Your last generator Maintenance Run

[Industrial Toys]

I have a few Diesel Generators and a 3000 watt 220volt Telecom Inverter that runs off the JD Gator Batteries 48Volt.

Nevertheless, I realize that if Murphy is against you, it only takes small things to still leave you dead in the water.

Had main Onan/Kubota 7.3 running in the shop for a couple of hours with a 4800 watt construction heater. It groaned and protested, not having been plugged in. Temperature went from 0 C to about 7C. Woopie do, but it took the chill off to do a small project.

There was a weird knocking noise at one point and I feared the worst, but found a loose terminal on the contactor, for the self hold circuit, so the contactor was chattering. Probably good thing I discovered that, with just the heater being run.

 

[3930dave]

Might be partly placebo effect, but I find any source of local heat helpful this time of year..... in a shop it's not just the degC/F gain, but the reduction in humidity that helps.....

Good example IT, of what value a practice run is worth...... in a true emergency, we often have enough direct stresses to deal with already, w/o spending valuable minutes/hours diagnosing and wrenching.....

Rgds, D.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Often, I make a fire in the back of the garage and just leave the big door open. It doesn't make sense but knowing there is a source of heat there makes me feel warmer.

I don't know why, but for the almost 5000 watts of heat, those construction heaters always appear to me, to give off almost no heat at all.

 

[3930dave]

I think it's the fan..... when it's 0C or colder, it's not helping when you have high-velocity air flying at you.....

Either way, it's a good test-load .

Rgds, D.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I know watts is watts, but I have never been impressed by those heaters. I was goven an almost new one, albeit a miniature version. It was in a new 100KW or so JD powered set. Weird, the fan turns freely but when powered up, is seized!

 

[grsthegreat]

The best thing i ever did was run propane to my shop and install a 125,000 btu furnace. I went out yesterday and shop was 28f. I wanted to clean up shop and start stripping my copper wire pile. In no time at all i shed the jacket. Was toasty warm.

 

[dragoneggs]

With that fresh battery, your Honda setup is SWMBO friendly :thumbsup:.

I don't recall how deep your well is, but you may have a 120 vs 240 AC issue. Obviously a larger gen is the easiest fix; bringing along the corresponding fuel bump.

I don't know if it would be a fit for your site, but the approach 90cummins took with the integrated inverter/battery/generator approach is something I find really attractive. You retain the fuel efficiency of a relatively low kw generator, and use the battery/inverter et al to support short-term surge loads.

I like the efficiency of that ^ setup, but also appreciate the option of judiciously running an inverter+battery combo only, when just supporting modern light loads (the electronics we are addicted to....), or when you want the generator Off.....

I'd probably noodle out what it would take (cost-wise) to set up an inverter to support that well-pump, and compare from there..... not low-cost necessarily, but depending what you want in place down the road, might be worth reviewing....

Rgds, D.

Thx Dave. I’ll have to look again what 90cummins did. Would be nice to have enough gen power to handle the well! Kinda low on the wish list due to cost vs true need though.

 

[3930dave]

I know watts is watts, but I have never been impressed by those heaters. I was goven an almost new one, albeit a miniature version. It was in a new 100KW or so JD powered set. Weird, the fan turns freely but when powered up, is seized!

That is strange. I know you can electrically brake (meaning impede rotation) a motor, but I can't think of why they'd want to for that application.....

Hmmm.....

Rgds, D.

 

[3930dave]

The best thing i ever did was run propane to my shop and install a 125,000 btu furnace. I went out yesterday and shop was 28f. I wanted to clean up shop and start stripping my copper wire pile. In no time at all i shed the jacket. Was toasty warm.

Nice !

With even minimal insulation, that's enough heat to throw a beach-party this time of year :cool2: !

Rgds, D.

 

[3930dave]

Thx Dave. I値l have to look again what 90cummins did. Would be nice to have enough gen power to handle the well! Kinda low on the wish list due to cost vs true need though.

It would make more sense ($ wise) if you were moving towards an alternative energy system.

"A while" back in this thread, 90 describes his setup..... IIRC something like a 3kw Yanmar, coupled with an intelligent inverter - thinking Xantrex, but I might be wrong.

Rgds, D.