Conventional generator provides 120V or 240V power for RVs, job sites, or emergency situations. CO Alert turns engine off when hazardous gas buildup is detected. Wheels and a fold-down handle included.
Features:
Specs:
Includes:
Notes:
Certifications
Meets the following important certification standards:
When choosing a generator, you need to match the generator's starting and running output with the electrical demands of the equipment you want to operate.
Starting (surge) wattage is the power a device requires at startup. Running (rated) wattage is the power needed to keep the device running. A large appliance with an electric motor such as a furnace, refrigerator, air conditioner, or washing machine may require 2 to 3 times more starting wattage than running wattage.
It is always best to start your generator with no load connected, then add each device one at a time. Additionally, a good practice to consider is connecting your devices in order from highest starting watts to lowest starting watts. As you connect and start devices, your available wattage decreases. This order of operation allows you to start devices with the highest power demands when there is more power available.
At etrailer, we perform numerous tests on generators that put them through real-world experience. An extensive part of this testing includes starting and running RV air conditioners. The following table will help you decide if the P03634 generator has enough power to handle this critical function in your RV.
| Air Conditioner | Will it start and run? |
|---|---|
| Single 13,500 Btu | Yes |
| Single 15,000 Btu | Yes |
| Dual 15,000 Btu | Yes |
| Appliance | Running Watts | Starting Watts |
|---|---|---|
| Air compressor (1/2 hp) | 1,000 | 2,000 |
| Air conditioner (15,000 Btu ) | 1,600 | * |
| Air conditioner (13,500 Btu ) | 1,300 | * |
| Air conditioner (10,000 Btu ) | 1,000 | * |
| Blender | 400 | 850 |
| Cell phone charger | 11 | 0 |
| Clock radio | 4 | 0 |
| Coffee maker (high setting) | 1,066 | 0 |
| Crock pot (low setting) | 126 | 0 |
| Crock pot (high setting) | 374 | 0 |
| Desktop computer | 150 - 350 | 0 |
| DVD player | 14 | 0 |
| Electric drill (3/8" / 4 amps) | 450 | 600 |
| Electric space heater (high setting) | 1,450 | 0 |
| Floor fan | 100 | 0 |
| Hair dryer (low setting) | 160 | 0 |
| Hair dryer (high setting) | 1,300 | 0 |
| LCD television (32") | 68 | 0 |
| Microwave | 1,000 | 0 |
| Refrigerator | 800 | 1,600 |
| Washing machine | 1,150 | 2,250 |
| Work light (quartz halogen) | 1,000 | 0 |
* The starting wattage on air conditioners can vary greatly depending on several factors, including the assistance of built-in capacitors and cold starts. Because of this, we can't list a standard starting wattage as every application can be different.
The following section provides calculations for wattage estimates. This will give you an overall picture of your potential power usage and help you decide on the generator that is right for you.
The Industry Standard Calculation is a quick and easy way to determine your required wattage. It may provide some padding in your wattage requirements, which could give you more power than you actually need, but you shouldn't have to worry about not having enough power. The following steps will help you quickly calculate the correct size generator to meet your application.
As stated earlier, you should always start your generator without any load, and then connect each device one at a time. The following calculation requires this approach to work. However, using this calculation removes the worry of connecting devices in a certain order.
1. Determine the starting watts and running watts for the devices that you want to plug into the generator.
a. Find the starting (surge) watts and running (rated) watts for each device that you want to plug into the generator. Look for a sticker or plate on each device or check your owner's manuals.
b. If your device or manual only shows amps and volts, watts can also be determined through a simple formula. (Amps x Volts = Watts)
c. List all of your starting watts and running watts as seen in Table 1 below.
Table 1
| Example Devices | Starting Watts | Running Watts |
|---|---|---|
| Air compressor | 2,000 | 1,000 |
| Refrigerator | 1,600 | 800 |
| Microwave | 0 | 1,000 |
| Blender | 850 | 400 |
2. To find the total starting watts required , add the starting watts for the device with the highest value to the running watts of all the other devices from Table 1 .
2,000 + 800 + 1,000 + 400 = 4,200 total starting watts
3. To find the total running watts , add all of the running watts together from Table 1 .
1,000 + 800 + 1,000 + 400 = 3,200 total running watts
To run all of these devices simultaneously, you would require a generator with at least 4,200 starting watts and 3,200 running watts.
While the method for calculating your power needs outlined above will work, it isn't the most precise. If you aren't afraid of doing a little more math, you can use the Advanced, Precise Calculation to get a more accurate idea of how much power you will need and potentially save yourself some money. Because the calculation above pads in enough power to ensure you can start your devices in any order, it may point you to a bigger and more expensive generator than you need. However, by following the more regimented, order-of-operations calculation below, you'll get a much more precise idea of how much power you need, which could in turn point you to a smaller and less expensive generator.
Again, you should always start your generator without any load, and then connect each device one at a time. The following calculation also requires that you start your devices in order from highest starting watts to lowest starting watts. When you connect devices in this order, you can start high demand devices when there is more power available.
1. Determine the starting watts and running watts for each device that you want to plug into the generator.
a. Find the starting (surge) watts and running (rated) watts for each device that you want to plug into the generator. Look for a sticker or plate on each device or check your owner's manuals.
b. If your device or manual only shows amps and volts, watts can also be determined through a simple formula. (Amps x Volts = Watts)
c. List out these devices from highest starting watts to lowest starting watts as seen in Table 2 below.
Table 2
| Example Devices | Starting Watts | Running Watts |
|---|---|---|
| Air compressor | 2,000 | 1,000 |
| Refrigerator | 1,600 | 800 |
| Microwave | 0 | 1,000 |
| Blender | 850 | 400 |
2. To find the total running watts , add all of the running watts together from Table 2 .
1,000 + 800 + 1,000 + 400 = 3,200 total running watts
3. In Table 3 , shown below, the values from Table 2 are used to calculate the highest total starting watts required as devices are connected and running. This number represents the highest power requirement you will encounter as you connect all of your devices to the generator. To find this, add the starting watts of each new device you connect to the combined running watts of all connected devices . The highest of these numbers will be the total starting watts required . And again, remember to always connect devices in order from highest starting watts to lowest starting watts.
Table 3
| Device | Starting Watts | Running Watts of All Connected Devices | Total Starting Watts Required |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Air compressor | 2,000 + | 0 (nothing connected) | = 2,000 |
| 2. Refrigerator | 1,600 + | 1,000 (air compressor) | = 2,600 |
| 3. Microwave | 1,000* + | 1,800 (air compressor + refrigerator) | = 2,800 |
| 4. Blender | 850 + | 2,800 (air compressor + refrigerator + microwave) | = 3,650 |
* Even though the microwave does not have starting watts listed, you have to account for the power needed to actually run it.
850 + 2,800 = 3,650 highest total starting watts required
In order to run all of these devices simultaneously, you would require a generator with at least 3,650 starting watts and 3,200 running watts.
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Videos are provided as a guide only. Refer to manufacturer installation instructions and specs for complete information.
Hi, everybody. Andy here with etrailer.com. Let's take a look together at this Firman 4,550-Watt Portable Gas Generator. Now this conventional gas generator is going to give you a portable power source for your RV, to have at the job site, or even some emergency situations, and as you might know, when choosing a generator you do need to match the generator's starting and running output with the electrical demands of the equipment that you are needing to operate. So I wanna point out on this product page, we have really provided a good write-up for you to help you determine the type of generator that you're going to need depending on your power demand. So if you haven't already looked over that information, make sure to take a look at that information that you can find on this product page to make sure that you're choosing the generator that's going to work best for your particular application.
This generator is equipped with 3,650 running watts, and, again, 4,550 starting watts and 120 and 240-volt power. This engine is going to start reliably with the manual recoil handle that we have here on the other side right here, and I wanted to point out the features that this has here on the control panel, so I wanted to line that up there for you in frame so you can see. So we do have our engine switch here, so you're gonna turn that on and then pull that recoil handle to start this up. We have a four-in-one data minder that's gonna show you the voltage, the hertz, the running hours, and a low-oil alarm, and then we do have our CO Alert, carbon monoxide shutdown indicator light, and then our 120, 240-volt, 30-amp twist lock here, and, if you notice, these plugs do have protective coverings on them to protect them from the elements, so that's a nice touch. You're gonna get the voltage selector switch here and then circuit breakers here and here, and then the 120-volt, 30-amp RV plug outlet, and then ground terminal right here, and then the 120-volt, 20-amp Duplex GFCI outlets, you get two of them there.
And I believe you already saw it, we do have a spark arrestor here, and this does feature Firman's single-cylinder, four-stroke, overhead valve, air-cooled 208-cc engine, and, of course, this uses the standard unleaded gas, so what's nice about that is there's no need to mix gas and oil. Let me give you an overhead look here. So we have this five-gallon steel tank, and then this is going to be very easy to fill up. We got our cap here. Let me see if I can open that up there for you.
There we go, I wasn't turning hard enough there, and then a little filter there too, as you're putting the gas in, and I'll go ahead and close that up and get my funnel here knocked off my little display there. We also have a fuel gauge to let you know how much fuel you have left. This clean-running engine does meet the CARB, CETL, and EPA standards. Again, this is a five-gallon steel tank, and I also wanted to point out that the noise is going to be about at 75% load, 75 decibels. As you might know, noise level for a normal conversation is about 60 decibels, but measured at 25 feet away at 75% load, this is gonna be about 75 decibels, so just kind of give you an idea of the noise level there.
Going back to our close-up here, we do have these eight-inch flat-free wheels that's going to give you easy mobility, and then also this handle is going to let you easily pull this to where you need it, it's gonna be very easy to transport, so that handle is included with this. And this has a strong steel frame, and so this is going to do a great job of holding up when you transport it and when you use it, so I think it's gonna hold up really well for you. It does include a bottle of oil, and you saw my funnel that dropped off there earlier. It does include a funnel to help you fill up the oil without spilling, and you probably can't see from that angle, but the oil fill is gonna be right here, and then this also includes a few tools in this little pouch here. So bringing this into place here, you got a spark-plug wrench, of course, you've got the handle there as well, then you're gonna get two double-open wrenches, a 10 millimeter and 12 millimeter, so you do get a few tools with this in this pouch. And then just to give you some measurements here, looking at the overall length from end to end, we're sitting at about 24-and-13/16-inches long, and then the height from top to bottom is going to be about 21-and-three-quarters-inches tall, and then the width, and I am including the wheels in the width, so from end of wheel to end of wheel, again same measurement as the height, about 21-and-three-quarters-inches wide. This weighs about 108 pounds dry, obviously before you put fuel in it, and just a few notes to make, and I'm sure you know this, but gas generators do obviously produce carbon monoxide, which is poisonous, so for your safety, always be sure to operate this gas-power generator outdoors, and because this generator does not have a built-in inverter to control the electrical current, the voltage can fluctuate, so don't plug in sensitive electronic devices such as a computer or television into this generator. Well, I think that's gonna wrap up our quick look today. I do hope that our time together was helpful for you. Again, my name is Andy. Thank you for joining me.
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