Longest power outage?

[ultrarunner]

I'm cycling the Onan 150kW gen-set as I write this Sunday morning.

Every two weeks for 30 minutes under load with a 10 minute cool down.

Block Heater is thermostatically controlled so it is never a totally cold start.

180 gallon capacity with a double containment tank with leak sensors.

 

[ultrarunner]

I'm cycling the Onan 150kW gen-set as I write this Sunday morning.

Every two weeks for 30 minutes under load with a 10 minute cool down.

Block Heater is thermostatically controlled so it is never a totally cold start.

180 gallon capacity with a double containment tank with leak sensors.

Power was out a little over 4 hours at one time last month... within 6 seconds genset was up and transferred..

 

[firemanmike69]

I'm cycling the Onan 150kW gen-set as I write this Sunday morning. Every two weeks for 30 minutes under load with a 10 minute cool down. Block Heater is thermostatically controlled so it is never a totally cold start. 180 gallon capacity with a double containment tank with leak sensors. Power was out a little over 4 hours at one time last month... within 6 seconds genset was up and transferred..

I'll bite what are you powering that you need a genset that large? I'd imagine that large wouldn't run long on 180 gallons

 

[3930dave]

I'm cycling the Onan 150kW gen-set as I write this Sunday morning.

Every two weeks for 30 minutes under load with a 10 minute cool down.

Block Heater is thermostatically controlled so it is never a totally cold start.

180 gallon capacity with a double containment tank with leak sensors.

Power was out a little over 4 hours at one time last month... within 6 seconds genset was up and transferred..

Don't you need a special license to plug in a block heater in Cali ?

Though..... I probably shouldn't even joke about that....

Rgds, D.

 

[MikePA]

About how long does the engine run, before auto-shutdown kicks in ?

The entire test runs 30 seconds and the generator runs about 25 seconds.

 

[aczlan]

I'll bite what are you powering that you need a genset that large? I'd imagine that large wouldn't run long on 180 gallons

A hospital if I remember correctly.

Aaron Z

 

[grsthegreat]

i changed oil and plugs on my whole house last month. all tested and ready for winter. also did same to 2 portables out in shop. while i was at it, i winterized jet skis, lawn mower and chain saws.

 

[Rod in Forfar]

The longest our property has been without power was 11 days during the 1997 Ice Storm. The trusty Honda 5KW generator a friend sold us then breathed its last this summer. I looked at propane but opted for a 7.5 KW PTO generator. Our 250 lb propane tank would be empty after two days of running in a major outage. What then? The tractors (4) carry quite a bit of diesel in their tanks, and there's also the 250 gallons of furnace oil. I bought a 12v transfer pump.

 

[3930dave]

The entire test runs 30 seconds and the generator runs about 25 seconds.

Thanks Mike.

Was just curious..... The Generac a buddy has does something like a 15 minute run for it's exercise cycle. If you don't commonly have power outages, do you ever Manually force yours to run longer to heat up the engine/oil ?

Rgds, D.

 

[3930dave]

A hospital if I remember correctly.

Aaron Z

And.... if my memory serves, ur was pushing for a larger amount of diesel storage..... but he was speaking a dialect not commonly understood by bureacrats, esp. in Cali.....

Common Sense dictates that when the Big One hits out there, you'll be waiting "a while" to get diesel delivered.

Rgds, D.

 

[MossRoad]

Well, last year we had a fire in a manhole downtown that took out about a 60 square block area for three days. We brought in a 750KW and a 1MW generator. Took 300 gallons of diesel per day - EACH. That was fun!

 

[techman]

My 9,000 watt genny is in a tin garden shed along with about 50 gallons of gas.

50 gallons ?

If you don't use it it will eventually go bad. Just keep an eye on it. Best to use the gas in the car at least once a year and replace it with fresh.

paul

 

[MikePA]

Thanks Mike.

Was just curious..... The Generac a buddy has does something like a 15 minute run for it's exercise cycle. If you don't commonly have power outages, do you ever Manually force yours to run longer to heat up the engine/oil ?

Rgds, D.

Unfortunately, we average at least one outage every summer and one evey winter, each lasting for just an hour or so. This past winter's ice storm was the exception at almost four days. So, it gets its exercise. If we'd go 6 months without an outage, I'd flip the main house breaker and let the generator run for a while.

 

[3930dave]

Unfortunately, we average at least one outage every summer and one evey winter, each lasting for just an hour or so. This past winter's ice storm was the exception at almost four days. So, it gets its exercise. If we'd go 6 months without an outage, I'd flip the main house breaker and let the generator run for a while.

grs has some great stories about people spending the big $ to put in an auto-standby power system, then severely neglecting an "emergency" system...... glad to hear you are playing smart with yours :thumbsup:

Enjoy..... they are a great peace of mind when you can count on them.

Rgds, D.

 

[ultrarunner]

A hospital if I remember correctly.

Aaron Z

Yes... the 150 kW unit is for a 6 operating room surgical unit...

Still a possibility I might have to retire it in a couple of years... the 1995 unit with 440 hours does not meet any of the new Bay Area Air Quality Management regs... next we also have natural gas fired steam boilers regs to deal with...

Some enterprising individuals have done real well reselling California Cast Offs...

 

[3930dave]

Yes... the 150 kW unit is for a 6 operating room surgical unit...

Still a possibility I might have to retire it in a couple of years... the 1995 unit with 440 hours does not meet any of the new Bay Area Air Quality Management regs... next we also have natural gas fired steam boilers regs to deal with...

Some enterprising individuals have done real well reselling California Cast Offs...

That's why they're called Casting Agents ?

Good to hear, as we all know how dirty a fuel Nat Gas is, and how little of it most of Can/USA has.

What do these loons expect you to burn, Hydrogen that is magically beamed in from another galaxy (Far.... Far Away......) ? Or is it an efficiency spec they've come up with for the boilers ?

Rgds, D.

 

[aczlan]

Yes... the 150 kW unit is for a 6 operating room surgical unit...
Still a possibility I might have to retire it in a couple of years... the 1995 unit with 440 hours does not meet any of the new Bay Area Air Quality Management regs... next we also have natural gas fired steam boilers regs to deal with...
Some enterprising individuals have done real well reselling California Cast Offs...

So, each OR takes 25kw? I didn't realize that they needed that much power.

Aaron Z

 

[ultrarunner]

Sized the genset for future expansion...

It is rated 150 kW standby and 125 kW prime.

In addition to all the "Red" outlets and surgical lights, nurse call, code blue, etc... it also power the HVAC with 30 hp just in blower and exhaust fans, plus the three 5 hp Medical Suction pumps.

If the day comes where regulation requires replacement... I just might mount it to a trailer... fully self contained and the price would be right.

 

[firemanmike69]

Sized the genset for future expansion... It is rated 150 kW standby and 125 kW prime. In addition to all the "Red" outlets and surgical lights, nurse call, code blue, etc... it also power the HVAC with 30 hp just in blower and exhaust fans, plus the three 5 hp Medical Suction pumps. If the day comes where regulation requires replacement... I just might mount it to a trailer... fully self contained and the price would be right.

No exception for hospitals/ emergency services?

 

[ultrarunner]

No exception for hospitals/ emergency services?

Only if city, county or other government entity owned...

The move towards eliminating non-compliant diesel 50hp and greater is just about across the board... over the road trucks, stationary and implements such as tree chippers...

It is tracked via mandatory registration... lots of good deals on chippers that end up out of State because they are not CARB compliant... same with larger gensets...

Some limited exemptions for AG meeting specific requirements... mostly, it is a delayed phase out...