Westinghouse iGen4500 Review: Is It Right For You?

WESTINGHOUSE IGEN4500 INVERTER GENERATOR

If you’re looking for a portable power solution for your RV in remote locations or home use during a power outage, the Westinghouse iGen4500 is probably an excellent choice for you.

Westinghouse is one of the most respected and oldest companies that provide solutions for the best original electrical equipment in the United States.

My research showed that Westinghouse iGen4500 is one of the best inverter generators for the price. It’s a lot cheaper than the Honda.

In this article, I will help you make the best decision for your backup power needs.

Let’s get started.

The Westinghouse iGen4500 Review

In this review, I will cover more in-depth each feature and how they can benefit you. Let’s start with its detailed specifications.

Westinghouse iGen4500 Specs

At a glance, here is the detailed specification of the iGen4500 generator:

Generator	Westinghouse iGen4500
Generator Type	Inverter Generator
Starting Watts	4500W (37.5 amps)
Running Watts	3700W (30.83 amps)
Start Type	Electric and Recoil Start
Fuel Type	Gasoline
Fuel Tank Capacity	3.4 Gallon
Run Time per Tankful	18 hours @ 25% load
Outlets	RV-Ready Tt-30R 30 Amp Outlet (x1), 120-Volt, 20-Amp Duplex Outlet (x2), USB Outlets (x2)
Noise Level (dBA)	53 ~ 60 dBA
Engine Displacement	224 cc
Dimensions (L x W x H)	18 x 10 x 15.5 inches
Item Weight	98 lbs
CARB Compliance	No

What Comes In The Box?

When you purchased this unit, here are what comes in the box:

• Owners manual
• Quick start guide/Maintenance schedule
• One Wireless remote starter
• One 0.6 Liter Bottle of SAE 10W/30 oil (can be used for break-in period)
• One Spark plug socket wrench
• One Battery charger
• One funnel for the oil

What Is The Westinghouse iGen4500 Inverter Generator?

iGen4500 is an inverter generator from a well-established Westinghouse [1]. Westinghouse is one of the most respected and oldest companies in the United States. 

They are among the best generator brands on the market today alongside their competitors like Honda, Champion, Generac, and Briggs And Stratton.

This generator has gone through a lot of improvements over the years. 

The iGen4500 runs solely on gasoline. There’s another generator in the line that is iGen4500DF that runs on both gas and propane.

This generator has a starting power output of 4500 watts and can deliver an adequate running power of 3700 watts.

Here’s the introduction video of the iGen4500 generator:

Power Output Is Enough For Your RV And Home Use

The most important metric to look for when deciding on buying a generator is the starting wattages (or surge watts). 

 It’ll put out 4500 watts for about a second or two to start, like 15000 BTU air conditioner (and 13500 BU AC) or something like that, that’s it. It won’t continuously run it. This is rated to run continuously for 3700watts.  

The running power of 3700W is decent enough to run everything in your trailer: microwave, lightings, heater, coffee pot, fridge – you name it. 

But you don’t always often run everything at the same time. If you’re out there with AC and plug in a coffee pot, you could be in trouble.

For home use, you need a heavy-duty extension cord designed for use with generators to hook the generator to your home.

If you don’t have a transfer switch ready at your house, you should get one. Transfer switches prevent the potentially lethal condition known as a back feed. 

Practicality And Convenient Features

I’d like the iGen 4500W because it has many practical and safety features. Here are the cool features you might be interested in:

It’s RV Ready!

It’s got an RV plug already with it. It comes with RV-Ready Tt-30R 30 Amp Outlet. If you got a travel trailer and it’s got 30 amp service on it, this generator is perfect for it. 

All you need is to plug in the extension cord, and it’s good to go.

But if you got 50 Amp service on it, you still can run this generator on it. It would help if you had a suitable adapter for it. But of course, you won’t have maximum power for your 50-amp.

A Remote Start

So it’s an electric start, and the remote start comes with the battery already. You probably don’t know why you’d need a remote start for a generator. 

But I can tell you, having a remote start feature is Godsend. 

Imagine that when you wake up in the morning, you want some coffee, and it’s nasty outside, it’s nice to hit the button and fire it up. 

Then you can make some coffee without having to get your shoes on. A remote start is a fantastic benefit.

Pure Sine Wave (Well, Almost)

Westinghouse’s official spec sheet states that this generator has less than 3% total harmonic distortion (THD).

What that means is that you’re safe to use your sensitive electronics such as computers, televisions, and mobile phones.

LED Data Center

It’s got a LED Data Center that tells you how much power you’re using, how much power you got, how long before it’s going to run out of gas. You can look at it quickly.

Excellent Safety Features 

It got all the safety features you can imagine on it: reset-breaker, main breaker, and oil level alert. The oil alert will monitor and auto shut off if your generator is running low on oil.

Power Outlets

Besides the RV-Ready Tt-30R 30 Amp outlet, this unit comes with two 120-Volt 20-Amp Duplex outlets for your power tools.

It’s got two USB outlets that you can use to charge your phone or something like that. Unfortunately, it does not have a 240V receptacle.

Parallel Capable

Need more power? It’s parallel capable of running in parallel with another Westinghouse inverter generator to double the output. 

Easy To Carry Around

It’s heavy! It weighs 98 pounds. It’s not something your wife would be able to handle alone. 

But the good news is that this unit has a built-in telescoping handle so that you can wheel around like a suitcase.

On top of that, it also comes with two convenient top-carrying handles for hassle-free portability.

iGen 4500W Inverter Generator Is Super Quiet

Trust me! You won’t believe how quiet this generator is. It’s pretty close, if not as quiet as the Honda’s. 

It generates about 53 to 60 decibels, depending on the loads. Simply put, it’s about the same noise level as the conversation at home or in the restaurant [2].

It’s made for RV’s and for going out camping. It’s made for not annoying your neighbor. Anytime you bring a generator, be considerate of the people around you. 

My friendly advice to you – don’t point this at them. 

Don’t get them right next to their camper because you can always hear everything regardless of how quiet it is there.

Love your neighbor! As the LORD said.

It Runs All Day

So, how long can this generator run on gasoline?

The iGen4500W can run continuously for about 12 to 18 hours on a full tank on typical loads. It runs almost all day. 

On a full tank with 25 to 30% load, this generator can run continuously for about 16 to 18 hours. If you run with two 1500 watts heaters on, it still runs all night. That’s about 10 to 12 hours.

It’s pretty much run all day with everything else without having to run out for gas.

Westinghouse iGen4500 Common Problems

One of the common problems with the Westinghouse generators is the startup issues caused by the automatic choke. 

The customers have reported many complaints that the choke sticks when warm and won’t start unless you remove the cover and free it by hand. 

If your auto electric choke won’t disengage, unfortunately, you have to open a side panel to manually reset the choke for the unit to start and idle for you to use it. 

According to Westinghouse, they recently upgraded the control board to fix the choke start issues.

Despite this known issue, most users never had this issue.

Click here to read what the real user had to say about the iGen4500W generator. (link to Amazon)

Is iGen4500 Inverter Generator Right For You?

Now that I’ve covered all the different features and functions of the Westinghouse iGEn4500W, weighing up the pros and cons — now let’s talk about YOU.

RV Or Travel Trailer Owner

If you own an RV or a travel trailer, this iGen4500W is perfect for you. It’s got an RV plug already with it. It’s made for RV’s and for going out camping.

You’re going to love how quiet this generator is. You don’t have to worry about annoying your neighbor at the campsite.

The power output is adequate to fire up and run your air conditioner unit. Did you get 15000 BTU AC? No problem. This beast can handle it well.

If you have a problem with getting gasoline supplies, this generator can quickly run on propane by installing a generator propane conversion kit.

Outdoor Events

If you want to bring all the comfort of home with you to your next tailgating party, you need a quiet and powerful generator that can run everything you need.

This 4500 watts inverter generator can run a flat panel TV, electric grill, cooktops, drink blender, and any other electrical equipment you want to make your tailgating party awesome. 

This generator is also perfect for camping activities. 

Home Job And Backup Power For Home

The two 120V AC outlets give you options to plug in your power tools like a hand drill, miter saw, and air compressor for your home repair jobs.

Would this generator be good for construction jobs? No. It isn’t set up for commercial use.

This generator also can be used for backup power for your home during emergencies like power outages. 

It can’t run your whole house, but the 3700 watts output power can easily run your A/C, microwave, Smart TV, refrigerator, and water pump at the same time.

Alternatives To The iGen4500 Inverter Generator

While Westinghouse iGen4500 is an excellent inverter generator, it may not be the best option for you due to the high price tag. 

If you want the value of iGen4500 but need something slightly cheaper, then I recommend you to look at the Pulsar 4500W Inverter Generator as an alternative.

This Pulsar generator has almost everything that the iGen4500 has. It has a similar power output, runs on gasoline, is super quiet (63 dBA), longer runtime, and most importantly – it’s cheaper.

But, if you’re looking for a dual fuel generator that can run on both gasoline and propane, the Champion 3400-Watt Dual Fuel Inverter Generator might be an excellent choice for you.

This generator is ready to run either gasoline or propane out of the box. It comes with many cool features like RV ready, digital display, multiple voltage outlets, electric start, and low oil auto shut-off sensor.

The Champion 3400W is lightweight, longer runtime, and is super quiet. The apparent drawback of this generator is that it has slightly less power than the iGen4500 generator.

But no worries, it still can handle your 13500 BTU air conditioner.

FAQ

Here are some common questions that people would be asking when buying the iGen4500 inverter generator:

The Verdict

In my opinion, the Westinghouse iGen4500 inverter generator is perfect for someone looking for the right portable generator for their RV.

It takes care of everything in your trailer.

If the quietness, featured-packed, and fuel-efficient are the most important factors you’re looking for, this generator is probably the best for you.

Bear in mind; this is a gasoline generator. The advantage of gasoline is that it is more powerful than a propane generator.

The pricing is relatively expensive, but that’s what you should expect from an inverter generator. They’re expensive to make.

This generator stands its ground against many premium inverter generators like Honda and Yamaha.

Finally, how reliable is it?

Only time will tell.