My father has a portable generator from Stout and he can't get any output from it?

Question

It is a Stout 4000watt generator, we have checked the AC circuit breakers, and the generator starts and runs fine, we're getting nothing from the Voltometer except a small spike at the bottom. Can someone please help us with our Christmas Day Disaster?

Answer 1

Quoting from my generator page...

If the engine is working fine, but there is no output voltage try this trick. It may work on standard alternator type generators, but not on those which use an inverter. It worked for me in the past, but try at your own risk. First check to ensure that all circuit breakers and fuses are ok. Shut off the engine and remove any cords from the generator. Plug in a cord with bare wires on the other end to one of the 120VAC outlets. Connect one end of the cord to a car battery. Very quickly touch the other wire to the other battery terminal. Do not leave it there longer than to create a few sparks or you may destroy the windings. If the residual magnetism in the alternator had weakened, this may be enough to get it started again.

Check here for other ideas and tips...

http://members.rennlist.org/warren/generator.html

Answer 2

Do you know how old the unit is and when it was last run? Do you have any instructions with it?

Most times when you have no output you must restore the residual magnetizm in the exciter. This is called flashing the field.

You can apply a battery source to the brushes momentarily to set up some residual magnetizm.

However an easy way to do this without accessing the brushes, is as follows. I got this info from Briggs & Stratton. I've never done it this way but its worth a shot and you don't have to gain access to the brushes.



Plug the electric drill into the generator receptacle. (Cordless drills do not work)


If the drill is reversible, move the direction switch to the forward position.


Start the generator


While depressing the trigger on the drill, spin the drill chuck in reverse direction. This will excite the field and the generator will now produce electricity. If spinning the chuck one direction does not work, try spinning the chuck in the other direction as you may have the reverse switch positioned backwards.
Use caution not to get your hand or other materials caught in the chuck. As soon as the field is excited, the generator will produce power and the drill will turn on.

The reason this works is because the electric motor in the drill will act as a small generator when spun backwards. The magnets in the drill's motor induce a voltage into the motor windings, which is fed back through the trigger, cord and into the generators receptacle. From there it goes into the power winding of the stator. The voltage going through the power winding creates a magnetic field, which is intensified due to the iron core of the stator laminations. The rotor intersects this magnetic field as it is spun past the power winding, thus inducing a voltage in the rotor winding. Once current flow is present in the rotor winding the rotor has been flashed.

Like I said I've never tried this way before but its worth a shot. Hope this helps.

Answer 3

You may have a fuse in the exciter, or field coil circuit. If so, replace it. It may be bad without looking bad.

Other than that, you may have a burned out field or exciter coil.