Community Forums

gator67 · 02-05-2007, 08:47 AM

This is a poll of sorts. You may not be able to answer it now, but, when you have your generator running is when I need you to check.

The question is: When you are running your generator (doesn't matter if the inverter is on or off), do you get a flicker in the low wattage lights, i.e. over the eating table, in the refrigerator, and/or the reading lights over the bed? We have a lamp that we have a fluorescent light in and it doesn't flicker. When we put in a 25w incandescent bulb, it, too, flickers. It is very annoying.

The background on this is that we have had it into five Onan dealers and we have worked extensively with the Onan folks in Minnesota. They have determined that the problem is definitely in the generator itself. We even had the inverter (internal to the generator) replaced and that did not fix the problem. The Minnesota folks tried to find a software solution but couldn't. They said this is an inherent problem in the low watttage (7.5K) generators and would require more resources than they are willing to apply to find and fix the problem. They said some people would notice it more than others.

It is more of an annoyance than anything else but when on generator the flicker makes reading virtually impossible, and eating, extremely annoying. The refrigerator we can live with.

gator67 · 02-05-2007, 08:47 AM

This is a poll of sorts. You may not be able to answer it now, but, when you have your generator running is when I need you to check.

The question is: When you are running your generator (doesn't matter if the inverter is on or off), do you get a flicker in the low wattage lights, i.e. over the eating table, in the refrigerator, and/or the reading lights over the bed? We have a lamp that we have a fluorescent light in and it doesn't flicker. When we put in a 25w incandescent bulb, it, too, flickers. It is very annoying.

The background on this is that we have had it into five Onan dealers and we have worked extensively with the Onan folks in Minnesota. They have determined that the problem is definitely in the generator itself. We even had the inverter (internal to the generator) replaced and that did not fix the problem. The Minnesota folks tried to find a software solution but couldn't. They said this is an inherent problem in the low watttage (7.5K) generators and would require more resources than they are willing to apply to find and fix the problem. They said some people would notice it more than others.

It is more of an annoyance than anything else but when on generator the flicker makes reading virtually impossible, and eating, extremely annoying. The refrigerator we can live with.

OldForester · 02-05-2007, 09:27 AM

I don't get a flicker in the low wattage lights with the generator running. I ran it 4 to 5 hours a day at DRR and never saw a flicker.

I have had 3 Onan generators in the last 3 years; 11 KW diesel generator in a 2004 boat, a 4 KW gas generator in 2005 class C motorhome, and the current 7.5 KW in our 2006 Alpine.

None of these genrators have ever produced a flicker in the low wattage lights.

Are you sure you don't have a governor issue? When I get a new load on the generator I get a brief dimming as the governor responds to the load. Perhaps this may be having an issue. I have a 12 KW Kohler natural gas generator at home and it will do the same thing because it has a mechanical governor. I could have got one with an electronic governor and it would have been much smoother as the load changes.

Just another thought---

BernieS · 02-05-2007, 12:49 PM

Gator 67, we have a 36 FT 02'. The 12V lights with dimmer switches would all flicker and hum. Gen or 110V. Drove me crazy! One day about two years after all kinds of fixes, suggestions, etc, it just stopped and acted normal??? Still working fine! Electical gremlins!

I still have the DHS Humm over the stereo system. Time to get that fixed!

FYI, you should see what one bad 12V coach battery will do to your coach electronics!

Bernie & Nancy
36FT 02'Pearland, Tx
Limping home with 1 1/2 x 12V Batteries

EngineerMike · 02-05-2007, 01:32 PM

We have had low frequency "flicker" in the lights mentioned a coupla times, but never while operating the gen. We were on shore power each time. Sometimes it happens, mostly not.
When it happens we light incense, take a few bong hits, and get out the ouija board to contact deceased friends and relatives. Its like totally far out man. Except when it coincides with a localized increase in reported cow mutilations; then it gets spooky.

hrhuggie · 02-05-2007, 01:49 PM

The crop circles sometimes show up in the area too

Lorna · 02-05-2007, 05:10 PM

Don't drink the water, it's contaiminated!

Ted III · 02-11-2007, 05:17 PM

Jerry & Shirley, it might be worth a try to turn some additional lights on and see if the flicker goes away. Possibility is the generator does not have enough load on it. It is worth a try. Generator's are notorious to not want to work properly unless under enough load. It is worth a try.