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Inverter generators have a sleeker appearance, are easier to use, and produce cleaner power than conventional generators. From our research, the Westinghouse iGen4500 is the pick of the bunch, specially adapted for recreational use but equally suitable for emergency home use.
This review will shine a light on the Westinghouse iGen4500 inverter generator to reveal its strengths, weaknesses, and everything you need to know about it. We watched all the ranking Westinghouse iGen4500 reviews on Youtube and read countless articles, forum threads, customer feedback of the inverter generator to make sure this article is as exhaustive as it can be.
Also, at the end of the article, we will suggest the three top accessories you need to get the best out of your Westinghouse iGen4500 inverter generator.
But first things first – what makes inverter generators so desirable?
Westinghouse iGen4500 Super Quiet Portable Inverter Generator
The Westinghouse iGen4500 is a mid-sized inverter generator with the capacity to supply 3700 watts of power continuously, and 4,500 watts at peak generation. While you can use it at home or on a remote job site, its design and specs make it a perfect fit for RVs and travel trailers.
Who Makes the Westinghouse iGen4500?
The iGen4500 is made by the Westinghouse Electric Corporation. Designed in the USA, Westinghouse generators are manufactured at factories in China and Vietnam.
Even though Westinghouse only started making inverter generators in 2013, the company has been producing electric power equipment since it was founded by George Westinghouse in 1886. The company is responsible for some of history’s biggest moments. Even Nicola Tesla once worked there.
Generators fall under the Outdoor Power Equipment division, which besides inverter generators also makes traditional, open-frame generators and portable power stations. In terms of inverter generators, the iGen4500 is the largest in the line. It has a slightly more expensive dual-fuel version.
What Can the Westinghouse iGen4500 Power?
The Westinghouse iGen4500 is a mid-sized generator that has enough capacity to run your critical appliances and electronics after a grid outage at home. It is just about sufficient for an RV.
That said, the iGen4500 is too small to feed directly into your home’s electrical circuits via a transfer switch. You have to connect the load directly to the generator using the two duplex 20A household outlets. There are also a couple of 5V USB ports that you can use to charge your mobile devices and other small gadgets.
If you have more appliances to supply, the iGen4500 is parallel capable, meaning it can be hooked up in parallel with another inverter generator using one of the two 120V receptacles.
The generator comes already outfitted for RV use, with a TT-30R receptacle. You can, thus, plug your entire RV or travel trailer (TT) directly into your generator without the need for an adapter. So if you are shopping for an RV-ready generator, the iGen4500 would be perfect.
Westinghouse iGen4500 Specs
The all-important spec for any generator is its power rating. The Westinghouse iGen4500’s name emphasizes the 4500. That is the peak wattage that it can only sustain for short bursts and which gives you the extra power you need to start any tools or appliances that use an electric motor.
The number you should be more concerned with is the running watts, for which the iGen4500 is rated at 3,700 watts. This means your total load cannot exceed 3,700 watts at any given time. If you have to, you can parallel this generator with another to increase the power output.
We will talk more about the Westinghouse iGen4500’s specs as we discuss the generator’s features. First, here are all the specs at a glance:
Westinghouse iGen4500 Documentation:
The Ultimate Westinghouse iGen2200 2200-Watt Gas Portable Inverter Generator Review
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The Westinghouse iGen Generator Line: Everything You Should Know
Final Word
After thoroughly vetting the Westinghouse iGen4500 inverter generator, factoring in the opinions of expert reviewers and people who have bought and used the generator, we are happy and confident to recommend it for RV or emergency home use. It is a capable, well-made generator that will serve you faithfully for many years, as long as your power needs fall within its rated capacity.
Why Should You Choose An Inverter Generator?
When you first go out to shop for a generator for your RV or home, you have the two main options of a traditional diesel generator and an inverter generator. Inverter generators, like the Westinghouse iGen4500, have several advantages over the more conventional open-frame generators:
Higher Fuel Efficiency
Inverter generators run more efficiently and are easier to use than traditional generators. Their efficiency stems from how they work, specifically their variable engine speed.
Regular generators run at full tilt continuously, even when there is no load. Not so for inverter generators that throttle up and down depending on the load, they are supplying.
If there is a heavier load to power, an inverter generator will throttle up. Likewise, when you disconnect an appliance and the total load decreases, the generator automatically throttles down. This saves fuel and protects the generator from unnecessary wear.
Safe For Sensitive Electronics
One weakness of regular diesel generators is the quality of the power they produce. That power isn’t as clean as it should be to safely power sensitive equipment. That quality of power is known as total harmonic distortion (THD).
With some diesel generators, THD can be as high as 25 percent, when it needs to be below five. An inverter generator can bring THD down to under 1 percent, which makes a world of difference. But how do these generators achieve such low THD?
Again it has to do with how the generators work. Alternators on regular generators produce power and send it as is direct to the control panel. With inverter generators, the alternator first feeds the power through a rectifier that converts it from AC to DC power. An onboard computer then converts that same power back to AC mode.
That series of conversions stabilizes the power, making it cleaner and safer for your smartphones, televisions, and other sensitive electronics.
Quieter Operation
Inverter generators are remarkably quiet, even when running at full capacity. In eco-mode – producing only the power needed for the job at hand, the noise the Westinghouse iGen 4500 inverter generator makes can be as low as 52 decibels. That is quieter than normal speech and perfect for camping and home use.
Several things are responsible for inverter generators’ remarkably low noise output. The first is their compact design and the smaller engine they use. Smaller engines generally make less noise.
Another reason why inverter generators are so quiet is they do not always have to run at full throttle. They can sense when they need to increase and decrease electricity output. If the job at hand requires less power, they will automatically throttle down and run more quietly.
Importantly, however, inverter generators have a body casing that absorbs a lot of the noise the engine makes. The casing is made from materials specially chosen for their sound reducing qualities and lined with foam and other materials that absorb even more of the noise. That contrasts sharply with open frame generators that have no noise barrier.
Check Out More of Our Westinghouse Generators Reviews
The Ultimate Westinghouse WGen9500DF 9500-Watt Dual Fuel Portable Generator Review
The Ultimate Westinghouse WGen7500 7500-Watt Portable Gas Generator Review
The Ultimate Westinghouse WGen7500DF 7500-Watt Dual Fuel Portable Generator Review
The Ultimate Westinghouse WGen9500DF 9500-Watt Dual Fuel Portable Generator Review
The Ultimate Westinghouse iGen2200 2200-Watt Gas Portable Inverter Generator Review
Westinghouse 9500-Watt Generator Review: WGen9500 vs WGen9500DF
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Westinghouse iGen4500 Inverter Generator Review: Versatile and Reliable
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FAQs
Westinghouse is a trusted generator brand whose reputation rests on a 135-year history of producing high-quality electrical power systems and equipment. This iGen4500 in particular, has some of the most desirable features, including a remote start and digital data center.
The Westinghouse iGen4500 uses a 224 cc OHV 4-stroke engine that runs on gasoline. This and other engines used on Westinghouse generators are exclusively made for the Westinghouse brand.
Westinghouse generators compare favorably to other brands in terms of their noise output. The Westinghouse iGen4500 inverter generator is rated at 52 decibels, which is remarkably quiet for the power it produces.
The Westinghouse iGen4500 has a 3,7-gallon fuel tank that will last up to 18 hours, which is long enough to get you through the night. With a smaller load, you should get a longer runtime.
Westinghouse generators ship with fully charged batteries. However, the batteries will deplete if you don’t use the generator for a prolonged period. If that happens, you have to use the supplied charger to top off the battery. Otherwise, the battery will self-charge after the generator has been running for some time.
In an RV or camper, the Westinghouse iGen4500 will run the refrigerator, 11,000 BTU AC, radiant heater, blender, and several LED lights at the same time. If you are using the generator for backup power at home, you should comfortably run the refrigerator, hairdryer, washing machine, and 5 LED lights together, with some spare juice to charge your mobile phones and small gadgets.