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View Full Version : 11 KW Generac wont run microwave oven


Linemanblood
12-08-2013, 03:58 PM
Had a outage on TX the other day caused by a FTR and after re-energizing the custormer came out and was telling me about his generator issue. He said his microwave oven operated fine on the utility but when his generator came on everything he had on it would function except the microwave. He said it would do all but heat, key pad lights up but no heat. Said he turn everything off that was on the generator except microwave and it still wont heat. Generac brand,,,,,,Scratching my head now , So everytime power goes out he has no microwave while on back up Generator. Any theories
T-Man
12-08-2013, 09:22 PM
I know a microwave will work on a generator because our crews would stuff a small one in one of the side boxes of a line truck and heat lunches in them till the bosses got wind of it.

A motor home runs a generator and they have microwave ovens. No idea why that wouldn't work there.
busman
12-09-2013, 12:05 PM
This is purely a guess, since I'm not there to take voltage readings. The biggest difference in running off some portable generators is the grounding. If the microwave is expecting to "see" a neutral-to-ground connection (as you would have in a typical service) and the generator is not "bonded", then this might explain why the electronics in the microwave seem to come on, but will not operate properly. Just a thought.

Mark
Rob
12-09-2013, 02:36 PM
Could it have been a wall mounted 240v Microwave?
Hebrew
12-19-2013, 11:15 AM
Check the voltage rating on the microwave and compare it to the output on the generator.Microwave may need 240 volts.
Pootnaigle
12-19-2013, 05:11 PM
Umm if'n the lites lite up then that aint likely to be the prollem
Hebrew
12-20-2013, 11:46 AM
Probably a neutral,then.Lights would come on but as the line gets loaded,the voltage falls off.....
Darkenedforest
08-09-2014, 12:56 AM
I know a microwave will work on a generator because our crews would stuff a small one in one of the side boxes of a line truck and heat lunches in them till the bosses got wind of it.

A motor home runs a generator and they have microwave ovens. No idea why that wouldn't work there.

Why would the boss care if you heat your lunch up?
T-Man
08-09-2014, 10:31 AM
Why would the boss care if you heat your lunch up?

The bin on the truck was meant for tools and supplies not a lunch bar. Wiring the truck for the oven was out of specs and was not authorized, so it was a no no. You can still have a hot lunch just bring it from home in a thermos. . . .Hope I'm not stepping on any fragile toes here.:p