Washing Machines & Generators

Any ideas?

We have an washing machine that ran fine of our SDMO Generator (Maximum Power Output 2900w - 2.9kw - 3.625Kva) We purchased a new washing machine which has a total power of 2200W but cannot get it to work. It comes on and tries to spin but clunks a few times then ends the cycle.

Can there be any reason why the old one worked and the new one doesn't?

The old washing machine had a total power of 2400W

vegplot

If it has an induction motor then the start up current can be several times the motor rating. This could be enough to prevent the motor from starting.

I have a planer which is rated at 1500W but my 2.2KVA genny hasn't got the oomph to start it spinning.

RichardW

Its more likely that the older washer had little or no electronics & the new one does. Smaller cheeper gennies tend to have "messy" wave forms that screw up sensitive electronics.

If you want lots of genny / inverter / washer info check out the canal boat forum HERE

Richard

boreray

We made sure the new one had the least amount of electronics that we could get. I think it has less than the last one.

RichardW

Still most likely that its wave form thats the issue as the motors are only a few 100 watts (500w tops). Its the heater that draws the kw's. So unless its getting to the heater bit & then failing (normally the genny will bog down with the load as well).

Do a search on that forum its full of people that have had the same problem. Its always the genny having poor wave form & the washer needing clean power.

Oh just remembered there is a poss trick that can help.

plug one or two 100watt incandesant (old fashioned type) into the genny before turning the washer on & leave on during the cycle. This loads the genny so its running more stable when the washer is working.

Richard

vegplot

boreray wrote:

We made sure the new one had the least amount of electronics that we could get. I think it has less than the last one.

Most modern washing machines use microprocessors and designed to be used off clean (!) mains electric. Richard could well be right. Check your generator output wave form.

boreray

Voltage

It must be this. I tried running just a spin cycle on the washing machine from the batteries via a 800W inverter and it works ok. Running from the generator this did not work either. Apart from Richard's trick is there any way of cleaning the output from a generator?

RichardW

In a word

No.

It would cost more than a good genny in the first place.

arvo

We used to use some 'genny smoothing transformers' at an AV company I do some work for. They were basically to do what you'd described, but we were using them so we didn't toast large expensive data projectors with power spikes and interference. God knows what they cost though, as Richard said. We had them in hire stock and they were proportionately cheaper than replacing a thirty grand projector.

In your situation, I'm not sure. Is there not some kind of power smoothing gubbins somewhere for this purpose that would be cheaper?

RichardW

I think the problem is there is so much to clean up

bad wave form
fluctuating voltage & hertz
Plus to many harmonics.

Remember this is a budget small type genny. Its not made to run sensitive kit.

The only way to smooth all that would be to use a charger to charge a battery & then a separate pure sine wave inverter (think quality make here). That would cost more than a new genny with a good wave form.

vegplot

Initial research suggest new generator is the more practical solution or battery/inverter.

RichardW

Or change the washer? As that will be much cheaper by far.

boreray

Advice

Thanks for all the info. Just off outside in the rain with my clothes on and all covered in washing powder. It might work!

boreray

Finally

It turned out it's the frequency that is the problem. So if you want to run a washing machine from a generator go for a mechanical one as this problem doesn't arise.

RichardW

That odd cos if it was just the htz it would just run slightly fast / slow unless its miles out (our plug in timers do this when on genny cos that runs at 52-53htz). I bet your washer is rated for 50/60htz so can take a variation any way (must be able to take 49-51 for grid variance). Sound like they said frequency but mean wave form.

boreray

Washing machine

The engineer that eventually came out said without even trying anything that the frequency will cause the problem. We found an old mechanical washing machine and that works fine.

You are probably right wave form would make more sense.

gil

Boreray, have you heard that song/skit by Colin Campbell about the wind turbine that's someone's whirlydrier with big drawers on ?

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