Generac iQ3500 (inverter with COsense)

Generac markets the iQ3500 for “tailgating parties to camping trips, the jobsite and beyond”; the page does not mention home backup or RV use. Its spec sheet lists three configurations: 7723-1 (50 State), 7723-2 (49 State) and 7723-3 (49 State/CSA). The open-frame GP3500iO is a different, older model. Generac's web spec table shows “Starting Watts: 0”, which is a page error; the figures here come from the spec sheet and owner's manual. It has electric start with a recoil backup and weighs 109.1 lb.

Running vs starting watts

The spec sheet gives 3,000 rated running watts and 3,500 maximum starting watts on gasoline. The 3,500 in the name is the starting figure, available only while a motor starts; continuous loads must fit under 3,000 W. On its own it can start a French-door refrigerator or a 1/2 HP sump pump and run a 1,100 W microwave. It cannot start our 7-1/4 in circular saw (3,600 W starting).

Run time

Generac publishes 14.1 hours at 25 % load and 8.9 hours at 50 % load on the 2.6-gallon tank, both in Economy Mode. We show those points only and do not extrapolate. It is an inverter generator; Generac calls its output “ultra-clean and capable of safely powering sensitive electronics”, but gives no harmonic-distortion figure on the page we read.

Safety

The iQ3500 has COsense, which Generac sums up as “Stops, Alerts, Saves” protection against carbon monoxide. That reduces the risk but does not make indoor, garage or porch use safe: CPSC's outdoor-only rule still applies. Our CPSC recall search found no recall for the iQ3500.

Add your appliances to the calculator to check your own load against these figures.