Is generator power safe for laptops and electronics?
Not always. A conventional generator can produce distorted, unstable power that shortens the life of sensitive electronics. Inverter generators and battery units produce cleaner power because they build the waveform electronically.
What goes wrong
A conventional generator turns an alternator with an engine. As the load changes, the engine speeds up and slows down, so voltage and frequency wander, and the shape of the wave can be distorted. Generac rates power with less than 6 percent total harmonic distortion as clean, states that power above 6 percent can make computers, televisions and phones fail prematurely, and does not recommend generators with 6 to 30 percent distortion for sensitive electronics.
Why a backup battery in between is not a full fix
Schneider Electric explains that a UPS fed by a generator may read the generator's distortion as bad power, switch to its battery, try to switch back, and repeat that cycle every few seconds. Its advice is a generator three to five times larger than the load. Adding a UPS also adds another device that can fail.
The cleaner options
- An inverter generator, which Generac rates at 3 percent distortion or less.
- A battery power unit, which stores energy as direct current and builds the alternating current electronically, with no engine in the loop.
Sources
- Generac, "What Is Total Harmonic Distortion (THD)?" support.generac.com
- Schneider Electric FAQ FA158891, "The UPS won't operate online when powered by generator". se.com