How to Measure Watt Output in a Portable Generator
- 1). Turn your generator off and disconnect its outputs.
- 2). Make sure nothing is touching the generator. Turn it on.
- 3). Set your multimeter for AC amperage and put it to the highest setting. It should be rated to measure at least 20 kilowatts. If your multimeter doesn't have a wattage meter, set it to measure AC voltage with a level of at least 200 volts.
- 4). Touch the black test probe to the neutral output and the red test probe to the live output. Read the wattage off the multimeter. If your multimeter doesn't measure wattage, read the voltage.
- 5). Write the results down and remove the test probes.
- 6). Set the multimeter to AC amperage at the highest setting.
- 7). Place the probes in the same spots on the generator and read the amperage. If the amperage is too low for the meter to read, remove the test probes, lower the power one setting and read it again.
- 8). Multiply the amperage by the voltage. This will tell you the total watt output.
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