That was a fantastically simplified explanation of exactly the information I was looking for.

For those living in colder climates be aware that most current furnaces will not run on a conventional generator. Furnaces with mother boards often require "clean power" meaning less than 5% harmonic distortion. This can be achieved with an inverter generator (

Thank you so much. I'm also impressed that a person of your standing takes the time to give great advice and you get right to the point.

Purchased a standard Generac generator last minute for an ice storm that was due to hit us here in the Northeastern united states. Although it worked ok, it was extremely loud but what was worse.... some of my appliances didn't run properly. For example, my pellet stove would only run the fans at half speed and the auger wouldn't even turn. I assume the CPU board didn't like the dirty AC coming from the genny. Purchased a Duromax Duel Fuel 9000ih Inverter Generator from Lowe's and I couldn't be happier. There truly is a difference in AC sign wave when it comes to sensitive equipment. I could've fried my refrigerator or a TV and not even realized it was the standard generator I was running. Lesson learned.

Thank you for the quick comparison of Generator types and fuels . You have a very good talent of painting pictures to help visualize and compare ...... easy to follow .Excellent job Sir.

Brilliant! Not a lot of jibber jabber to string it out like American video posts. This guy knew his game and cut right to the chase- thumbs definitely up.

ONE of THE best DIY'rs "teaching" video's I have EVER viewed. Having been an electronic instructor for 45 yrs; I can say without a doubt; that you kind Sir; KNOWS what you are talking about. Thank you. Enjoyed it from beginning to end. Great!

The most clearly and concisely delivered instructional video I’ve seen on the internet, thank you!!

He clearly is an expert and laid out all relevant and necessary points to consider. Although I didn’t hear him mention about sensitive electronic devices sometimes requiring inverter generators. Maybe he has another video on that. If not, please do a video on sensitive electronic equipment & inverter generators.

Best damn tutorial video on the internet as far as I am concerned for any topic. Straight to the meat of the topic. Does not use any fillers to stretch out the time. Professional and well made. First class thank you.

Don't judge a video by it's thumbnail. When I searched the difference between them the 1st video was a guy in front of his garage with about 10 generators and inverters the 2nd video was this gentleman in his dress shirt and tie. I thought for sure this guy was going to try and sell me on an inverter and the guy in front of his garage would tell me the difference. Let's just say I got that one bassakwards. Thanks for the great explanation!

Good video. Didn’t talk about the advantages of propane as a fuel source. Propane is shelf stable so it can be stored for many years without degrading. There’s also no carburetor and it does gum up your fuel system. These factors create significant advantages if you only use your generator for emergency power. I know many people that had issues with gas because they didn’t run out the fuel or had old gas when they needed to use their generator. In my case, I hadn’t used my propane generator in a few years. We had a major power outage. I was able to grab a propane tank and start my generator in one pull. My neighbor had to have his gas generator repaired due to fuel issues. No doubt propane is more expensive and the gas tanks are larger to store, but for infrequent use propane does offer great advantages in easy of maintenance and reliability. Don’t under estimate those things.

Don't forget the big one if you will only use a generator for emergencies, like after a hurricane or ice storm, which can take out your electric service for a few days after they hit. Unlike gasoline, you can store propane forever, since it will never degrade in storage like gasoline and diesel will, especially in a hot climate. Propane tanks bought on the internet, then filled by you, can sit inside your garage or shed forever. (Don't store them out in the rain, because they will rust and could eventually leak, since they are made of steel.) If you have a bunch of filled propane tanks, you won't find yourself waiting in a long line waiting to buy gasoline after a storm cuts off your power. Not only is storing a lot of gasoline dangerous, but it becomes useless after about a year. And few gasoline stations can pump fuel with the grid down. I like the 30 pound propane tanks, since they aren't too heavy when full of liquid propane. Aluminum tanks are lighter, but quite expensive. Some generators can also run on natural gas, which is probably the best solution if you have gas service to the building. Generators which can run on either propane or gasoline aren't that much more expensive than the ones which can only use gasoline. Always run a gasoline generator until it is out of fuel, unless you plan to use it again within a month. If you let gasoline sit in it for years, it won't start when you need it. That is another good thing about using propane. You just shut it off, and roll it inside. You need to change the oil in an air cooled generator every couple of days of continuous use because most of the smaller ones don't have oil filters to trap tiny metal particles from normal engine wear. Changing the oil every 24 hour day of use, is even better. Change the oil after the first hour of use of a new generator, and observe how much metal is floating around in the oil under a bright light. You don't want those metal particles grinding away at your motor's bearings. They are why your car has an oil filter. Obviously, generating your own power using any generator is always much more expensive than buying electricity from the grid. And in hot, humid climates, where a lot of air conditioning capacity is needed, even solar can rarely beat the grid because the AC needs to run a significant portion of the night. Humid air cools slowly at night, so buildings stay hot inside all night. In the USA, many people connect generators to their 240 volt electric clothes dryer plug receptacle using a heavy #10 or #8 AWG copper cable, which they made with a male plug on both ends of the electric cord. Of course, they first need to disconnect the home from the grid by turning off the main breaker in order to avoid overloading the generator by trying to power the entire area. A live male plug can be deadly if you touch any exposed terminals while the generator is running, or the home is still connected to the grid with the dryer end plugged in, and the generator end unplugged, and you touch the exposed terminals. It is usually illegal too, but thousands of people still do it after hurricanes take out the grid during the hot, humid summers. They call such extension cords, 'suicide cords', for a reason.

EXCELLENT explanation / review... analogies were great! Thank you for getting your education and experience and sharing it!!

Man, I really didn't have any idea what types of generators there were and functionality. This video explained it all and easy to follow.

Very informative, detailed explanation of the differences- without showing a bias towards one or the other. Just got an inverter to power our fridge and phones during outages- it worked great this whole week.

Great explanation. I have been confused about these two types for years. Thank you for clearing it up for me.

Thanks for that amazingly simple explanation! Based on the information you shared, I believe the inverter will be the better option for my application!

Excellent tutorial. Extremely useful advice. I actually have both types. The inverter Genset for my wheelchair van, when I'm on the road, at a rest stop. The conventional Genset I use for my RV, and power tools. This gives me better knowledge of which to use in different situations..

Thank you for a very good explanation between an inverter and standard generator in a consolidated but thorough video. Very professional presentation.

This video makes my day and help to decide the inverter generator vs conventional generator purchase

I just wanted to thank you. Your presentation was excellent, as was the content!!

I could listen to this guy talk all day!!

Thanks for the help. For years I have had one brand and watt generator Champion 4000/3500, great gens but heavy and loud, at least older ones. Now I'm older and lifting that beast into my truck is impossible, so now I'm on the hunt for lighter and love quieter. This vid gives me a place to start, thanks again.

I really love this video, it was a very clear, easy to follow and understand. Please continue to share your knowledge 😊

Thank you! Excellent presentation. I'm an engineer and I feel I learned the key information that would help me decide which of the two types of generators is appropriate for my use.

Wonderful primer on conventional generators vs inverter-generators - and the differences in fuel types as well. This video is a "must watch" if you are considering a new generator!

Thanks for your excellent explanation describing the differences between generators and inverters. This is exactly what I was looking for.

Great video covering pros and cons. I'll go with the inverter generator since I don't know what all it will be used for in an emergency.

Fantastic presentation right on point no fluff … superb……thank you.

Nice presentation...condensed, simplified and well presented. Good teaching at a basic level.

Excellent comparison at 8:11 and it seems to be what I've just discovered in all my research. Thank you for the video!

Great explanation on the the two types of generators, I learn a lot. Thank-you

Damn. That explanation was so clear and easy to understand! Thank you!

Thanks for this , i have a Yamaha conventional generator that ran our wood burning furnace fan during power outages for several years . We replaced that furnace with an "AMANA" high efficiency gas furnace . The Yamaha would run the fan , but would not start the furnace . The supplier said the gas furnace would not run on dirty hydro , my words . I've been told that an inverter generator would supply , clean hydro , my words again , and the furnace would start and run . I believe you have confirmed that for me .

Thank you for the thorough explanation... For those of us who have conventional generators, who would like the benefits of an Inverter, is their a modification that you would suggest?

Can't wait for him the say "I'll be back".

Excellent video, great info! I might add that propane stores forever, whereas gasoline has 1 year tops for shelf life. This is important for those of us who use the generator more for emergencies than daily/frequent use. Fuel cost when there is no electricity is not as much of a factor. My Kingdom for a horse type of thing. IMO propane is safer to store

I purchased an inverter/generator from Aldi.The store had received 5 of these and I waited until there was only one and it was discounted paid $199.00 brought it home started up ran nice and quiet 2000 peak output.However if you notice you can run them in tandem,your local Harbor freight sells the wiring so you could improve your out put for heavier loads.Aldi at some time later had purchased more and when they didn't sell as fast put them on sale again didn't buy (wish I had as it would have a good investment),but my wife wasn't very understanding had to pass.This time sale price was $249.00.National Tool has the same 2000 peak output but they want $450.00 and Hondas are more expensive I feel as though I walked away with a good deal.Very satisfied with the purchase.

Great video! Short, to the point, comprehensive... thank you!

This guy was awesome in die hard!

Jesse- so what about a typical house in 2021 that has several computers, smart TVs and phones charging at any given time? I read that the spikes in energy with a conventional generator can be an issue. Any thoughts on that?

Very helpful! Just bought an inverter gen and didn’t know the difference

If I’m using say a vacuum an buffer, an such. Do I need to ground an inverter generator with a grounding wire?

Great video. But the one question I have is the total harmonic distortion of my conventional generator. It’s not listed in the specifications. But I’m worried that it’s high enough when running appliances and things like the refrigerator my computer my TV etc. that the power may be damaging those appliances. This of course is over a longer term but nonetheless damaging. Am I shortening the life of my refrigerator by running it on my conventional generator for two days during a power outage? Is there anyway to quantify this?

Great info, I would like to know if the genset synwave will damage my electronics?

Hello my friend, you are probably one of the smartest people I know about energy with that said you Make it easy to understand about energy/generators. Thank you my friend and stay thirsty

I have an RV/van it has a inverter charger for my thru power 120v input. It has a function that will start the generator once it’s needed to charge my batteries. Will I need an inverter generator if Im running an inverter anyways? Will the auto start function work on a normal generator or a inverter generator?

great video covered all the points very well.

Thank you for your brilliant information, that helps a lot before buying a generator which is my option soon because of our unstable power problem and very costly in our country.

Thank you. You answered every question I had, plus a few I didn't.

Hello, Thls was a prefect time for me to see your video. I already have the same portable AC unit and I wanted to what amount of watts that would be needed to power it. Thank you so much! I have been born and raised in FL, seen a lot of hurricanes. New residents DO NOT take them for granted!

Thanks Jesse, this is THE info I need.

So if we're running AC and also a laptop, a TV and a desktop PC, is the non-inverter type going to damage those electronics?

Hello Jesse. I have a question. Is there a way to convert power output from a conventional generator to become stable cleaner sine wave? One engineer told me I have to buy a regulator to my Grip 5.5Kw generator for a stable power output. But I found out my generator already has an AVR (Automatic Voltage Regulator). But still, is there a way to make its power output cleaner? Some people suggested using a UPS? Is there a way to connect an inverter to it?

Thank you for the video. Im trying to figure out exactly what I need to keep my reptiles safe and warm through the winter in the event of a power outage. Fantastic information!

Great explanation of something I had always wondered about.

I do have one question. We are taught when energy changes forms (I.e. ac-dc and dc-ac) that there is a small amount of power loss from the actual action of transferring it to a different form. So would that not make it slightly less efficient to go from ac-dc then dc back to ac? Correct me if I’m wrong but I was under the assumption that is how electricity works.

While looking for which type of generator to purchase I’ve noticed the inverter type does not have the choice of two 30 amp outlets, the 3 prong RV ready type the refer to it as, and the 4 prong 30 - 50 amp locking outlet depending on size ? If you want your generator as home backup and possibly hard wired with transfer switch then should this be a big factor on which to purchase or can you use the 3 prong 30 amp to transfer directly into home wiring ? Thank You

Thanks! Clear and intelligent delivery.

Excellent, very clear explanation - thanks so much! :)

How about the wear on the engine of the converter as opposed to generator, i think that the inverter would be a winner in that scenario, your opinion on that please.

Thank you for sharing your expertise and presenting it simply to help us make good decisions.

Well done thank you 😊 you answered all of our questions in your video!

Curious, will Inverter Generators protect electronic equipment better than conventional generators? Or will my individual surge protectors be sufficient ? Spike protection?

Excellent video. Also awesome accent, I was waiting for you to say "We've been expecting you Mr. Bond."

Hi great job. Anything different that has to be done to eather one whim charging or running smart tv or new age icebox

Good info for me. Exactly what the doctor ordered

GOOD JOB something I have been wondering about.

Thank you, Sir! Great presentation! One question, will standard generators damage sensitive electronics, phones, computers, etc...?

So would I be correct to assume the following from this video? If you have varying loads and if your running loads at or less than 50% then the inverter generator is the better choice. Where if you have a stable load, greater than 50% of the generator capacity then both will do the same job pretty much equally?

Thanks for the video. Are all inverter generators producing a pure sine wave then? In the inverter area, modified sine and pure sine wave are differentiators. I don’t see these terms on inverter -generators.

Great and very useful video, thank you.

Crystal clear !

Thank you very much for a well-structured and informative video.

I’m thinking of getting a conventional generator soon. But if I occasionally want to run a tv on it during a power outage for example, can I just use a surge protector with a built in power cleaner to try and give a smooth sine wave to prevent damage to my sensitive electronics or does that not work?

Great analogy. I just purchased a conventional gas powered generator. How harmful is the wave distortion to things like electric motors (boiler) or compressors (refrigerator)?

Yes I did enjoy this video. I really really did. 😊

Thank very much, simple and straight to the point. How do estimate how much I will use for home use

Can you put batteries between the circuits thus offering good electricity using a regular generator?

Running an inverter generator to charge solar batteries should be the best choice. The most common reason battery chargers/ power inverters fail is dirty generators. At 1st, I used my genny to run A/C directly and it was hard on it stepping up and down. I then connected it to charge the battery directly and it runs more efficiently and steady. The genny is more gas efficient at full load. I actually have 2 super quiet inverter generators. One is 3700 and the small one is 1700 running watts. The smaller one is more gas efficient per watt produced, but only runs 3-1/2 hours at full load. The larger one can run all night long at full output, but is much less efficient in terms of Kilowatts produced.

I heard inverter generators produce cleaner electricity so it's better for laptop, cable box and TVs?

Very insightful. Thanks. However, if the inverter component on an inverter generator goes bad. Can the be used directly as a conventional generator? Similar to turbo engines. If the turbo goes bad, the engine can still run without the turbo but on lower output. Please help clarify. Thanks

Very well put together. Thank you

Thank you so very much for your lecture knowledge in wisdom

will a conventional 3500W propane generator damage electronics such as tv, computer or refridgerator?

Love this guy. He's a great teacher.

Hi, I would like to ask how to size my generator as it should only backup my 5kwh solar battery storage during winter. Based on the info provided in the video I guess it would be better to have an inverter one as it will be connected to the solar charger controller and the current provided will be more stable.

I could be wrong but I find the conventional generators often produce higher wattage. If you’re running a furnace and stove that’s important. For some reason the inverter generators I looked at don’t produce as much power.

Very helpful. I've decided to get a duel fuel inverter. I think it covers all the bases for me. Thank you for the concise explanation.

Thank you, thank you, and thank you! With your clear and concise explanations, I have full confidence as to how to proceed in a generator selection. Did I say -- Thank you? Thank you.

Incredible - I have been researching generators recently and you provided a lot of insight into the differences between the inverter and non-inverter generators. I do have a question: what is your view of the claim that inverter generators produce current that is safer for "sensitive" electronics, such as computers and TVs?

I have a Champion dual fuel inverter gennie. I use it primarily to charge my lithium battery power stations(I have 3 that I use for power), when there's not enough sun for my portable solar panels. I live in Michigan and get overcast quite a bit, esp in fall, winter and spring(which is why I didn't go all in on regular solar panels). Summer is about the only break I get. The non inverter gennie's just wouldn't work as well for this application, unless I added an external inverter into the mix. They are also heavier(I'm 70), so weight was also a deciding factor. Since LPG can be stored for such a long time, compared to gas(even with stabilizer), it gives this machine an additional dimension. I rotate between using LPG and gas for fuel(I also add Lucas to the oil, each time I change it), as I've heard horror stories about running just LPG in these and condensation occurring, causing rust. I appreciate your informative style, simple and to the point.

Will sensitive electronics get damaged while using non inverter generator?

Brilliant Jesse!! … I only wish more explanation/tutorial videos were presented as concisely as this. only question remaining for me? Our inverter generator is supposed to supply better power for charging personal electronics like cell phone etc.? Thank you for the tips.

Nice explanation. Now for a common problem, I have a standard petrol generator that does not talk nicely to my off grid solar system. My solar inverter has an input connection for a generator when the batteries run low in bad weather. The inverter doesn't like poor quality voltage input. How can I overcome this without buying an inverter generator?

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Voltage spikes are more damaging to electronics than frequency fluctuations as the power supply in electronics converts AC to DC.

I am researching installing a solar panel system on my small camper. I have been reading about the + & - of mono vs poly panels. How do I know if a poly panel has bypass diodes? I can’t find it listed on the specs. Are these diodes used only on Poly? I’m an thinking of installing 400 watts but using 8 ea 50 watt panels instead of 4 ea 100 watt.

So wats a good invertor or generator for apartment ppl who cant have gasoline in the building or propane any advice family??! Thanks peace love blessings!!