Your last generator Maintenance Run
- Thread starter 3930dave
- Start date
- Views: 964679
daugen
Epic Contributor
nothing gets your attention faster than lights out
in a dark shower...what timing.
glad you got it back up and running.
in a dark shower...what timing.
glad you got it back up and running.
Patrick Herd
Bronze Member
- Joined
- Jan 17, 2021
- Messages
- 99
- Location
- Wairarapa, New Zealand
- Tractor
- Ferguson 35, 40 Industrial with FEL
Is the bathroom heater a PTC unit? If it is then it could be drawing more than rated on startup in the cold.
I'd also check your battery connections and health, unexpected voltage drop can lead to inverters sucking scary input currents for a time.
I'd also check your battery connections and health, unexpected voltage drop can lead to inverters sucking scary input currents for a time.
90cummins
Veteran Member
Not familiar with PTC heaters.
Heater is typical resistance heater coil. That’s a good point need to check batteries & gen to battery connections.
Son bought a house with many issues needing attention such as soft roof areas needing temporary sealing & hundreds of huge logs that needed to be relocated from front yard driveway before snow.
This weekend may be mine to troubleshoot the system.
Time to get throw some wood in the furnace 19 degrees out side.
90cummins
Heater is typical resistance heater coil. That’s a good point need to check batteries & gen to battery connections.
Son bought a house with many issues needing attention such as soft roof areas needing temporary sealing & hundreds of huge logs that needed to be relocated from front yard driveway before snow.
This weekend may be mine to troubleshoot the system.
Time to get throw some wood in the furnace 19 degrees out side.
90cummins
Patrick Herd
Bronze Member
- Joined
- Jan 17, 2021
- Messages
- 99
- Location
- Wairarapa, New Zealand
- Tractor
- Ferguson 35, 40 Industrial with FEL
Good write up on PTC heaters here: What are PTC, Positive Temperature Coefficient, Heaters?
90cummins
Veteran Member
Interesting units.
Always learning something here.
90cummins
Always learning something here.
90cummins
daugen
Epic Contributor
I learn a lot from folks a lot more experienced than I am.
besides I screw up a lot...
one of the oldest participants in the Good Morning thread (Sodamo) is fully off grid on top of the Big Island in Hawaii and has a sophisticated power generation system. Including one or two generators for backup.
Lot of high tech equipment he has to service regularly. The discussion is often over my head, as it is here, but that's how you learn.
I'm on my second year of a 100% synthetic oil change on my Westinghouse 9500 gen, with about 15 hours on it. It still looks like new and right up to the top. Never run on gasoline, always propane.
do I really need to change this oil every year? No filter, so that's a plus for more regular changes. Oil is so good now, and if it doesn't get dirty, do we need to throw it away so often?
I'm in PA so full seasons, condensation, etc.
I run all my equipment every several months, particularly the snowblower. EFI, starts right up. Power is lost regularly thanks to trees coming down that I don't need to exercise gen. It gets its own exercise, usually for 2-4 hours at a time.
I know it would have added another hundred bucks to the price, but sure wish this motor had pressure lube and a filter.
besides I screw up a lot...
one of the oldest participants in the Good Morning thread (Sodamo) is fully off grid on top of the Big Island in Hawaii and has a sophisticated power generation system. Including one or two generators for backup.
Lot of high tech equipment he has to service regularly. The discussion is often over my head, as it is here, but that's how you learn.
I'm on my second year of a 100% synthetic oil change on my Westinghouse 9500 gen, with about 15 hours on it. It still looks like new and right up to the top. Never run on gasoline, always propane.
do I really need to change this oil every year? No filter, so that's a plus for more regular changes. Oil is so good now, and if it doesn't get dirty, do we need to throw it away so often?
I'm in PA so full seasons, condensation, etc.
I run all my equipment every several months, particularly the snowblower. EFI, starts right up. Power is lost regularly thanks to trees coming down that I don't need to exercise gen. It gets its own exercise, usually for 2-4 hours at a time.
I know it would have added another hundred bucks to the price, but sure wish this motor had pressure lube and a filter.
LouNY
Super Star Member
- Joined
- Jul 4, 2015
- Messages
- 12,257
- Location
- Greenwich, NY
- Tractor
- Branson 8050, IH 574, Oliver 1550 Diesel Utility (traded in on Branson) NH 8160. Kioti CK2620SECH
Running on propane your small engine hasn't gotten any combustion contaminates in it to change the color. With no filter to catch any debris or wear particles they are being circulated, I would change the oil just to remove any wear metals present. The oil itself is likely to be in fine shape except for wear metals. It doesn't hold much so it's not a large financial issue to change it.
Propane and natgas are great fuels, for the reason Lou cites.
Not re. oil quantities.... even today, small engines don't cost much to delta the oil.... but this discussion reminds me of researching a Champion generator a year or so back..... Amazon reviewer even listed the PN, for an aftermarket dipstick he bought - correct length obviously needed, but importantly, magnetic.
Simple Things, That Work.... (realizing.... a lot of the small stuff is not cast-iron lined).
Rgds, D.
Not re. oil quantities.... even today, small engines don't cost much to delta the oil.... but this discussion reminds me of researching a Champion generator a year or so back..... Amazon reviewer even listed the PN, for an aftermarket dipstick he bought - correct length obviously needed, but importantly, magnetic.
Simple Things, That Work.... (realizing.... a lot of the small stuff is not cast-iron lined).
Rgds, D.
