What is an inverter generator?
Published October 6, 2026.
Built by Jeremy Panasuk.
Honda's explainer describes the conversion. It does not print a THD percent. The watts still come from the loads.
What the explainer says
Honda's explainer says an inverter generator works by converting AC electric current into DC, then converting it back to AC. A microprocessor controls that inversion and also controls engine speed. Honda says the inverter smooths the power, and that inverter generators provide less total harmonic distortion than traditional generators. Higher THD, Honda says, can contribute to overheating and malfunction in devices. The page does not give a percent for that THD.
The same page says a traditional generator produces AC directly and has to run at full RPM. Honda says that is what makes a traditional set noisier and less fuel-efficient. An inverter is not constantly running at full power. Honda also lists the machines as quiet, portable, and fuel-efficient, with a smaller fuel tank than a regular generator.
Honda says CO-MINDER carbon monoxide detection is available on all Honda generators. Electric start, on that page, is listed for the EU3000iS and EU7000iS only. Parallel capability, Honda says, connects two of the same model with a special cable. The EU2200i specifications page is more specific for that model: two identical EU2200i units can be paralleled with an optional cable for up to 4,400 watts. That 4,400 W figure is a pair of machines, not the rating of one.
Runtime lines that do not state the load
The explainer prints "runs up to" hours next to a watt figure and does not say whether that hour count is at rated load, quarter load, or something else. The specifications tables, which split rated load and quarter load, are collected on the portable generator watts chart. Those pairs, copied from the explainer:
| Model on Honda's explainer | Runs up to | Watts listed beside it |
|---|---|---|
| EU1000i | 6.8 hours | 1,000 watts |
| EU2200i | 8.1 hours | 2,200 watts |
| EU2200i Companion | 8.1 hours | 2,200 watts |
| EB2200i | 8.1 hours | 2,200 watts |
| EU3200i | 8.6 hours | 3,200 watts |
| EU3000iS | 20 hours | 3,000 watts |
| EU7000iS | 16 hours | 7,000 watts |
Do not label the EU2200i's "up to 8.1 hours" as a 25% test or a 50% test. The load is not on that page. The EU2200i specifications page does state the load: run time per tankful is 3.2 hours at rated load and 8.1 hours at quarter load, on a 0.95 gallon tank. Rated output on that page is 1,800 W (15 A). Maximum is 2,200 W (18.3 A). Noise is 57 dB(A) at rated load and 48 dB(A) at quarter load, and that page does not state the measurement distance, so those decibel figures stay out of the lot-line formula.
Worked example: a TV and a router
Honda's wattage guide lists a 46-inch flat TV at 190 running watts and 190 starting watts. Champion's chart lists a router at 10–20 watts and does not list a separate start. This example uses the top of Champion's band, 20 W, and does not invent a starting watt for the router.
The home calculator adds running watts, then keeps only the part of the single highest start that sits above that row's own running watts. Headroom defaults to 20%. The recommendation rounds up to the next 500 W.
- Running total = 190 + 20 = 210 W.
- Highest listed start = 190 W, on the TV. Extra starting watts = 190 − 190 = 0.
- Peak = 210 + 0 = 210 W. With 20% headroom, 210 × 1.20 = 252 W, which rounds up to 500 W recommended.
One EU2200i, at 1,800 W rated and 2,200 W maximum, covers that 500 W recommendation and the 190 W start. The same TV and router rows are on what size generator for a TV and router. A campsite fan, laptop, and radio, sized apart from this pair, is on best portable generator for camping.
The common mistake is shopping the 2,200 W maximum because the explainer lists "2200 watts" next to the EU2200i. That maximum is the model's peak rating. This load's recommendation is 500 W.
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Run any of these outdoors only, at least 20 feet from the house, never inside, including a garage with the door open (CPSC). CO-MINDER does not shorten that distance. Connecting a generator to a building takes a licensed electrician and a permit where local code requires one.
Compiled with AI assistance from the sources below. Spot an error? Email [email protected].