Twayne wrote:

The Daring Dufas wrote:

Ron Hardin wrote:
Is there a power-strip like device for use with portable
generators that turns off outlets when other outlets are using
a certain number of watts?

Like you'd want to turn off the refrigerator while the sump pump
cycles, to keep the total watts under say 2000; but mostly the
refrigerator stays on.


You can easily build your own if you're handy
with electrical modules. You won't have to
build any circuit boards because the parts
are available off the shelf. You can use a
current sensor and relay module manufactured
by Functional Devices, Inc which are sold at
many HVAC supply houses like Johnstone Supply.

http://www.functionaldevices.com/

http://tinyurl.com/5fuhg8

http://www.johnstonesupply.com/corp/Default.aspx

TDD

Generator load management is a bit more complicated than that and
simply dropping lower priority loads when higher priority ones come
on won't work properly and could potentially damage items.

A proper load management setup needs a controller with some smarts,
and monitoring connections to things like sump pump switches,
thermostats, etc. so that it can tell when an item needs to run, even
though it is not currently powered. This type of control just isn't
practical on a small scale where the cost of the control would exceed
the cost of a larger generator.

Of course it is. It's nothing but a logic setup. a = on, x = off etc.
Simple current monitoring or even clamps.

Nope, the end result of such simplicity will just be an intermittently
overloaded generator, devices damaged by short cycling, floods because
the sump pump didn't get enough run time, etc. Proper load management
requires the smarts along with sensing to hold off providing power to
item Y until item X has completed it's cycle.