Generator entity · Inverter (portable)

Generac iQ3500

Compact 120 V inverter: 3,000 W running / 3,500 W starting on gasoline, 5-20R and L5-30R outlets, COsense CO shutdown, and 14.1 h at 25% load on the 2.6 gal tank — 49.5 kg. No official noise figure and no numeric THD published.

brand: Generac family: iQ fuel: Gasoline confidence: medium updated: Jul 8, 2026

Outdoor use only. Fuel-burning generators produce carbon monoxide and must never run indoors, in garages, or near openings — regardless of CO-shutdown features. This unit: automatic co shutdown present (COsense). Home-circuit connection requires a proper transfer switch installed by an electrician; never backfeed an outlet. Follow the manufacturer's manual.

Machine summary · generator · generac-iq3500

brand
Generac
model_name
iQ3500 (Model 7723)
generator_type
inverter_portable
fuel
gasoline
running_watts
3000
starting_watts
3500
voltage
120V
co_shutdown
present
rv_outlet_present
false
weight_kg
49.5
confidence_level
medium
source_last_checked
2026-07-08
json_export
/generators/generac-iq3500.json

Overview

The iQ3500 is Generac's high-output 120 V recreational/backup inverter: 3,000 W running / 3,500 W starting on gasoline (the product page's 'Starting Watts: 0' is an obvious page error, corrected here from the official spec sheet). Its 212 cc engine feeds a 120 V panel with a 5-20R household duplex and an L5-30R twist-lock, plus USB-A and parallel-connection ports. Generac's COsense monitors carbon monoxide and shuts the engine down; that is recorded as present, though at medium confidence because the model-specific manual revision at the official URL omits the COsense section (the branding and function come from Generac's COsense documentation). Runtime is 14.1 h at 25% / 8.9 h at 50% load on the 2.6 gal tank. Generac publishes no dBA noise figure for this model and no numeric THD (only a '<3%' upper bound in marketing), so both are recorded as unknown rather than invented.

Variant note: Model 7723 (7723-1 is the 50-State config). Parallel kit is 7668. Not conflated with lower-output iQ models.

Data note: Confidence medium for two documented gaps: (1) the COsense CO-shutdown section is absent from the model-specific manual revision at the official URL — coShutdown 'present' rests on Generac's COsense branding and function description; noted plainly rather than blocked, since this is an inverter marketed and sold as a COsense unit. (2) No official dBA noise figure exists anywhere → noiseDb null, noiseClass unknown. THD stored null: Generac states only a '<3%' upper bound in marketing, not a numeric spec — per policy 'clean power' / bounded claims never become a THD number; inverter → sensitive-electronics suitability medium (not high). RUNTIME CONFLICT preserved: spec sheet (2024 Rev C) 8.9 h at 50% vs owner's manual 8.0 h — newer spec sheet used, both noted. Product page 'Starting Watts: 0' is a page error, corrected from the spec sheet's 3,500 W. carbCompliant true / epaCertified true per the 7723-1 50-State configuration.

Specifications

Running and starting watts are never collapsed; every runtime figure carries its fuel and load basis; THD is shown only when officially stated numerically. Core values' original claims and sources are in the provenance table. The final group is computed from the fields above and marked as derived.

Output
AttributeValue
Running (rated) watts 3,000 W
Starting (peak) watts 3,500 W
Voltage 120V
Frequency 60Hz
Total harmonic distortion Not numerically stated
240V support No
Fuel & runtime
AttributeValue
Fuel Gasoline
Fuel tank (gasoline) 2.6 gal
Runtime — Gasoline, 25% load 14.1 h
Runtime — Gasoline, 50% load 8.9 h
Fuel notes Gasoline runtime 14.1 h at 25% / 8.9 h at 50% load on the 2.6 gal tank per the 2024 Rev C spec sheet. CONFLICT: the owner's manual lists 8.0 h at 50% — the newer spec sheet's 8.9 h is used and both are preserved. No official dBA noise figure published anywhere.
Engine & operation
AttributeValue
Engine displacement 212 cc
Noise No dBA with stated basis published
Start method recoil, electric
Parallel capable Yes
Inverter technology Yes
Receptacles
AttributeValue
Receptacles 2 × 5-20R (one 120V 20A household duplex (two outlets)), 1 × L5-30R (120V 30A twist-lock), 1 × USB-A (USB charging port)
RV outlet (30A RV receptacle) No
TT-30R present No
L14-30R present No
GFCI outlets No
Safety & compliance
AttributeValue
CO shutdown Automatic CO shutdown present (COsense)
Low-oil shutdown Yes
Overload protection Yes
EPA certified Yes
CARB compliant Yes
Physical
AttributeValue
Weight (dry) 49.5 kg (109.1 lb)
Dimensions (L × W × H) 601 × 457.6 × 552.4 mm
Type Inverter (portable) · Enclosed / suitcase
Derived (computed, not sourced)
AttributeValue
Watts per kg 60.6 W/kg
Runtime per gallon @ 50% load 3.4 h/gal
Portability band mid

Use cases

  • Recreation and tailgating: high-output 3,500 W 120 V in a suitcase inverter
  • Essential-circuit 120 V backup via the L5-30R twist-lock
  • Sensitive electronics on inverter power (though THD is not published numerically)
  • Extended running: 14.1 h at 25% load on the 2.6 gal tank

Cross-category fit flags (stored for future battery-vs-generator pages, not yet used for ranking): RV not suitable · camping suitable · home backup suitable · apartment use: no · sensitive electronics: medium · noise class: unknown.

Strengths and weaknesses

Strengths

  • High output for a suitcase inverter: 3,500 W starting on 120 V
  • COsense carbon-monoxide auto-shutdown
  • L5-30R twist-lock plus a household duplex; parallel capable (kit 7668)
  • 50-State: EPA certified and CARB compliant (7723-1 config)
  • 14.1 h at 25% load runtime

Weaknesses

  • No official dBA noise figure published — noise is unknown, excluded from ranking
  • No numeric THD (only a '<3%' marketing upper bound) — sensitive-electronics suitability capped at medium
  • 120 V only; no TT-30R and no 240 V — not RV-outlet equipped, limited home backup
  • CO documentation gap: the model-specific manual revision omits the COsense section (confidence medium)
  • Product page erroneously shows 'Starting Watts: 0' — corrected from the spec sheet

Comparisons featuring this generator

Compact Quiet Inverter Generators: Honda EU2200i vs EU2200i Companion vs WEN 56235iX vs Generac iQ3500

Four sub-3,500 W 120 V inverter generators built for quiet recreation, camping, and light backup — all with documented CO-shutdown. They separate on output (1,800–3,000 W running), noise basis (Honda and WEN publish load-based dBA; Generac publishes none), documented THD (only WEN gives a number), weight (17.7–49.5 kg), and receptacle panel.

Where to buy

Merchant links are scaffolded but not yet active. When live, some will be affiliate links; merchant relationships never affect indexed specifications or verdicts.

Sources and provenance

Core specifications — including all safety fields — come from official manufacturer sources only, with the exact claim text preserved per field. Safety-related fields carry the strictest rules: CO-shutdown status is never inferred from marketing. See the methodology for the full policy.

Field-level provenance (15 entries, checked 2026-07-08)
FieldNormalized valueRaw claimSourceConfidence
runningWatts 3000 Rated (Running) Watts: 3000 Official datasheet (PDF) — Gasoline headline. high
startingWatts 3500 Starting Watts: 3500 Official datasheet (PDF) — The product page shows 'Starting Watts: 0' — an obvious page error; spec sheet 3,500 W used. Never collapsed with running watts. high
voltage 120V Rated Voltage: 120V Official datasheet (PDF) — 120 V only; no 240 V receptacle. high
receptacleSummary {"5-20R":2,"L5-30R":1,"USB-A":1} 120V 20A Duplex (5-20R) ... 120V 30A Twist-Lock (L5-30R) ... USB ... Parallel connection ports Official datasheet (PDF) — No TT-30R → rvOutletPresent=false. Parallel ports feed the optional parallel kit, not counted as standard receptacles. high
fuelTankCapacityGal 2.6 Fuel Tank Capacity: 2.6 gal Official datasheet (PDF) high
runtimeAt25LoadHours 14.1 Run Time at 25% Load: 14.1 hrs Official datasheet (PDF) — Load basis explicit. high
runtimeAt50LoadHours 8.9 Run Time at 50% Load: 8.9 hrs (2024 Rev C spec sheet) Official datasheet (PDF) — CONFLICT: owner's manual lists 8.0 h at 50%. Newer spec sheet's 8.9 h used; both preserved. Never merged with the 25% figure. medium
noiseDb (no dBA figure published in any official Generac source) Official datasheet (PDF) — No official dBA anywhere → null, not invented; noiseClass unknown. high
totalHarmonicDistortion less than 3% THD (marketing upper bound, no numeric spec) Official product page — Only a '<3%' upper bound is marketed, not a numeric spec-table THD → null per policy; inverter → sensitive-electronics suitability medium. medium
coShutdown present COsense technology detects rising levels of carbon monoxide and automatically shuts down the generator. Official product page — Basis: Generac COsense branding + function description. The model-specific manual revision at the official URL omits the COsense section — hence medium confidence; noted plainly, not blocked (documented feature, not ambiguous status). medium
engineSizeCc 212 Engine Displacement: 212 cc Official datasheet (PDF) — Generac OHV engine. high
weightKg 49.5 Dry Weight: 109.1 lb (49.5 kg) Official datasheet (PDF) — Explicitly dry. high
dimensionsMm {"l":601,"w":457.6,"h":552.4} Dimensions (L x W x H): 23.66 x 18.02 x 21.75 in Official datasheet (PDF) — Converted ×25.4. high
warrantyYears 3 Warranty: 3-Year Limited (residential) Official datasheet (PDF) high
carbCompliant true 50-State / CARB compliant (7723-1 configuration) Official datasheet (PDF) — EPA certified true; CARB compliant true for the 50-State config. high

All sources used

entity: generator/generac-iq3500 source_last_checked: 2026-07-08 confidence_level: medium methodology: /methodology/