown and I could never bring myself to go to sleep with one burning in the house.

 

[gfreek]

abrone, the CP1000AVRLCD is a "Simulated" Sine Wave UPS versus " Pure" Sine Wave and maybe that's why the stove sounded funny when running off it alone.. oops sorry didn't see your post

 

[Jason845845]

Yes I can. It weighs five hundred pounds and burns cord wood.

I don't have to let it cool down and take it outside to refuel it safely. I have heated with kero before. Stinks on start-up and shutdown and I could never bring myself to go to sleep with one burning in the house.

Touché....however..... I don't have wood to keep on hand for an unlikely power outage, nor do I have a wood stove. What I do have is 3 cans of fuel ready to go.

How many members here slept soundly the first night burning their stove?

 

[SidecarFlip]

Yes I can. It weighs five hundred pounds and burns cord wood.

I don't have to let it cool down and take it outside to refuel it safely. I have heated with kero before. Stinks on start-up and shutdown and I could never bring myself to go to sleep with one burning in the house.

Wise move on your part. Was a kero heater that almost killed us and roasted the house long ago. Got me into bio fuel stoves actually...and, they stink.

I have to get my hot buttered popcorn from the microwave for this thread so I'll be right back....

 

[Jason845845]

Wise move on your part. Was a kero heater that almost killed us and roasted the house long ago. Got me into bio fuel stoves actually...and, they stink.

I have to get my hot buttered popcorn from the microwave for this thread so I'll be right back....

I'll be waiting....armed with links from people dying of co poisoning from generators and links from people killed from fires started by wood stoves

 

[SidecarFlip]

I'll be waiting....armed with links from people dying of co poisoning from generators and links from people killed from fires started by wood stoves

Assuredly there are lots of preventable deaths from portable gennerators emitting co in garages and/or living spaces because people don't use their heads except for ear spacing. Woodstoves. probably not as many but I bet lots of fires from creosote buildup in flues that again people don't clean and again ear spacing is the prime culprit....

I had a kero heater malfunction in a living space in the middle of the night and we came real close to being a statistic.l.. so no, I don't care for them but your experience may be different. Mine is no kero heaters in the house.

 

[Jason845845]

Assuredly there are lots of preventable deaths from portable gennerators emitting co in garages and/or living spaces because people don't use their heads except for ear spacing. Woodstoves. probably not as many but I bet lots of fires from creosote buildup in flues that again people don't clean and again ear spacing is the prime culprit....

I had a kero heater malfunction in a living space in the middle of the night and we came real close to being a statistic.l.. so no, I don't care for them but your experience may be different. Mine is no kero heaters in the house.

I respect that. I would never leave a kero heater unattended let alone sleep with one going. For me, they are well maintained and the best option for me during a power outage. That being said, If there is a catastrophic power outage (again) I'll be at work anyway and my wife and son will be at her mother's house.

Edit:how did it malfunction?

 

[SidecarFlip]

Edit:how did it malfunction?

Not sure but it started to burn extremely rich and emitted clouds of black smoke and carbon. When we woke up in the next room (bedroom) and I opened the door, there was no breathable air in the room it was in, it had used all the oxygen up and went out. Was terrible. We had to completely strip the room down to the studs, replace the floor, sheetrock, all the furniture, everything except the windows. Insurance covered most of it but I could always smell the stink, even when we sold the place. There was so much soot floating in the air it was pitch black in the room. Very strange sensation... Bad memory. If I had left the bedroom door open, I'd not be typing this now.

We moved here over 30 years ago and we have always had a biofuel stove. Much nicer..... No fear of going to bed and not waking up. .....(except from old age maybe).

 

[Jason845845]

Not sure but it started to burn extremely rich and emitted clouds of black smoke and carbon. When we woke up in the next room (bedroom) and I opened the door, there was no breathable air in the room it was in, it had used all the oxygen up and went out. Was terrible. We had to completely strip the room down to the studs, replace the floor, sheetrock, all the furniture, everything except the windows. Insurance covered most of it but I could always smell the stink, even when we sold the place. There was so much soot floating in the air it was pitch black in the room. Very strange sensation... Bad memory. If I had left the bedroom door open, I'd not be typing this now.

We moved here over 30 years ago and we have always had a biofuel stove. Much nicer..... No fear of going to bed and not waking up. .....(except from old age maybe).

Yikes...glad you guys got out safe! I can't even imagine the stench that must have created. Must have been like sticking your head in a diesel truck exhaust stack.

 

[SidecarFlip]

I actually got a little queasy while I responded to your question. The room actually had a floral print wallpaper on one wall that was a shade of red. When we got the soot/smoke out, the wallpaper had turned black grey. Amazing amount of soot-smoke in the air.

That heater went to the landfill after I ran it over with the tractor a couple times.

I see they still sell them. Hopefully the newer ones are safer than the one I had. It was a Kero-Sun I believe.

I have much more confidence in a negative drafted electronically controlled multifuel stove. Things can happen with anthing that contains fire in any form, no doubt, but after the oil heater, a multifuel stove is pretty calm.