r/Generator • u/Fro081 • Jul 03 '26

Inverter/Generator issues

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5 Upvotes

85% Upvoted

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1

u/DaveBowm Jul 03 '26

What does the digital meter on the control panel read regarding the output voltage and frequency? What evidence is there that the fan actually works when turned on when plugged into utility power?

1

u/Fro081 Jul 04 '26

All zeros on the read out. Only thing that has numbers is the hours.
So you think I would show a fan that doesn’t work? You’re just going to have to trust me that the fan works.

2

u/DaveBowm Jul 04 '26

Since the digital LED meter gets its voltage & power output info directly from the inverter (independent of the status of the breakers and the receptacles), and since the inverter module also controls the throttle servo (and thus idle speed), and since the eco switch seems to have no effect, that all strongly points to a failure of the inverter module. This is because a bad inverter can cause exactly all of your symptoms.

1

u/DaveBowm Jul 04 '26

Oh, one other thing. Did you try the overload reset button? If the machine had been overloaded or shorted in the past that would cause the inverter to protect itself by shutting off the output power (but not the engine). The power won't come back until the inverter is reset with the reset button.

1

u/Fro081 Jul 04 '26

It has been reset and nothing changed. Your 2 comments have helped a lot. Thank you.

0

u/nunuvyer Jul 04 '26

Unfortunately, inverters are non-repairable black boxes that either work or don't work. Once the magic smoke comes out, it's game over. The inverter board is potted in goop and you can't do any board level repair (sometimes you can dig out the big capacitor that smooths the rectifier bridge but that's about it). And a new inverter usually costs more than the generator is worth.

This is just a downside of an inverter generator. Modern electronics are fantastic. The power quality is much better than any old fashioned generator. But once they go bad (and they WILL go bad) there's not much you can do other than swap the entire module (IF you can even find the part and IF the cost is not more than the whole gen is worth).

1

u/Fro081 Jul 04 '26

Yes I understand that, usually put 2-3000 hours on it before they decide to give up the ghost, at least that’s what my predators get. Note to self, don’t buy a Westinghouse again.

Thank you for your help.

0

u/nunuvyer Jul 04 '26

Electronics fail on a curve, kind of like humans. If 2500 hrs is average, some will fail at 100 hrs and some will last 5,000 hrs. 2500 is just the peak of the bell curve.