# What home AC appliances are safe to run off a Conventional AC portable generator? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 16, 2018, 9:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-home-ac-appliances-are-safe-to-run-off-a-conventional-ac-portable-generator/819723 "2018-08-16T09:11:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Loyuod](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e36b37/32.png) [@Loyuod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loyuod)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2018, 9:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-home-ac-appliances-are-safe-to-run-off-a-conventional-ac-portable-generator/819723/1 "2018-08-16T09:11:45Z")
Looking to buy a Green Power cc2500 for recreational use & wanting to know if I can run a typical AC battery charger & your typical AC charger adaptors found on Laptops & Phones etc. This Generator is not an inverter pure sine wave but I read some can have a pretty clean AC wave. Looks like a grey area, so wanted to ask. thanks ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2018, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-home-ac-appliances-are-safe-to-run-off-a-conventional-ac-portable-generator/819723/2 "2018-08-16T10:55:40Z")
I don’t see why you would have a problem. Most things today (including the things you mentioned) use SMPSs, and they don’t care what the waveform looks like. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2018, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-home-ac-appliances-are-safe-to-run-off-a-conventional-ac-portable-generator/819723/3 "2018-08-16T12:02:20Z")
IDk but I have used plugin inverters to car power ports to power laptops and phone chargers and other small stuff, never can recall any issue. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2018, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-home-ac-appliances-are-safe-to-run-off-a-conventional-ac-portable-generator/819723/4 "2018-08-16T13:03:45Z")
So far as I know, all you have to worry about is total power (both peak and sustained). Laptops and phones don’t use much power and they’re not very peaky, so it shouldn’t be hard to find a generator sufficient for them. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2018, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-home-ac-appliances-are-safe-to-run-off-a-conventional-ac-portable-generator/819723/5 "2018-08-16T13:16:16Z")
Buy and use a power filter. There’s several at this link. The compact 1200 watt model is ideal for portable generators. You should plug sensitive electronics like laptops, tv’s, and radios in it. Don’t plug your coffee pot or toaster into a power filter. No need to stress it with a high wattage appliance. > **[Power Line Conditioners to Protect Your Equipement](https://powerupgenerator.com/power-line-conditioners-protect-equipement/)** > > Electronic equipment that you use in your homes like computers, printers, Tvs, etc are highly sensitive to fluctuations in the electrical power that you receive from your utility companies. During … ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2018, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-home-ac-appliances-are-safe-to-run-off-a-conventional-ac-portable-generator/819723/6 "2018-08-16T13:39:22Z")
I’d use a power filter to charge my smart phone on a generator. I wouldn’t buy a filter just for a phone. But, if you have other sensitive electronics, then they are worth buying. The charger, wall wart already filters. But it doesn’t require much power and better safe than sorry ---
**Author:** ![Emergency911](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/43a26b/32.png) [@Emergency911](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emergency911)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2018, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-home-ac-appliances-are-safe-to-run-off-a-conventional-ac-portable-generator/819723/7 "2018-08-16T13:50:05Z")
I’ve run a window A/C unit off of a generator with no issues. If I want to charge my electronic devices, I use a UPS and then charge the UPS with the generator; then again, I may be extra paranoid…If I’m already out of power, the last thing I want to do is fry my laptop or phone. ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2018, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-home-ac-appliances-are-safe-to-run-off-a-conventional-ac-portable-generator/819723/8 "2018-08-16T15:15:14Z")
I have run all of my electronic devices from my Onan 6500 watt unit. That includes TV, cable box, computer. I do have a simple power strip noise filter. Dennis ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2018, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-home-ac-appliances-are-safe-to-run-off-a-conventional-ac-portable-generator/819723/9 "2018-08-16T15:24:48Z")
A coffee pot or a toaster doesn’t give a damn about what kind of power it receives, only how much. Waveforms? Heck, they don’t even care about AC vs. DC. They do, however, take a heck of a lot of power, enough so that if you’re in a situation where you need a generator, you probably want to consider just eating your bread untoasted. ---
**Author:** ![Sparky812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2018, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-home-ac-appliances-are-safe-to-run-off-a-conventional-ac-portable-generator/819723/10 "2018-08-16T17:18:26Z")
> [@Loyuod](#): > > Looking to buy a Green Power cc2500 for recreational use & wanting to know if I can run > > a typical AC battery charger & your typical AC charger adaptors found on Laptops & Phones etc. > > This Generator is not an inverter pure sine wave but I read some can have a pretty clean AC wave. Looks like a grey area, so wanted to ask. > > thanks I have worked with off-grid power for years including wind, solar, and generators and have only run in to a couple of items that do not like a modified sine wave. Off the top of my head… DeWalt 18V battery charger, AC laptop charger, variable speed fan motor, satellite receiver maybe a couple of other small electronics. ---
**Author:** ![Loyuod](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e36b37/32.png) [@Loyuod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loyuod)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2018, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-home-ac-appliances-are-safe-to-run-off-a-conventional-ac-portable-generator/819723/11 "2018-08-21T12:45:41Z")
Thanks for all the replys. Leaning twords the advice of crafter man and chronos. > [@Sparky812](#): > > I have worked with off-grid power for years including wind, solar, and generators and have only run in to a couple of items that do not like a modified sine wave. > > Off the top of my head… DeWalt 18V battery charger, AC laptop charger, variable speed fan motor, satellite receiver maybe a couple of other small electronics. To my knowledge the MSW is only in inverters not the conventional ac gennys. I could be wrong. But i read these gennys can be pretty clean. I guess if appliance doesnt get warm/hot all is fine.