# How do I get 240V out of my genny?



## Torch (May 25, 2004)

Yesterday I bought a Honda EU series generator. The genny doesn't have a 240V receptacle so I wired two 120V socket together and put a 240V plug on the end. Unfortunately, the generator seems to know what I've done and it is only providing me with 120V when I splice the two 120V connections together.

Is there any way for me to fool this thing into giving me 240V?

fwiw, I have a Honda EU2000i generator.

Thanks.


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## mightybooboo (Feb 10, 2004)

Never heard of 240 out of an EU2000,get a cheapy 240 generator for the few times you need 240.
Sorry.
Other than that,pretty awesome genny,eh?

BooBoo


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## palani (Jun 12, 2005)

120 to 240 step up transformer, if you can find one cheap. Don't exceed the kva rating though. You might find a small 1.5 kva at surplus electrical dealer (or ebay). This would be good for about 1 hp at 240vac or about 6 amps on the 240v side.

Normally these are wired to give a stepdown from 240 to 120 but they will work in reverse as well. Fuse it properly.


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## fordy (Sep 13, 2003)

...............If , there is NO 240 vac plug on the genset it wasn't designed to produce that voltage . Take it back and purchase one that meets your needs . You have (3) business days to change your mind according to federal law . fordy..


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## TnAndy (Sep 15, 2005)

*You have (3) business days to change your mind according to federal law .*

Only if the item was sold to you in your home via an unsolicited offer ( such as a home improvement contract ).......you have no such right if you go to a store and buy something.

Disclaimer: I'm not a lawyer and don't play one on TV.


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## fordy (Sep 13, 2003)

TnAndy said:


> *You have (3) business days to change your mind according to federal law .*
> 
> Only if the item was sold to you in your home via an unsolicited offer ( such as a home improvement contract ).......you have no such right if you go to a store and buy something.
> 
> Disclaimer: I'm not a lawyer and don't play one on TV.


............Thanks ! I still can't remember the Name of that law , escapes me at the moment , fordy.. :stars:


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## TnAndy (Sep 15, 2005)

You're quite welcome......Consumer Protection Act, I think.....

But I may be having a CRS day as well.....ahahahaaa


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## Fire-Man (Apr 30, 2005)

Torch said:


> Yesterday I bought a Honda EU series generator. The genny doesn't have a 240V receptacle so I wired two 120V socket together and put a 240V plug on the end. Unfortunately, the generator seems to know what I've done and it is only providing me with 120V when I splice the two 120V connections together.
> 
> Is there any way for me to fool this thing into giving me 240V?
> 
> ...


Keep in mind that to get 240 volts you have to have 2 "hot" wires and 1 ground, but the "hot" wires have to come from seperate sources---meaning if you take two cords tie the blacks together then the white wires together then plug them into a double wall plug----you still get 120 volts------If you only got a 120volt generator---you only get 120 volts. But you can get a step-up transformer if your load isn't To Large. One thing I always wanted to try and haven't-----is to take 2 --120 volt generators--take two cords--tie the neutral's together and see if it would run a 240 volt item then--------Hmmmmmmmm, anyone tried this??? Randy


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## cfabe (Feb 27, 2005)

Fire-Man said:


> One thing I always wanted to try and haven't-----is to take 2 --120 volt generators--take two cords--tie the neutral's together and see if it would run a 240 volt item then--------Hmmmmmmmm, anyone tried this??? Randy


I haven't tried it but I can tell you it won't work. The generators would need to be synchronized in phase. If you tried this all you'd get is a bunch of smoke and some dead generators. 

If the honda EU2000 is a 120v generator, you can't get 240 out of it, like others have said.


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## TnAndy (Sep 15, 2005)

Hmmmm.......that's an interesting question.

The deal with 240 is you actually don't have "single phase" as such....it's actually "2" phase if I remember my electronics right......the generator has to be wired to create AC power into two separate windings. 240 is actually two 120v lines, but they are in opposite phase to each other......1/60th of a second power is flowing in one direction on one leg, and in the opposite on the other.....the next 1/60 of a second, that reverses.....which is WHY you don't need a neutral on 240.....it is its own neutral in effect.

Disclaimer: I'm not an electrician and don't play one on TV.....ahahahahaaa


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## mightybooboo (Feb 10, 2004)

Fire-Man said:


> Hmmmmmmmm, anyone tried this??? Randy


 :nono: 

Im guessing you would live up to your name 'FIRE' MAN!  

BooBoo :nana:


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## rambler (Jan 20, 2004)

As the others say, you need power produced from one source with the cycles in phase with each other to get 220v power. Can't do it from a 120 generator, nor from 2 seperate generators (unless you add a _whole_ lot of control do-dads!!!!).

The step up transformer can do it, but at a loss, and a 2000w generator probably won't produce any useful amount of 220 in that way, as a 220 load tends to be a bigger draw.....

You got one of the best little power plants, but it won't do a heavy load nor 220v - the short answer. Stick to 120v loads or get a different generator with 220 on it.

--->Paul


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## mightybooboo (Feb 10, 2004)

4 trojan L-16s minimum,and a big stompin' inverter that gives 240 volts.Better to get a genny on sale that does 240.
Actually,could probably get a small 240 inverter from overseas where its the norm,but you want 240 for a big load is my guess.

BooBoo


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## Torch (May 25, 2004)

mightybooboo said:


> 4 trojan L-16s minimum,and a big stompin' inverter that gives 240 volts.Better to get a genny on sale that does 240.
> Actually,could probably get a small 240 inverter from overseas where its the norm,but you want 240 for a big load is my guess.
> 
> BooBoo


Actually I wanted 240 so that I could plug this generator into my dryer socket and energize my house. With the main breaker turned off, I could do this in a power outage and I would have both buss bars in my fuse box available without having to manually link them. My well pump is 240 but even if this generator could run at 240 it doesn't have the power to run it, I wish I had a 7KW 240V generator for it but I don't...yet.

This generator seems pretty nice so far. It's pretty quiet. So far I haven't used it other than to fire it up and test it briefly. If the track doesn't change, it looks like the eye of Rita will pass right over my house sometime Saturday morning. I suspect that I'll have the opportunity to break this sucker in real good.


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## Esteban29304 (Apr 29, 2003)

OH MY LORD !! 
I will only say this, " you have a great LITTLE generator, that you are about to ruin, or get injured, messing with it!"


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## rambler (Jan 20, 2004)

Torch said:


> Actually I wanted 240 so that I could plug this generator into my dryer socket and energize my house.


Nope. No way. Plug in the fridge for a while, the freezer for a while, a lamp now & then, & store water ahead of time. You don't have enough generator to make anything like you are thinking happen. You got a little one, little baby loads on it, one at a time.

--->Paul


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## mightybooboo (Feb 10, 2004)

We have 8 L-16s with a 2000 watt freedom 20/458 mod sine wave inverter.With a big extension cord and several smaller ones we run the freezer part time,the refer,the tv and a bedroom,a bathroom,a living room light,the tv sat and computer.Longest was almost 3 days.We were very sparing on what we used.The EU2000 should have enough juice to save your food and keep things running on a reduced scale without a problem.
Just run some GOOD extension cords and forget plugging into the households curcuits unless you really do it right,with properly installed equipment.It can be done,but you know its a bad idea to jerry rig it on many levels ,not worth it.
Be safe.
Nice genny,the exact one I want.Then I will add a cheapy with 240 if I really need it.

BooBoo


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