Your last generator Maintenance Run

[grsthegreat]

the older generac units auto exercised once a week for 15 minutes. the new units can be set to once a week, or every other week or once a month.

Alot of people (me included) thought 1 time a week was excessive. i program the units i set for once a month exercise.

Their liquid cooled units STILL require once a week exercise, but at lower speeds. Not sure why they wont let us program the liquid cooled for monthly tests.

 

[George2615]

Once a month is a nice interval. This thread has helped me get closer to the every 3 months target I had, so I'm making progress !

A lot of equipment manufacturers won't spec oil intervals past one year, so that's a safe #.

Rgds, D.

I also run a 250KW generator at work 2X per month for 1 hour each time. One run with building load and one without load. Oil and all filters are changed 1X per year.

 

[3930dave]

If mine was just a generator I'd probably do 3 mo. intervals.

3 months seems like a good target for my small portable generators. I can see where you'd want to spin up a welder more often though.

Rgds, D.

 

[3930dave]

the older generac units auto exercised once a week for 15 minutes. the new units can be set to once a week, or every other week or once a month.

Alot of people (me included) thought 1 time a week was excessive. i program the units i set for once a month exercise.

Their liquid cooled units STILL require once a week exercise, but at lower speeds. Not sure why they wont let us program the liquid cooled for monthly tests.

Interesting...... yes, once a week seems like a lot for a consumer level product.

On the newer systems, can you program the test-run duration ? Dead of winter here, I'm thinkng the engine won't fully warm up in 15 minutes, esp. if lightly loaded.

Sometimes seals perform better with frequent use (thinking water-pump seals).... best wild guess I've got.

Rgds, D.

 

[3930dave]

I also run a 250KW generator at work 2X per month for 1 hour each time. One run with building load and one without load. Oil and all filters are changed 1X per year.

How much fuel would you go through on that loaded run ?

Hopefully you've been allowed a bigger tank size than what ultrarunner is stuck with at the hospital.

Rgds, D.

 

[George2615]

How much fuel would you go through on that loaded run ?

Hopefully you've been allowed a bigger tank size than what ultrarunner is stuck with at the hospital.

Rgds, D.

I work for a Hospital also (actually it's a one day surgery ctr. offsite from the main Hosp.). I do Bldg maint. and that's one of my jobs to run a diesel powered fire pump and the bldg. generator. We have a 1000 gallon outside tank that feeds two 50 gallon day tanks inside that supplies fuel to both. They don't use that much fuel. Fire pump runs 1/2 hr a week and Gen 2 hours a month. Once with and once without load. So 4 hours combined run per month uses about 20-30 gallons or so. Same tank also provides fuel for grounds skid steer and JD2305 used for cleaning sidewalks. The tank gets topped off once a year about 750 gallons.

 

[3930dave]

1000 gal. sounds better, for a hospital.

Even half empty, that tank gives you about 3x the capacity ur has with a full tank (180 gal.).

Rgds, D.

 

[George2615]

I forgot to mention our main campus (Hosp.) has 8 generators and a 10,000 gallon in ground fuel tank. They also just built a Co-Gen plant and produce their own power now and sell the excess back to the Grid. I've been stationed at the outside property the past 14 1/2 of my 30 years with them so haven't even seen the new plant yet.

 

[3930dave]

I forgot to mention our main campus (Hosp.) has 8 generators and a 10,000 gallon in ground fuel tank. They also just built a Co-Gen plant and produce their own power now and sell the excess back to the Grid. I've been stationed at the outside property the past 14 1/2 of my 30 years with them so haven't even seen the new plant yet.

Muitiple generators provisioned at 1,000 gal.+ per gen. Somebody was thinking.

Actually...... more like the envirocrats stayed out of the engineers way, and let them do their jobs.

Rgds, D.

 

[ultrarunner]

I work for a Hospital also (actually it's a one day surgery ctr. offsite from the main Hosp.). I do Bldg maint. and that's one of my jobs to run a diesel powered fire pump and the bldg. generator. We have a 1000 gallon outside tank that feeds two 50 gallon day tanks inside that supplies fuel to both. They don't use that much fuel. Fire pump runs 1/2 hr a week and Gen 2 hours a month. Once with and once without load. So 4 hours combined run per month uses about 20-30 gallons or so. Same tank also provides fuel for grounds skid steer and JD2305 used for cleaning sidewalks. The tank gets topped off once a year about 750 gallons.

Me too...

When the 6 OR outpatient surgery unit went in the city/county had some very specific ideas that have only become more restrictive over time.

The 150 kW Prime rated Onan Cummins Turbo Diesel is limited to a 180 gallon tank... that's it and was hard to get approved... city simply was not approving anymore onsite fuel storage tanks. During California rolling blackouts it was touch and go keeping the ability to refuel viable.

Later, the Air Board issued new regulations effectively limiting exercise time to 30 minutes every other week... previously, we were running every week...

 

[doxford jim]

Regarding the large diesel fuel storage tanks - do you guys test fuel for traces of water and bacteria on a regular basis ?
A chap I know who works in a large hospital where they have three Caterpiller 3500 series generators, said they constantly recirculate and filter their fuel to minimize any bacterial or water damage.

Just curious on how bad this sort of fuel problem might be.

Thanks

 

[George2615]

Regarding the large diesel fuel storage tanks - do you guys test fuel for traces of water and bacteria on a regular basis ?
A chap I know who works in a large hospital where they have three Caterpiller 3500 series generators, said they constantly recirculate and filter their fuel to minimize any bacterial or water damage.

Just curious on how bad this sort of fuel problem might be.

Thanks

We do test monthly for trace water (Never had any trace the 14 years I've been there). Fuel, oil, and antifreeze are tested annually by an independent lab and never had a problem. We do recirculate fuel from the inside day tank to the outside storage tank. The fuel supplier delivers the fuel with an anti gel and water removing additive. Probably something like Power Service. Outside tank is a double wall approved tank that was installed around 1995 to replace the original non-approved tank.

 

[ultrarunner]

With a 180 gallon max it has not been a problem... double wall with leak sensors installed in 1995.

I do add fuel conditioner and typically buy when the tank is at 45%... 100 gallon min here for Diesel Red deliveries.

 

[3930dave]

The 150 kW Prime rated Onan Cummins Turbo Diesel is limited to a 180 gallon tank... that's it and was hard to get approved... city simply was not approving anymore onsite fuel storage tanks. During California rolling blackouts it was touch and go keeping the ability to refuel viable.

Ahhh....... Yah.

So...... if a meaningful after-action review was done, it would be glaringly obvious that a larger on-site tank was needed.

Meaning obvious to the Enviro-Overlords; I know you don't need to be reminded ur...

Compared to The Big One, rolling blackouts are maybe what, 3 out of 10 on an Operational/Logistical stress scale ?

Rgds, D.

 

[3930dave]

We do test monthly for trace water (Never had any trace the 14 years I've been there). Fuel, oil, and antifreeze are tested annually by an independent lab and never had a problem. We do recirculate fuel from the inside day tank to the outside storage tank. The fuel supplier delivers the fuel with an anti gel and water removing additive. Probably something like Power Service. Outside tank is a double wall approved tank that was installed around 1995 to replace the original non-approved tank.

George - is that in-ground tank made from composite material ? (As opposed to metal).

ur - is your 180gal. outdoors ? What material ?

Rgds, D.

 

[grsthegreat]

Interesting...... yes, once a week seems like a lot for a consumer level product.

On the newer systems, can you program the test-run duration ? Dead of winter here, I'm thinkng the engine won't fully warm up in 15 minutes, esp. if lightly loaded.

Sometimes seals perform better with frequent use (thinking water-pump seals).... best wild guess I've got.

Rgds, D.

cant set duration..only frequency and start times

 

[George2615]

George - is that in-ground tank made from composite material ? (As opposed to metal).

ur - is your 180gal. outdoors ? What material ?

Rgds, D.

Dave,
The tank we have now is above ground and is steel. The previous tank was in ground and I think was either composite or fiberglass.

 

[3930dave]

cant set duration..only frequency and start times

Thanks, I was curious. I'd prefer a long run in the Winter here. It would be pretty easy for them to design in an optional longer run, for sub-zero operation.

Rgds, D.

 

[3930dave]

Dave,
The tank we have now is above ground and is steel. The previous tank was in ground and I think was either composite or fiberglass.

If you have the land available, the preference today seems to be above ground. Easy to monitor visually, and no excavation cost to replace it later.

I'm guessing that the non-metal tanks would be better re. water condensation during temperature swings, but I don't know if any are rated for above-ground use.

All the gas station below-ground installations I've seen here have been non-metallic for quite a long time.

Rgds, D.

 

[grsthegreat]

Thanks, I was curious. I'd prefer a long run in the Winter here. It would be pretty easy for them to design in an optional longer run, for sub-zero operation.

Rgds, D.

The times can be changed by a service tech. He can plug in a laptop and tweak them