Yamaha 2400 Watt generator and Air Conditioner

[oldtool2]

On a large number of occasions I have seen many posts referring to generators and air conditioning. It normally came down to one of two options. First get a 3000 watt generator or get two 2000 watt generators and tie them together. Weight and size are often factors. Well, I just found another option, which I like and am personally going to use! I just learned that Yamaha makes a 2400 watt generator that they claim will run a 13500 btu air conditioner! I didn't know Yamaha made this till today. It cost $1479.00 so it is cheaper than two 2000 watt generators and tying them together or a 3000 watt unit. It weighs only 75 pounds so weighs less than either of the other two options, so it is sounding like a winner. I could not find a noise rating but would assume it would be comparable to the other two options.

Jim

[cavie]

Originally Posted by oldtool2

On a large number of occasions I have seen many posts referring to generators and air conditioning. It normally came down to one of two options. First get a 3000 watt generator or get two 2000 watt generators and tie them together. Weight and size are often factors. Well, I just found another option, which I like and am personally going to use! I just learned that Yamaha makes a 2400 watt generator that they claim will run a 13500 btu air conditioner! I didn't know Yamaha made this till today. It cost $1479.00 so it is cheaper than two 2000 watt generators and tying them together or a 3000 watt unit. It weighs only 75 pounds so weighs less than either of the other two options, so it is sounding like a winner. I could not find a noise rating but would assume it would be comparable to the other two options.

Jim

Honda has one also. I'd go with that. They are known for quiet. Google is your friend

[coolzzy]

Be prepared to buy a hard start capacitor kit for your AC. I almost went the Yamaha 2400 route but you can't return a generator if you get it home and it doesn't have enough power. Yamaha says it will run most high efficiency units, but the Web is full of stories where this is not the case. A hard start cap is less than 20 so no biggie but don't be surprised if you need one to get the AC running, especially at any kind of altitude or in high Temps. I went the champion 3100 inverter route and couldn't be happier. It has power to spare so I can run my converter (charging the batteries), fridge, TV, and AC on electric with the same generator all at the same time. And it only weighs a few pounds more than the Yamaha.

My in-laws have a brand new trailer with a 13.5 btu AC, and the same 3100 genset as me but they have to flip off their converter breaker to start the AC when it's real hot.

[Hoser2eh]

I've got the Yamaha 2400, it's been great! It's quite, easy to lift and runs the AC on my fifth wheel. The Honda 2500 is not an inverter series, it will be loud. Honda makes a 2000 inverter which is to small and a 3000 inverter which is heavy. Cheers

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by cavie

Honda has one also. I'd go with that. They are known for quiet. Google is your friend

Honda does NOT make an equivalent to the Yamaha 2400ic.
They have the 2000 and 3000 but no inverter generator in between.

[TURBS]

Dometic recommends no less then 2500 running watts!


2008 2500hd Duramax
2015 Columbus 320RS
2016 nights camped "5"
2015 nights camped "34"

[oldtool2]

Originally Posted by cavie

Honda has one also. I'd go with that. They are known for quiet. Google is your friend

Yes, I know about the quietness of Hondas, I own a 3000 watt is Honda. I spoke with a local Yamaha and Honda generator dealer yesterday and it was him that told me about the Yamaha 2400 watt generator and he told me it would run a 13500 btu air conditioner. I asked if Honda made a 2400 watt and he said he didn't think they did. Spoke to him this morning and he said he checked and Honda doesn't. Here is a link to the Yamaha:

Yamaha 2015 Inverter EF2400iSHC=

Read the first three lines.

The Honda 3000 watt I know will handle the AC but I can't handle the added weight of 50 + pounds, and according FR neither can my 5er. My best bet is looking like the Yamaha 2400 watt so far.

Jim

[hunterrick]

Honda makes two 3000 watt inverter generators, the EU3000IS, which is slightly cheaper and is heavy, and the EU300i Handi which has similar specs but is much lighter and has wheels and handle. I don't know what the actual weight is, but the shipping weight is 89 lbs. Between the smaller Yamaha and the Honda Handi, I'd go with the Honda any day.

[DocP]

I have a pair of Yamaha 2400's that I bought when I had travel trailers. I found that I only needed one of them to run my 13,500 AC (without any hard start capacitor). I'm in Ohio temperatures most of the time, so maybe it wouldn't work in a hotter climate running all of the time.

[oldtool2]

Originally Posted by hunterrick

Honda makes two 3000 watt inverter generators, the EU3000IS, which is slightly cheaper and is heavy, and the EU300i Handi which has similar specs but is much lighter and has wheels and handle. I don't know what the actual weight is, but the shipping weight is 89 lbs. Between the smaller Yamaha and the Honda Handi, I'd go with the Honda any day.

The Handi is defiantly an option! It wasn't available when I bought my Honda EU3000is. The EU3000 is is too heavy for me to do what I want. The Handi is only 3 pounds heavier than the Yamaha but the EU3000is is 131 pounds, 56 pounds heavier than the Yamaha, 128 pounds heavier than the Handi. The Handi is 19.3 inches high so it will fit in the back of my truck where the EU3000is is too high at 22 inches high. The Handi is $820.00 more expensive than the Yamaha though, but you are getting 600 more watts and the wheel and handle kit which is very nice. I am probably going to get the Handi for my 5er. I am considering selling my EU3000is to someone that wants it to use for their house.

Jim

[bikendan]

The Handi is also quite a bit louder, than the standard 3000i.

[hunterrick]

True the Handi (57dB) is louder than the 3000is (49dB). However, the Yamaha in question is in between the two at 53dB. For reference, the dB range is logarithmic with the noise energy level doubling about every 3 dB. However, human hearing perception hears a 10 dB difference as about twice as loud even though the sound energy is really 10 times more. Comparison of day to day sounds, an air conditioner, or conversational speech is about 60 dB. Light traffic, or a refrigerator is about 50 dB. If you are expecting to run the generator with nearby neighbors, quieter is certainly better. However, you should check in advance whether generators are allowed at all. For instance, here in Wisconsin, operation of generators is not allowed in State Parks, period.

[bshort]

There are lots of stories of how certain size generators will run the ac. I listened to one such story and bought the Champion 3100. No such luck, as it wouldn't run the Dometic 13.5 unit. Bought 2-Honda 2000's and worked like a charm.

[Mtelkman]

I have the Yamaha 2400 and it will start and run my 13.5 A/C. I have compared the sound level to a Honda 2000 and it is very similar. Both are plenty quiet so as not to annoy others in the campground.


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[tragusa3]

I have the 2400 Yamaha. IMO, it is a less obtrusive sound than a Honda 2000. Maybe a tad louder, but a lower frequency.

It ran the A/C in my last trailer, but the one time I tried on the new trailer, it didn't.

Here's a video of it doing the job. Note, it is louder while running a max load. Also, the title says 15.5btu, but it was not.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VH62P03kLs8

[cavie]

I am an electrician of 40 years. Get the 3000 and deal with the wait. Your AC will have a much longer life span.. Anything less will require a hard start

kit. Both gen and AC will be maxed out.

[oldtool2]

Originally Posted by bshort

There are lots of stories of how certain size generators will run the ac. I listened to one such story and bought the Champion 3100. No such luck, as it wouldn't run the Dometic 13.5 unit. Bought 2-Honda 2000's and worked like a charm.

And yet I saw a chart made by Honda and they said their 2000 watt would not run a 135000btu AC unit. This chart was made two years ago, and is why I bought my EU3000is. It is what Honda recommended at the time.

[oldtool2]

Originally Posted by bikendan

The Handi is also quite a bit louder, than the standard 3000i.

According to Honda the EU3000is is 58 db at full load, the Handi is 65 db at full load, the Yamaha 2400 watt is 60 db at full load.

I am not a sound technition so honestly don't know how much difference that is, we are talking about 58 db for the EU3000is to 65 for the Yamaha 2400 watt generators. That is a difference of 7 db between the quietest and the loudest of the three.

Most camp grounds are 50 feet or more apart. How much difference would 7 db make?

According to this chart, very little difference! Less than a pin dropping.:

http://www.noisehelp.com/noise-level-chart.html



If this chart is true I don't see where the noise level is going to be an issue. If this is true my main concern is going to be run time and if they run my AC. I know Honda 3000 watt will, Yamaha says the 2400 watt will.. Both will fit in bed of truck and they weigh about the same.

Jim

[5picker]

For every increase of +10db you get twice as loud.

[oldtool2]

Originally Posted by 5picker

For every increase of +10db you get twice as loud.

Thank you. For the difference we are talking I don't think it would bother anyone in a cg siteas far apart as the sites are. Keep in mind the generators will be sitting in the bed of my truck which should help quiet the noise also.

Jim