An acceptable THD rating in a portable generator is generally considered to be 6% or less. This degree of variation from perfect sine wave power is measured as a percentage called ‘Total Harmonic Distortion’ or THD. Generator Quality: All portable generators typically produce inconsistent power when compared to perfect sine wave power.In a generator, voltage surges and spikes can occur due to a number of reasons, including: Generator power can also be characterised by voltage ‘surges’ (a rise in voltage) and voltage ‘spikes’ (very sudden peaks of excessive voltage). The peaks, troughs and cycle frequency will not be consistent even though the average output power may still read 240V on a simple measuring device like a multimeter. On the other hand, power supply from a portable generator is, by comparison, typically ‘dirty’. Mains power is (usually) relatively close to perfect sine power and therefore it rarely poses any problems. When it comes to running equipment with sensitive electronics (like inverter machines and computers) power supply with a perfectly clean sine wave is the safest, however in reality this is almost impossible to achieve.Ī perfectly ‘clean’ 240V single phase AC sine wave would look something like this: Why is generator power potentially harmful ?ĪC (mains) power supply follows a pattern called a sine wave. But not all machines have the protection required to avoid damage from ‘dirty’ or unpredictable generator power supply in the long term.Ģ. Sure, plug virtually any inverter welder into a generator and it will likely operate to some level. The truthful answer is not always a "yes". So it's no surprise that one of the first questions operators ask before they consider purchasing an inverter welding machine is: “is it safe to run off a generator?”. This is especially the case with smaller generator sets that are often chosen for operating the likes of power tools and welders, due to their portability and affordability.Īt the same time, the ability to use generator power offers many advantages to operators wanting to run their inverter welding machines in the field or on-site where it is impossible or difficult to access mains power. ![]() ![]()
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