Um, no. Actually it's totally wrong. The two windings are NOT places in series like the batteries. The windings are in opposite.phase so the total potential between them is double each of them individually. The battery explanation is totally bogus. I'm pretty sure James knows better. Not sure why he used it.
short or long your videos are always very informative , people searching youtube for repair videos mostly have limited Mechanical or electrical knowledge to begin with otherwise they wouldn't be here right , so i think they prefer the longer videos that show the complete teardown and rebuilds from start to finish , your attention to details is appreciated 👍
Short but Sweet. Actually answered a question that I had as to weather it was possible to get a generator that put out on only one side. The explanation with the two batteries brought it into perspective.
I wonder if The previous owner's appliance wouldn't start up because the voltage was so low so he assumed that the generator was bad. If the previous owner would have took a multimeter to it then he would have figured that out. Good win for James!
Sometimes, when the "broken" item isn't broken....... It makes me feel a little guilty. On stuff that has a really quick-fix, I offer it back to the seller for a small fix-fee......thus it makes it fair for both of us.
That's very nice of you. The last generator I bought (for $50) just needed a $10 clone carb (to me it's not even worth spending the time to clean the carb when you can have a brand new one for $10). The seller said that the last time he needed it in a storm it wouldn't start so he immediately went out and bought a new one (some people don't know how to fix small engines and don't care about money - they just want their wife to stop complaining - it's so dark, the ice cream is melting, etc.) and he didn't want this one any more, fixable or not. Within 30 seconds of seeing it, I had given it a spritz of starter fluid and it ran for a few seconds and lit up a bulb, so I knew that it was maybe 90% certain that the generator was fixable. But the guy said to me, take it and do whatever you want with it - flip it or whatever. I don't want it anymore.
I think the original owner's actual problem is his new transfer switch or generator inlet is wired incorrectly. Either is a distinct possibility now that the generator has been determined to be OK. In addition, I would take your meter and check the wiring on the generator cord he gave you as well. It would be the gentlemanly thing to do to call him and let him know!
Great video. I have this Power Volt 7 kw DS7000 single cylinder diesel generator and it produces 240 AC no problem. I’ve used it to power my mig welder and air compressor in the past. However the two 120 AC outlets trip anytime I go to use them. I replaced the one and only GFI that has the two 120 AC outlets and same problem occurs. My tools work fine on my smaller 120 AC generator. Your videos are very informative. Everything appears clean and dry behind panel and under head of generator. For a very short time I used 120 off the 240 plug yet read the two “legs” or coils in generator should be used at same time. I figure the 120 AC plugs draw a bit of power from both coils possibly and there may be a device in generator that has failed which may be causing the 120 AC GFI to trip. I understand the 120 plug could be producing low voltage thus higher current causing GFI to trip. Yet if the 240 AC is working fine that tells me the two coils or two legs are working fine and the 120 AC draws I expect 120 from one coil or both? I’m confused. I kinda understand the AVR and I’m still stumped. I been using a smaller generator for 120 AC yet would like to fix the 120 AC problem on the larger generator. Maybe you know what problem is?
Did you notice there's a potentially loose nut on the second cable down on where the main connections are(the 4 wires) I wonder if it is making connection now but wasnt before? 6 mins and 47 seconds in the video, the black wire under the blue one. The nut is backed out.
I am kind of disappointed that it wasn't worse then what you discovered. Someone is going to buy a really great genset. Thank you for sharing your video James. Ed
Most likely the electrical install was done Wrong. I am an electrician by trade and people buy those kits from hardware stores and try to do it their self and do it wrong. Great video sir...
Hey we'll take a short video from time to time. Still counts as informative imo. The battery explanation was a great way to simplify how wiring the coils wrong would look and work (or not as it were).
Um, no. Actually it's totally wrong. The two windings are NOT placed in series like the batteries. The windings are in opposite phase so the total potential between them is double each of them individually. The battery explanation is totally bogus. I'm pretty sure James knows better. Not sure why he used it.
Hey buddy, I figured it out but I appreciate your response. If I need any more help or something that I can’t figure out I’m definitely going to hit you up.
I would bet he has already found the problem by now after buying a new generator. And he's kicking himself for letting go of the one that was just fine. Live and learn.
@@kthwkrHes probably not kicking himself. The type of people that throw away thousand dollar equipment dont care. They just buy a new house and find new things to complain about, then throw that away and buy another house. Stay gold.
Yes, one lead in each hot of the 120v receptacles. Just got to make sure they are different legs. Sometime the top row is leg one and the bottom row leg two. Other times left outlet let one and the right leg two. If not sure check diagonal and you are almost guaranteed to have two separate legs.
Possibly the transfer switch did not detect the 240V because the avr was out of tune? I had a similar problem with 230v single phase in Portugal. it was only generating 180v single phase and not giving enough current to switch to the generator. Once again well done 👏
Gotta say James always learn something, I'm wondering if the seller should be made aware of the results of your service, not for any adjustment in price but for their own safety clearly something is amiss with the cord ( not likely but possible ) or more likely the transfer box installation
How could an electrician have tested that and said there was no 240? Also, I continue to be amazed that you keep finding these generators all of the time. You must live in the strange part of the country or something
I do. We get bad storms, but not that often. When they hit, everyone runs their generator and the ones that do not start are pushed aside (and sold cheap) and replaced with a new one.
Did you happen to find any loose connections on the terminal strip? One of the nuts looks like it might be loose, and it's hard to tell if those have any sort of locking method on them. Though if a stator lead was loose, there would probably be visible burn marks. Maybe that cord is the issue? If it was his junction box wiring, he'd probably know by now if he got a new generator and had the same issue.
No loose connections. One of the studs was definitely short, only a lock washers to keep the connections secure. The cord tested well. Given the seller recently had a transfer switch installed, my money would be on a mistake made by the electrician.
Good cheap generator. I had one given to me a few hours ago. It is an old Scorpion. It has a Tecumseh engine. It will need the carby cleaned, fresh oil, & fresh fuel. Once done, & given a paint job, it should be a good unit. A good check would be for loose nuts. One is loose. This might be the cause of the original problem, meaning when you adjusted the AVR, the connection was good.
Out of curiosity, could his connect cable be miswired? Or the plug on his house built wrong? Since the outlet on the generator is OK then the fault has to be the cable or his house wiring as my guess. Great find and easy "fix". Thanks for sharing.
your videos are awesome. especially for someone like me , who depends on generators at home.. i need to send you my Generac 7500 ( running ) home generator for a tune up! it need a good tune up.. the right type of proper tune up. cheers ! and great videos as always!
One of the wires on the AC terminal block looks loose. The nut looks like it is partially off the screw. A loose AC wire would cause problems with the 240V.
Hi James how does the typical single outlet 240 volt non slip ring with a capacitor work and what to test to find the fault. Thanks for a clear explanation on this video.
Have not found any good information on that type of brushless generator. The main failure point is the capacitor. It is used to regulate the voltage and excite the generator. In a more traditional brushless generator there is the excitation winding that supplies power to the stator excitation powering electro magnets. The stator excitation induces AC current in the rotor and that is rectified by some diodes on the rotor into DC. Those diodes can also fail. The stator you can test like any brushed generator by checking the resistance of each winding. The rotor is more difficult because there are no sliprings and there is usually one or several diodes and maybe a MOV in circuit. Some rotors have test points or a test procedure.
Jim, on one of my generators, someone had replaced a damaged outlet, and failed to break out the tab on the screw connections, and couldn't get anything out. On my Mitsubishi generator, someone replaced the twist lock recepticals with an air conditioner outlet, so my generator only produces 120 volts. I've not needed 240 yet, but I do have the parts to bring it up to specs.
I raised my voltage by increasing the engine rpm. Didn't take much extra rpm at all and a bit more power never hurt anything either. I probably increased the hurts but my power tools don't care
Great explanation of how 120/240 split phase works. Were you able to check the cord? Doubtful it was responsible for the symptom but good to make sure. I'm trying to think of ways that could be the case but as with the power cord hard to think of anything other then a combination of and open and a short, not very likely. After some of the lemons and dishonest sellers nice you came across an easy "fix."
Wish there could've been an actual 240v problem then I would have an idea where to look on mine. I am really only getting the 120v reading on the 250v receptacle..
With my transfer switch (Reliance), and I guess others as well, you have to tie two breakers together to make a 240V circuit. And, of course, connect those appropriately to a 240V breaker(s) in your electric service box. Wonder if the seller didn't realize that and didn't tie the breakers together on the transfer switch. Although below you said he told you it's working with his new generator. Weird!
I just got a new huskavarna push mower cause the oil was overfilled, so sad that someone got it new, overfilled the oil and it smoked so they threw it out.
I cannot even guess on how many times I have gone to buy lawn mowers weed wackers backpack blower. In some cases it's practically brand new that the ads would say bought this at the end of last season only used it a couple times and now it doesn't start. Whenever I go to look at something I pulled a cord and then usually it. As long as it feels good and I get it for the price I want I buy it. Therefore it was just down to people not turning the switch back on. The very first time that happened it was a $400 blower that I picked up for $80 and they gave me the gas can for it. As soon as I got home I went into the garage to mess with it. As I was checking things over I noticed the switch was in the off position. I put more fuel on it prime the engine on the first pull started right up. I've gotten weed wackers like that a lawn mower at the person just seemed not to know how it worked.
I want to say I'm disappointed by a short video, as I look forward to the long investigative searching the problem videos, but it's good to show that occasionally, it's something simple. Sometimes the simple fix videos are exactly what you need.
I agree, but not uncommon for the mechanical governor to droop 2 hertz or so before responding. Wish I had notice the space heater issuer before editing. Would have done that test again.
Hi James! Thank you for your videos. I appreciate the learning offered as you sort through issues. In this case, since the 120V and 240V test positively, yet the previous owner claimed the 240V was only outputting half it's intended, that his transfer cable, his outlet, or subpanel was at fault? Did you test the cable that came with the generator? Maybe it's defunct?
James I recently used the drill technic to get a generator to produce power. The only problem that I have is that the drill will speed up and then slow down repeatedly. I had a fan hooked up and it would try to run when the drill sped up. Have you ever run into this problem.
I could not hurt, but normally only fix things that are causing a run issue. Also when I went to pick it up, the prior owner handed me the maintenance log and ran the carburetor dry after I tested the engine. So felt that this one was actually cared for.
That's what i do with my generator. I always turn the fuel valve off then just run the bowl dry. Then i'll change the fuel every 1 1/2 to 2 months just to make sure i don't have fuel issues
I also always run the bowl dry or use the bowl drain if it has one. I change out the fuel in the tank twice a year. No issues yet, but that reminds me I am overdue for the fuel swap.
@@jcondon1 Another good catch, I do wonder about that loose nut and if moving it made the connection. Eleven years old and it looks brand new. This person might just have been unlucky. If I get another house my next generator will be 7,000 running watts. The rolling A/C worked great for the room but you should really get one that can run the house A/C if you can afford it.
@@scottdenhamrealestate7716 Yes, but Scott as the generator size increases the GPH goes up too, so how many gallons of gas/LP do you keep on hand? That is the big tradeoff.
Your moving the choke off and on after fuel is cut off, is that a method of clearing out more fuel out of the carb bowl? Splendid content today. Best regards from Texas!
Yes, by putting the choke on you are applying more vacuum to the high speed fuel circuit to suck the remaining fuel out of the bowl. I do the same thing with my riding mower when I shut it down - it can take 20-30 seconds or longer of running after the fuel valve is closed, before I need to choke it for the last 10-15 seconds of running.
Exactly, stronger vacuum will get a little more fuel out. I turn the choke off for a second to allow a little more air in to help the engine to fire a little longer then put the choke back on. If the carburetor has a drain bolt then that will work better to get it all out. I also find if you come back an hour later it will normally start again because a little fuel that was left in the line eventually makes it to the carb.
I know this is an older post, I just bought a new generator to run my 220 air compressor. I bought the adapter plugged it in and it pulled the generator way down and compressor wouldn't run. I thought I tripped a breaker on one side, but not the case. I checked voltage on outlet side of adapter. Only getting 120 on one side, no voltage on other side. Rechecked voltage on generator getting 120 on both sides and 240 when checking together. Got the ohm meter on the adapter. Found out the two that should be hot to match generator 4 prongs one is right the other goes to the wrong terminal on generator. It is a molded 1.5 foot adapter so you can't move the wires to the right terminals. I wonder if that is what was wrong with your adapter cord.
I have a question, I have a Gentron 10K peak 9500 running generator and I accidently applied 240V Utility power to the Generator 24V outlet. The Generator was not running at the time. Now when I measure the output voltage on the 240V outlet I only see 120V on 1 leg and 0V on the other leg. There are 4 120V outlets and all read 120V. There is a 120V 30A outlet that reads 0V. did i destroy the Stator?
Another possibility.. @1:24 the previous owner noted his well pump didn't work. Depending on well depth and pump HP, 5000w may not be enough to start the pump. When the pump tried to start it would bog the generator down and the voltage would drop. My well is 265 ft deep with a 1/2hp pump. My original 4kw generator puked. I got a 6kw and was OK. The pump starting current was well over 40A even though running current was 5A. Just a thought.
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Good demonstration with the 2 batteries @James Condon
Um, no. Actually it's totally wrong. The two windings are NOT places in series like the batteries. The windings are in opposite.phase so the total potential between them is double each of them individually. The battery explanation is totally bogus. I'm pretty sure James knows better. Not sure why he used it.
@@videodistro and your comment is Not relevant to mine But Okay
short or long your videos are always very informative , people searching youtube for repair videos mostly have limited Mechanical or electrical knowledge to begin with otherwise they wouldn't be here right , so i think they prefer the longer videos that show the complete teardown and rebuilds from start to finish , your attention to details is appreciated 👍
Love the description of the 120 vs 240 and the batteries. Very well done!!
Um, no. Actually it's totally wrong. The two windings are NOT placed in series like the batteries.
Short but Sweet. Actually answered a question that I had as to weather it was possible to get a generator that put out on only one side. The explanation with the two batteries brought it into perspective.
It is possible, but usually when one leg goes bad, it takes out the other.
@@jcondon1 That's what I would think. It works or it don't
There's probably a longer video to be had diagnosing the original owners junction box setup.....
Yeah, something tells me the guy did it himself and has no idea what he is doing lol
I wonder if The previous owner's appliance wouldn't start up because the voltage was so low so he assumed that the generator was bad. If the previous owner would have took a multimeter to it then he would have figured that out. Good win for James!
I was so expecting the punch line to be that the generator cable was faulty.
THIS! I really thought the same exact thing. It really shows how a tiny bit of troubleshooting can go such a long way.
Sometimes, when the "broken" item isn't broken....... It makes me feel a little guilty. On stuff that has a really quick-fix, I offer it back to the seller for a small fix-fee......thus it makes it fair for both of us.
That's very nice of you. The last generator I bought (for $50) just needed a $10 clone carb (to me it's not even worth spending the time to clean the carb when you can have a brand new one for $10). The seller said that the last time he needed it in a storm it wouldn't start so he immediately went out and bought a new one (some people don't know how to fix small engines and don't care about money - they just want their wife to stop complaining - it's so dark, the ice cream is melting, etc.) and he didn't want this one any more, fixable or not. Within 30 seconds of seeing it, I had given it a spritz of starter fluid and it ran for a few seconds and lit up a bulb, so I knew that it was maybe 90% certain that the generator was fixable. But the guy said to me, take it and do whatever you want with it - flip it or whatever. I don't want it anymore.
Very educational especially when you explained the volts with the batteries...I learn something everytime I watch your videos..keep up the great work
Um, no. Actually it's totally wrong. The two windings are NOT placed in series like the batteries.
This is one great video I noticed on the newer generators the stater at least the wires are color-coded and make things easier to figure out
I think the original owner's actual problem is his new transfer switch or generator inlet is wired incorrectly. Either is a distinct possibility now that the generator has been determined to be OK. In addition, I would take your meter and check the wiring on the generator cord he gave you as well. It would be the gentlemanly thing to do to call him and let him know!
Great video. I have this Power Volt 7 kw DS7000 single cylinder diesel generator and it produces 240 AC no problem. I’ve used it to power my mig welder and air compressor in the past. However the two 120 AC outlets trip anytime I go to use them. I replaced the one and only GFI that has the two 120 AC outlets and same problem occurs. My tools work fine on my smaller 120 AC generator. Your videos are very informative. Everything appears clean and dry behind panel and under head of generator. For a very short time I used 120 off the 240 plug yet read the two “legs” or coils in generator should be used at same time. I figure the 120 AC plugs draw a bit of power from both coils possibly and there may be a device in generator that has failed which may be causing the 120 AC GFI to trip. I understand the 120 plug could be producing low voltage thus higher current causing GFI to trip. Yet if the 240 AC is working fine that tells me the two coils or two legs are working fine and the 120 AC draws I expect 120 from one coil or both? I’m confused. I kinda understand the AVR and I’m still stumped. I been using a smaller generator for 120 AC yet would like to fix the 120 AC problem on the larger generator. Maybe you know what problem is?
Did you notice there's a potentially loose nut on the second cable down on where the main connections are(the 4 wires) I wonder if it is making connection now but wasnt before? 6 mins and 47 seconds in the video, the black wire under the blue one. The nut is backed out.
Nice eyes 8 just went back and saw that
Very good eyes. Will take a look.
Great job....took me a while to see that after going back.
Good eyes, I just rewatched the video to see it. That could have been the problem if things happened in just the right lucky (unlucky) order.
@@megason2 I saw this myself. The previous owner said no 240. I wonder if this loose nut is the cause of the problem?
You deserve an easy fix glad it worked out for you
I am kind of disappointed that it wasn't worse then what you discovered. Someone is going to buy a really great genset. Thank you for sharing your video James. Ed
I enjoy your video's! I can't believe you haven't purchased a hydraulic lift table to work on! My back would have given out long ago without one!
That guy should have hired you to fix it, lol. Nice work 👍👍
Most likely the electrical install was done Wrong. I am an electrician by trade and people buy those kits from hardware stores and try to do it their self and do it wrong. Great video sir...
Hey we'll take a short video from time to time. Still counts as informative imo. The battery explanation was a great way to simplify how wiring the coils wrong would look and work (or not as it were).
Um, no. Actually it's totally wrong. The two windings are NOT placed in series like the batteries. The windings are in opposite phase so the total potential between them is double each of them individually. The battery explanation is totally bogus. I'm pretty sure James knows better. Not sure why he used it.
Thank you for another great video. Learn something new every video. 🇨🇦
Atleast previous owner is right machine engine runs well @James Condon
Awesome. Just the info I needed. Surprisingly hard to find.
I would then suspect the 240v cord for an open connection internally.
Good point.
Hey buddy, I figured it out but I appreciate your response. If I need any more help or something that I can’t figure out I’m definitely going to hit you up.
Looks like a measurement error was made by the previous owner. Nice score!
James you got lucky on this one nice
awesome as alway my buddy cam has a few conversation with him and he been learning this thank's for the help your awesome
👍 Danke fürs Hochladen!
👍 Thanks for uploading James!
👍 Very good and beautiful, thank you!
👍 Sehr gut und schön, danke!
Hey guys. Welcome back
The guy you bought the generator from better re-check his transfer switch wiring :-))
I would bet he has already found the problem by now after buying a new generator. And he's kicking himself for letting go of the one that was just fine. Live and learn.
@@kthwkrHes probably not kicking himself. The type of people that throw away thousand dollar equipment dont care. They just buy a new house and find new things to complain about, then throw that away and buy another house.
Stay gold.
so, a quick test would be to look for the 240 across the "opposite" 120 receptacles
and the previous owner has an issue with their switch-over, probably just a bad dual-pole breaker? he shoulda got his multimeter out...
Yes, one lead in each hot of the 120v receptacles. Just got to make sure they are different legs. Sometime the top row is leg one and the bottom row leg two. Other times left outlet let one and the right leg two. If not sure check diagonal and you are almost guaranteed to have two separate legs.
Possibly the transfer switch did not detect the 240V because the avr was out of tune? I had a similar problem with 230v single phase in Portugal. it was only generating 180v single phase and not giving enough current to switch to the generator.
Once again well done 👏
You got lucky on this one. Love your videos
Love your channel I haven't watched in a while though looking forward to watching a new videos
6.24.21 Thanks for explaining the wires. Nice video.
Gotta say James always learn something, I'm wondering if the seller should be made aware of the results of your service, not for any adjustment in price but for their own safety clearly something is amiss with the cord ( not likely but possible ) or more likely the transfer box installation
they'll figure that out after they connect their next generator.
I asked him that and he said his new generator was pulling the 240 without issue. Not sure what happened.
@@jcondon1 Test the cable. Perhaps its defective.
How could an electrician have tested that and said there was no 240? Also, I continue to be amazed that you keep finding these generators all of the time. You must live in the strange part of the country or something
I do. We get bad storms, but not that often. When they hit, everyone runs their generator and the ones that do not start are pushed aside (and sold cheap) and replaced with a new one.
@@jcondon1 hey Thanks. You must have bad electricians there
Hey James! Sometimes you get the Bear, sometimes the Bear gets you!
Good video @James Condon
Still a good deal for you with no issues.
Yeah that was a sort video and $180 for that generate and just little bit of work what a good deal 👍
Hi james I enjoyed your short class today knowledge is a wonderful thing mate
Thanks Dean
Enjoy your longer videos, and all your videos period! You’re the “generator whisperer”. Lol
😊 thank you
That was a very interesting video. Great job once again.
Did you happen to find any loose connections on the terminal strip? One of the nuts looks like it might be loose, and it's hard to tell if those have any sort of locking method on them. Though if a stator lead was loose, there would probably be visible burn marks. Maybe that cord is the issue? If it was his junction box wiring, he'd probably know by now if he got a new generator and had the same issue.
No loose connections. One of the studs was definitely short, only a lock washers to keep the connections secure. The cord tested well. Given the seller recently had a transfer switch installed, my money would be on a mistake made by the electrician.
Very helpful. Thank you
Major Score!👍👍
James. Good video. Short is good, with a happy ending. I would have liked to see you test that power cord the seller included.
I should have included that in the video. It tested well.
Good cheap generator. I had one given to me a few hours ago. It is an old Scorpion. It has a Tecumseh engine. It will need the carby cleaned, fresh oil, & fresh fuel. Once done, & given a paint job, it should be a good unit. A good check would be for loose nuts. One is loose. This might be the cause of the original problem, meaning when you adjusted the AVR, the connection was good.
One of the other TH-cam small engine presenters, I forgot who, says "never believe the customer".
Gregory House - “Patients always lie.”
Thanks for the vid James.
Win some lose some this was a great win!
Hi Mr.condom thank you for making these amazing vids!
Out of curiosity, could his connect cable be miswired? Or the plug on his house built wrong?
Since the outlet on the generator is OK then the fault has to be the cable or his house wiring as my guess.
Great find and easy "fix". Thanks for sharing.
your videos are awesome. especially for someone like me , who depends on generators at home.. i need to send you my Generac 7500 ( running ) home generator for a tune up! it need a good tune up.. the right type of proper tune up. cheers ! and great videos as always!
Sure! Might be a 5 hour drive from Maine.
Nice easy repair lol @James Condon
One of the wires on the AC terminal block looks loose. The nut looks like it is partially off the screw. A loose AC wire would cause problems with the 240V.
Time for him to find a new electrician!
I wonder if the cord is bad or the transfer switch at his home is installed wrong?
Hi James how does the typical single outlet 240 volt non slip ring with a capacitor work and what to test to find the fault. Thanks for a clear explanation on this video.
Have not found any good information on that type of brushless generator. The main failure point is the capacitor. It is used to regulate the voltage and excite the generator. In a more traditional brushless generator there is the excitation winding that supplies power to the stator excitation powering electro magnets. The stator excitation induces AC current in the rotor and that is rectified by some diodes on the rotor into DC. Those diodes can also fail. The stator you can test like any brushed generator by checking the resistance of each winding. The rotor is more difficult because there are no sliprings and there is usually one or several diodes and maybe a MOV in circuit. Some rotors have test points or a test procedure.
I'm surprised you didn't load-test from the 240 outlet. maybe you didn't have that breakout/splitter cable when this test occurred?
Great score James ! ENJOYED..
Thanks Shawn
@@jcondon1 I sent you an Email , Hope you got it !!
@@shawnmrfixitlee6478 I replied. Hopefully you got it. Maybe in your junk folder?
@@jcondon1 No , I just checked it out and never got it .. shawnmrfixit@hotmail.com
Jim, on one of my generators, someone had replaced a damaged outlet, and failed to break out the tab on the screw connections, and couldn't get anything out. On my Mitsubishi generator, someone replaced the twist lock recepticals with an air conditioner outlet, so my generator only produces 120 volts. I've not needed 240 yet, but I do have the parts to bring it up to specs.
looks like one of the wires is loose on the right side there of the 4 the nut is not tightened as much as the other 3 looks like
Very nice!
I raised my voltage by increasing the engine rpm. Didn't take much extra rpm at all and a bit more power never hurt anything either. I probably increased the hurts but my power tools don't care
Just like an episode of the 50’s TV show, Mr Wizard and Tommy
Sounds like the guy you bought this generator from needs to find a new electrician if he didn't bother to check the actual generator outlet.
Good news for you. Bad news for us! :)
Another great video
Excellent explanation of suspect problem. Any idea of what caused the seller’s problem???
Probably incorrect wiring in his transfer switch. He bought a new (larger) generator and claims it works fine.
Did your test the cord that came with it? Possibly that was what was causing the seller problems???
I’m glad to see I’m not the only one suspecting the “free” cable he received.
I did. No issues with it.
no prolems after a pro checked it out ,I think the previous owner wanted a bigger one ,short vid today eh James
Nice work! It helped me.
If there were problems before, maybe that 240v cord the former owner gave you has an issue. Worth checking?
Hmmm 🤔🤔 that is interesting showed 228 on the 240 side seems okay just low voltage on the avr side even the 120 was low @James Condon
Great explanation of how 120/240 split phase works.
Were you able to check the cord? Doubtful it was responsible for the symptom but good to make sure. I'm trying to think of ways that could be the case but as with the power cord hard to think of anything other then a combination of and open and a short, not very likely.
After some of the lemons and dishonest sellers nice you came across an easy "fix."
I did. No issues with the cord. An easy fix makes for a boring video.
Wish there could've been an actual 240v problem then I would have an idea where to look on mine. I am really only getting the 120v reading on the 250v receptacle..
With my transfer switch (Reliance), and I guess others as well, you have to tie two breakers together to make a 240V circuit. And, of course, connect those appropriately to a 240V breaker(s) in your electric service box. Wonder if the seller didn't realize that and didn't tie the breakers together on the transfer switch. Although below you said he told you it's working with his new generator. Weird!
Could have been an issue with his 240v pigtail going to the House/ appliance. Could have had it wired wrong on his end and not the generators fault
Proof that "factory", sometimes runs askew. Usually when working on autos factory is better than I.
I'm not convinced that was the case with this generator.
I agree. There was no issue with this generator.
I just got a new huskavarna push mower cause the oil was overfilled, so sad that someone got it new, overfilled the oil and it smoked so they threw it out.
I cannot even guess on how many times I have gone to buy lawn mowers weed wackers backpack blower. In some cases it's practically brand new that the ads would say bought this at the end of last season only used it a couple times and now it doesn't start. Whenever I go to look at something I pulled a cord and then usually it. As long as it feels good and I get it for the price I want I buy it. Therefore it was just down to people not turning the switch back on. The very first time that happened it was a $400 blower that I picked up for $80 and they gave me the gas can for it. As soon as I got home I went into the garage to mess with it. As I was checking things over I noticed the switch was in the off position. I put more fuel on it prime the engine on the first pull started right up. I've gotten weed wackers like that a lawn mower at the person just seemed not to know how it worked.
Even a blind dog finds a good bone once in a while
I want to say I'm disappointed by a short video, as I look forward to the long investigative searching the problem videos, but it's good to show that occasionally, it's something simple. Sometimes the simple fix videos are exactly what you need.
Was expecting more to this one.
@@jcondon1 it certainly took an unexpected turn! I was confused when you got a reading from the 240 outlet as well. Plot twist!
Same here. I usually by stuff that requires work. Does not make for an interesting video when everything just works.
can a 30 amp rv outlet be installed in a portable generator? If So, can you tell me how? thanks
Hello James, seems there is a horse missing? For the most part 2 hp for every kw of power.
I agree, but not uncommon for the mechanical governor to droop 2 hertz or so before responding. Wish I had notice the space heater issuer before editing. Would have done that test again.
Did you test that 240v cord you got with the generator? Wonder if it has a broken hot leg in the cord?
Yes, cord is good.
NICE
Hi James! Thank you for your videos. I appreciate the learning offered as you sort through issues. In this case, since the 120V and 240V test positively, yet the previous owner claimed the 240V was only outputting half it's intended, that his transfer cable, his outlet, or subpanel was at fault? Did you test the cable that came with the generator? Maybe it's defunct?
I tested the cable and no issue found.
would it be possible to make a 120v generator output 240v? I'm trying to power a trailer with a 240v ac unit but my generator only puts out 120v
James I recently used the drill technic to get a generator to produce power. The only problem that I have is that the drill will speed up and then slow down repeatedly. I had a fan hooked up and it would try to run when the drill sped up. Have you ever run into this problem.
I have heard of similar issues, but have not come across it myself. My best guess is the AVR or a bad power head. Maybe brushes.
Would it not pay to clean out the carb? Interested in your opinion/reason for not?
I could not hurt, but normally only fix things that are causing a run issue. Also when I went to pick it up, the prior owner handed me the maintenance log and ran the carburetor dry after I tested the engine. So felt that this one was actually cared for.
That's what i do with my generator. I always turn the fuel valve off then just run the bowl dry. Then i'll change the fuel every 1 1/2 to 2 months just to make sure i don't have fuel issues
I also always run the bowl dry or use the bowl drain if it has one. I change out the fuel in the tank twice a year. No issues yet, but that reminds me I am overdue for the fuel swap.
What becomes of all the generators you have repaired? Are any available?
Sell them all. I have a lot available. Business is slow.
@@jcondon1 Do you have a link to the generators that are for sale? I live near the coast of South Carolina. A backup generator is a good idea to have.
Hope the seller doesn't see this video, he's going to be mad at himself. 👍👍👍
Right
I think most sellers would be mad if they saw my fix videos.
@@jcondon1 I agree lol
@@jcondon1 Another good catch, I do wonder about that loose nut and if moving it made the connection. Eleven years old and it looks brand new. This person might just have been unlucky. If I get another house my next generator will be 7,000 running watts. The rolling A/C worked great for the room but you should really get one that can run the house A/C if you can afford it.
@@scottdenhamrealestate7716 Yes, but Scott as the generator size increases the GPH goes up too, so how many gallons of gas/LP do you keep on hand? That is the big tradeoff.
Your moving the choke off and on after fuel is cut off, is that a method of clearing out more fuel out of the carb bowl? Splendid content today. Best regards from Texas!
Yes, by putting the choke on you are applying more vacuum to the high speed fuel circuit to suck the remaining fuel out of the bowl. I do the same thing with my riding mower when I shut it down - it can take 20-30 seconds or longer of running after the fuel valve is closed, before I need to choke it for the last 10-15 seconds of running.
@@redmondjp Thank you for that bit of information.
Exactly, stronger vacuum will get a little more fuel out. I turn the choke off for a second to allow a little more air in to help the engine to fire a little longer then put the choke back on. If the carburetor has a drain bolt then that will work better to get it all out. I also find if you come back an hour later it will normally start again because a little fuel that was left in the line eventually makes it to the carb.
@@jcondon1 Yup, that's exactly how I do it as well - towards the end, I have it on full choke to run a few seconds longer.
Is the 240V cable faulty?
I checked that of camera, no issue with the cable. Am guessing the transfer switch was not wired correctly.
Do you think there is a problem in the power cord?
I tested it and no issue was found.
I know this is an older post, I just bought a new generator to run my 220 air compressor. I bought the adapter plugged it in and it pulled the generator way down and compressor wouldn't run. I thought I tripped a breaker on one side, but not the case. I checked voltage on outlet side of adapter. Only getting 120 on one side, no voltage on other side. Rechecked voltage on generator getting 120 on both sides and 240 when checking together. Got the ohm meter on the adapter. Found out the two that should be hot to match generator 4 prongs one is right the other goes to the wrong terminal on generator. It is a molded 1.5 foot adapter so you can't move the wires to the right terminals. I wonder if that is what was wrong with your adapter cord.
I have a question, I have a Gentron 10K peak 9500 running generator and I accidently applied 240V Utility power to the Generator 24V outlet. The Generator was not running at the time. Now when I measure the output voltage on the 240V outlet I only see 120V on 1 leg and 0V on the other leg. There are 4 120V outlets and all read 120V. There is a 120V 30A outlet that reads 0V. did i destroy the Stator?
Another possibility.. @1:24 the previous owner noted his well pump didn't work. Depending on well depth and pump HP, 5000w may not be enough to start the pump. When the pump tried to start it would bog the generator down and the voltage would drop. My well is 265 ft deep with a 1/2hp pump. My original 4kw generator puked. I got a 6kw and was OK. The pump starting current was well over 40A even though running current was 5A. Just a thought.
I could be. I have a well deeper with a 3/4 HP motor and my 5500 watt generator just barley starts it.