# Reduced Amperage output



## Belarus250 (Mar 17, 2018)

Have been using my Generac 5500 a lot lately for days at a time. We have learned its power limitations thru trial and error. It can handle our well pump, freezer, frig, heating systems and a few other small items without taxing the generator as long as they don't start at exactly the same time. We can overload it when cooking but I have learned to limit the additional load and prevent that.
During the last storm, the gen put out about half its normal power. It acted like it was a 2000w generator.

Any ideas?


----------



## motormonkey (Jul 10, 2016)

Can you be more specific? What exactly is happening? Is there some load that it could handle before that it can't handle now? Is this occurring for 240 volt loads or 120 volt loads? Is the output voltage low? Is the breaker tripping? Is the engine loading down?


----------



## Belarus250 (Mar 17, 2018)

It is not able to handle 1/2 of the load it could before. Now I can only run a few things before the engine bogs down and then stops. 
i have a Reliance Wattmeter Box. With a small load of 300 per leg gen engine runs well with no strain. When the 240v well turned on, engine bogged way down and load was about 1300w each side. With well off and same small load, turning on 2 stove top coils would also almost shut engine off also. When the furnace circulation pump and toe kick fan was added, both motors would struggle and the same engine strain. In the past I could see a higher load on the meters and even when inbalanced from a freezer turning on the generator could handle it. Its like I replaced my 5500w with a 2500w unit. At first I thought we were missing a load but we unplugged 2 refrigerators and a freezer. The only things on were led lights and the cable box/tv's. 

I feed the panel from the 30a outlet on the generator. 25ft 12/3 cable to the outdoor box then 50ft 12/3 indoors to the panel. The breakers on the generator and panel do not trip. When overloaded (2500w) the motor just stops. Well pump is the only 240v load we turn on. I didn't notice a loading issue with either 120v leg when compared to the other.
I didn't check the output voltage but easily could. 

Hope this helps
Thanks
Bill


----------



## motormonkey (Jul 10, 2016)

The Generac 5500 models I looked at all have circuit breakers on the outlet panel. When you overload the generator, it should bog some, but then a breaker should trip. It should not bog down and stop as you describe. Prior to this problem, when you overloaded it, did it bog down and stop, or did a breaker trip?

A first guess would be that the engine is not developing enough power to properly pull the load. The usual suspects are carburetor or fuel system problems, ignition problems, compression, etc.

Yeah, voltage, (and current) measurements would help narrow it down though.


----------



## itdood (Mar 22, 2018)

-Semi clogged fuel line. not getting enough fuel
-short in the generator


----------

