Foretravel Motorhome Forums => Foretravel Tech Talk => Topic started by: nitehawk on June 05, 2017, 08:03:09 am
Title: Generator output: 50hZ or 60HZ
Post by: nitehawk on June 05, 2017, 08:03:09 am
I have the Onan Emerald III generator manuals: Operator's manual, Installation manual, Parts manual. Strangely enough, I noticed two pages facing each other and one is labeled for 50HZ and the opposing page is labeled for 60Hz. Being someone who puts tape over the wall outlets to keep the electricity from running out onto the floor, I don't see much discernible difference between the two pages. SO-O-O, How do I tell if I wired my gen back the way it is supposed to be? 60Hz? Will I "blow" something if wrong?
Title: Re: Generator output: 50hZ or 60HZ
Post by: Chuck & Jeannie on June 05, 2017, 08:18:04 am
Buy a Kill A Watt meter, plug it in any outlet, read the Hz. Simple! 8)
P3 P4400 Kill A Watt Electricity Usage Monitor - Low Temperature Alarms -... (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00009MDBU/ref=asc_df_B00009MDBU5016353/?tag=hyprod-20&creative=394997&creativeASIN=B00009MDBU&linkCode=df0&hvadid=167125429392&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=1303097165798427970&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9052759&hvtargid=pla-306572288073)
Title: Re: Generator output: 50hZ or 60HZ
Post by: Pamela & Mike on June 05, 2017, 09:08:26 am
SO-O-O, How do I tell if I wired my gen back the way it is supposed to be? 60Hz? Will I "blow" something if wrong?
Nitehawk,
On your generator the output taps (where you hook the wires from the coach to the generator) has nothing to do with the Hz. RPM and inrush of load is what will effect the Hz. You should have a hot wire, your ground, and neut. Did you label where the wires came from? If you hook the ground/neut. up to a power leg you will have a big problem.
Pamela & Mike
Title: Re: Generator output: 50hZ or 60HZ
Post by: turbojack on June 05, 2017, 09:25:34 am
In a generator HZ is figured by the speed the engine in running. In the US everything is 60 hz Thus generators run either 3600 rpm or 1800 rpm
Title: Re: Generator output: 50hZ or 60HZ
Post by: nitehawk on June 05, 2017, 10:45:39 am
On your generator the output taps (where you hook the wires from the coach to the generator) has nothing to do with the Hz. RPM and inrush of load is what will effect the Hz. You should have a hot wire, your ground, and neut. Did you label where the wires came from? If you hook the ground/neut. up to a power leg you will have a big problem.
Pamela & Mike
That is my quandary. Labels came off. So wired white to white, black to black, green to green. Coming FROM generator are (2) black, (2) white, and (1) green wire. Coming into the junction box from the coach are (1) red, (1) black, (1) bare copper, and, grounded IN the box is (1) green wire. I connected one black to house black, one black to red, and one green to bare house copper wire and green ground wire, and two white to one house white wire.
Title: Re: Generator output: 50hZ or 60HZ
Post by: P. Wyatt Sabourin on June 05, 2017, 12:18:52 pm
The problem with reversing the hot and neutral at the generator is that the ground wires in your coach will be "HOT" and you will notice tingling sensations when touching things in your coach - not a good situation.
Title: Re: Generator output: 50hZ or 60HZ
Post by: red tractor on June 05, 2017, 01:01:50 pm
Sounds like you have it correct
Title: Re: Generator output: 50hZ or 60HZ
Post by: Mike Leary (RIP) on June 05, 2017, 01:31:29 pm
We were on a job and my guy told me he'd been shocked hooking up a hose to a galvanized system. I checked, yup, ouch! She was on a well system, turned out the pump had broken loose and shorted to the galvie. Fixed it, except, next day, she said, "my shower is not near as exhilarating as it used to be." ^.^d
Title: Re: Generator output: 50hZ or 60HZ
Post by: Kemahjohn on June 06, 2017, 06:42:35 pm
The Onan generator installed in your motor home is usable at either 50 or 60 Hz. The difference is at what speed the engine is running. If the unit is installed in a US coach it will be an 1800 rpm, 60 hz generator. If it is to operate at 50 hz, the engine will run at 1500 rpm. The generator voltage regulators are volts per hertz units, so if you have 120 volt output, the generator is operating at 60 hz. If you have 100 to 110 volt, it is probably operating at 50 hz. Use a good quality digital voltmeter when checking the voltage. It is almost certainly a 60 hz operating generator.