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Old 07-08-2020, 08:39 AM   #1
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New WEN generator question

The current situation: .... I (reluctantly) bought a portable generator for the trailer. Got it delivered yesterday.

Unpacking, now, reading the manual, I learn they claim the generator does not work well, may be affected by operations at altitudes above 2000 feet! In my extensive due diligence the last several months, nowhere was this ever mentioned. Not on the Wen website, not in the several U-Tube videos on it. Here in Edgewood elevation is 6600 feet. What to do?

OK, OK, so this issue has probably been mentioned, though cannot find it.

Wen says I can buy a special altitude kit for higher elevations, (and gulp, it should be installed by qualified mechanic). Wonder what that will cost. They say at elevations above 7000 feet the engine may experience a decrease in performance, fuel economy, even with the proper altitude kit. Not very encouraging. Am I pissed? Not yet. I have 30 days to return the thing. I really don't want to. Empty, this generator is very light, at under 40 pounds.

It’s a Wen 2350W inverter generator. Model #56235i. Will probably fill it with oil and gasoline today and see if it fires up in the back yard. Looks beautiful otherwise. Any thoughts about generators for high altitude boondockers??
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Old 07-08-2020, 11:00 AM   #2
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Originally Posted by MyronL View Post
The current situation: .... I (reluctantly) bought a portable generator for the trailer. Got it delivered yesterday.

Unpacking, now, reading the manual, I learn they claim the generator does not work well, may be affected by operations at altitudes above 2000 feet! In my extensive due diligence the last several months, nowhere was this ever mentioned. Not on the Wen website, not in the several U-Tube videos on it. Here in Edgewood elevation is 6600 feet. What to do?

OK, OK, so this issue has probably been mentioned, though cannot find it.

Wen says I can buy a special altitude kit for higher elevations, (and gulp, it should be installed by qualified mechanic). Wonder what that will cost. They say at elevations above 7000 feet the engine may experience a decrease in performance, fuel economy, even with the proper altitude kit. Not very encouraging. Am I pissed? Not yet. I have 30 days to return the thing. I really don't want to. Empty, this generator is very light, at under 40 pounds.

It’s a Wen 2350W inverter generator. Model #56235i. Will probably fill it with oil and gasoline today and see if it fires up in the back yard. Looks beautiful otherwise. Any thoughts about generators for high altitude boondockers??

MyronL; The problem that you would experience is not just with this particular generator, but it is with any internal combustion engine running in high elevations (this includes trucks and cars and lawnmowers and snow blowers and snow mobiles, etc) ... in essence it is the reduced oxygen in the air at the higher elevations. What happens is your generator is set to run at sea level, that means the mixing jet within the carburetor is sized for a certain amount of fuel at that elevation so that it runs best (neither lean nor rich) while at or near sea level.
The altitude kit offers a specific size (smaller oriface) mixing jet that replaces the OEM jet installed in the carburetor.

I am afraid that if you decide the generator isn't performing as you expect it should, any other generator, unless specifically tuned for higher elevations, will likewise not meet your expectations even if they run on propane, which reduces the output even further.
Good luck with your new generator ... Jim
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Old 07-08-2020, 11:14 AM   #3
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The altitude kit is likely a new primary jet to the carburator. As previously mentioned, you'll likely have the same issue with any internal combustion engine at 7000 feet because of the reduced amount of oxygen in the air. Try it. Maybe it will work fine. If not, either buy the kit, see if the carb has a high speed mixture adjustment or send it back. Be aware, again, that almost any generator will have the same issue.
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Old 07-08-2020, 11:39 AM   #4
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As mentioned, all engines lose power as the altitude increases. This is at an approximate rate of 3% loss per 1,000 feet elevation increase.

Two things can occur:

One is that the engine will not run as well, be more poluting and temperamental.

The other is that if it is barely able to carry the load at seal level, it probably won't at high elevations. This will show up while trying to run the AC, for instance. Or before when it would run the microwave while charging the batteries at sea level, now in the mountains, it won't do both.

A high altitude kit will help to make it run with good manners, but it won't restore the power it had at seal level
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Old 07-08-2020, 12:13 PM   #5
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Supercharge it!
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Old 07-08-2020, 01:02 PM   #6
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Excellent responses, thank you, confirms everything I have read or suspected. I ordered the high altitude kit from Wen, $9.37 including shipping. Worth a shot regardless. They also advise using ethanol-free gas. (My inner Jack Benny still won't go Honda.)

How about that, Colorado/mountain (un-Honda) boondockers ?
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Old 07-09-2020, 01:12 PM   #7
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Generator delivered. Can't test yet, still reading manual.
  1. Ethanol-free gas, found at any Maverick station but is 86 octane good enough?
  2. Best to use 5-30 synthetic oil
  3. Surge wattage of 2350 very promising for potential use with 11,000 BTU air conditioner and no easy start.
  4. All undamaged, looks beautiful but will it run, will I mess up carburetor when I install the altitude kit?
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Old 07-09-2020, 04:37 PM   #8
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Myron,

It is very unlikely to be able to run the AC at higher elevations, with or without the high elevation kit. At 7,000 ft altitude the surge capacity will be down to about 1,860 watts.

Why not run it before modifying it and see how it goes?
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Old 07-09-2020, 04:56 PM   #9
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Agreed. Of course, since home is at 6600 feet, if it don't work in my back yard it very likely will be returned.

Actually, figure the higher elevations will not ever require air conditioning use so no concerns there. It ain't like August in the Sonoran Desert. I am just intrigued by the possibility that the Wen gen will permit using ac without buying the expensive easy start stuff. Dd you know the thing dry weighs only 39 pounds?

Once I get that Wen kit and learn how to modify the carb with it for higher elevation boondocking needs (lights, heater, water pump, fridge) it will be interesting to find out how irritating and tedious switching back then, to the lower elevations set, for other trips to below 2000 feet. Hello, Death Valley.

Of course, we do have 200 watts of solar so gen use might be a moot point, except for the bloody fridge deal.
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Old 07-09-2020, 06:59 PM   #10
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Once I get that Wen kit and learn how to modify the carb with it for higher elevation boondocking needs (lights, heater, water pump, fridge) it will be interesting to find out how irritating and tedious switching back then, to the lower elevations set, for other trips to below 2000 feet. Hello, Death Valley.
This is exactly why I recommended trying it for a while without modification.
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Old 07-09-2020, 09:13 PM   #11
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The Micro-air easy start devices really do work well if the generator needs a little extra help

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Old 07-12-2020, 09:09 AM   #12
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Reading reports the Wen 2350w will run my 11,000 BTU air conditioner without needing to install the pricey easy-start add-on. Looking forward to that test.
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Old 07-12-2020, 10:19 AM   #13
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Spend a bit extra, but save big headaches:
I run ethanol-free fuel with stabilizer in all my power equipment. For equipment that's used frequently, I may run ordinary unleaded, but I make sure the last tank of the year is non-ethanol, stabilized fuel.
At the moment, I'm trying to resuscitate my neighbor's Stihl weedwacker, which was put away with ordinary fuel, a year ago. It won't run much above idle, despite cleaning the fuel filter and using carburetor cleaner. Pretty sure I need to tear the carb down, but not sure I want to be the person who does it.
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Old 07-12-2020, 12:03 PM   #14
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Was in Lowes' generators aisle the other day and saw this: $21bucks for one gallon!

Seriously?

Check prices at any Maverik gas station.
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Old 07-12-2020, 01:02 PM   #15
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Was in Lowes' generators aisle the other day and saw this: $21bucks for one gallon!

Seriously?

Check prices at any Maverik gas station.
$21 bucks per gallon. $150-$250 small engine repair bill if the carburetor jets get gummed up and you are not handy enough to remove and clean the jets yourself. Formulated fuel lasts for multiple years. Even stabilized, non ethanol fuel does not have its longevity. While I wouldn’t run any of my small engines on formulated fuel (I run almost all my small engines on stabilized non-ethanol gasoline), running the generator dry at the end of the season when it will not be used for a period of time, then putting a pint or so of $21/gallon formulated fuel in the tank and running the generator for several minutes would be a form of “insurance” for the non-mechanically inclined. I do use Husqvarna formulated fuel in a chainsaw (I buy it by the quart, @ $8.00) because I do not use the chainsaw very much (and I do not have to mix 2-stroke oil in the gasoline) but even with no use for 3 years, the chainsaw starts and runs with no problems.
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Old 07-12-2020, 02:15 PM   #16
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Wait a minute. Are you saying you would not use the Maverik brand ethanol-free gas in your generator or other small engine because you think it will gum up the carburetor if left in there over time?

That $21 per gallon fuel pictured is 92 octane. Isn't that way too high for a small engine? Wen advises 87 octane.
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Old 07-12-2020, 02:43 PM   #17
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Wait a minute. Are you saying you would not use the Maverik brand ethanol-free gas in your generator or other small engine because you think it will gum up the carburetor if left in there over time?

That $21 per gallon fuel pictured is 92 octane. Isn't that way too high for a small engine? Wen advises 87 octane.
Myron,

All gasoline, ethanol added or non ethanol treated with stabilizer or not will gum up over time. And understand, octane is not a substance, it is a rating as to how much of a fuel consists of molecules which have 8 carbon atoms. Hydrocarbons with 8 carbon atoms are more resistant to spontaneous or heat caused ignition, which is evident in a vehicle if you hear pinging. It means you need a fuel with a higher octane rating. High compression engines generally require a higher octane rating. The formulated fuel will not hurt your generator, only your wallet. But it’s not going to hurt that much if you only use it for long term storage.
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Old 07-12-2020, 03:02 PM   #18
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Ca-a-a-r-l, Too much information...but thanks. I will stick to the parameters Wen recommends and would never intentionally leave gas in there over time, and in fact, Wen advises to periodically run the generator just to keep them atoms at bay.
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Old 07-12-2020, 06:22 PM   #19
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Myron,

The octane rating is simply a measure of the fuel's ability to resist knock, or pinging. It is not a measure of how much energy is in the fuel. The higher the octane rating, the higher the compression can be. Running higher octane than required is fine.

The octane recommendations for engines are the minimum, to prevent pinging, not the maximum. For example "87 octane" means don't run lower than 87 octane. But you can always run higher, and pay more for it, if you wish.
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Old 07-15-2020, 07:57 AM   #20
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Wen sent me their high altitude kit for the 2350i but with no instructions how to insert it. I know that little brass jet goes into the carburetor but, does it replace the jet already in there or, as one U-tube video for these jets (but not this one) says, it should go in after the one already in there. What to do? Waiting for a Wen response to this question.
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