Generator just curious

[dennismhamm]

Is there a setting for the gen if plugged into shore power and the power goes out will the gen start and then shut down when the shore power comes back on?

[Skogland]

If the generator has an autostart feature it could do what you describe. Autostart is usually an optional feature.

[Kid Gloves]

On a motorhome the AGS will start the generator when the house battery voltage is low. If you are plugged into shore power, and your inverter is on, and you have the AGS set to ON, a loss of shore power will eventually drain the house batteries and the generator will start to recharge them and provide AC power. It will shut off once the batteries reach a certain voltage, and let the inverter do its thing again.

It is a bit different from a home backup generator that will start, almost immediately, when grid power is lost. Most homes don’t have a battery backup, or at least one that can be charged by a generator, so the generator will run until power is restored or it runs out of fuel.

[bcbowers]

FWIW, if you have the older Xantrex AGS, it is not configurable other than quiet time settings. It’s designed to start the generator if the voltage drops to 11.5V for at least 15 seconds (?) and turns off at around 13.5V. I tried to test it once but was afraid to let the voltage drop that low. Deep cycle batteries should not drop below 12.2V.

I now have the new AGS which is fully configurable. I have it set to start at 12.2V and stop when batteries reach float state. I successfully tested it.

[Kid Gloves]

I would add that 11.5V, while under load, is not out of the norm. An open circuit voltage of 11.5V on a 12V battery, represents a very depleted battery, ~10% SOC.

You may find that the 12.2V setting triggers the generator to run more frequently than necessary.