Your last generator Maintenance Run

[3930dave]

Is there a way to have a new 22KW Generac actually power the home during its weekly exercise routine? I'm usually here when it runs and if I had to I could manually flip a switch.

We'll see what grs has to say..... he may have questions about the installation....

Rgds, D.

 

[3930dave]

funny...thats what she told me

Reminds me of that comic's line about Being Married is like Being Pulled Over by a Texas State Trooper.....

"Stick to "Yes Ma'am", "No Ma'am", and "No Excuse, Ma'am", and you might stay out of trouble...." :laughing:

Rgds, D.

 

[90cummins]

I like the Batteries+Inverter approach - quiet and saves fuel.

How are the battery loads segmented ? Or did you just separate them temporarily to make measurements ?

Nice capacity - could probably run all-night @ that load w/o unreasonable Depth of Disharge :thumbsup:

Rgds, D.

This test was with both banks parallel. I can isolate either bank for maintenance or individual load testing and equalization.
My last test/charge & equalization was October/November.
While this test was going on I pulled out my Honda EU2000i and ran a 1000 watt heater for an hour.
Had to pull it a dozen or more times before it fired but it ran fine once started..
Working on acquiring some decommissioned utility backup batteries when they are at the end of their scheduled life.
I was told they are 1.2 volts per/cell & several hundred ah's each.
Not sure when or if that will happen.
If a outage happened today the Honda would be put in service powering the constant loads like the oil or (wood furnace 330 watts) , fridge, 2 freezers & living room TV and electric blankets.
All loads have been measured, documented and tested using the Honda.
I have a 5 gallon auxiliary tank for the Honda so that would be good for 40~50 hours.
The rest of the house and 240v deep well would be put on the inverter which should be good for 12+ hours.

90cummins

 

[3930dave]

This test was with both banks parallel. I can isolate either bank for maintenance or individual load testing and equalization.
My last test/charge & equalization was October/November.
While this test was going on I pulled out my Honda EU2000i and ran a 1000 watt heater for an hour.
Had to pull it a dozen or more times before it fired but it ran fine once started..
Working on acquiring some decommissioned utility backup batteries when they are at the end of their scheduled life.
I was told they are 1.2 volts per/cell & several hundred ah's each.
Not sure when or if that will happen.
If a outage happened today the Honda would be put in service powering the constant loads like the oil or (wood furnace 330 watts) , fridge, 2 freezers & living room TV and electric blankets.
All loads have been measured, documented and tested using the Honda.
I have a 5 gallon auxiliary tank for the Honda so that would be good for 40~50 hours.
The rest of the house and 240v deep well would be put on the inverter which should be good for 12+ hours.

90cummins

What ?! Nothing for the Yanmar to do ? It's going to feel lonely !

Honda's are often first or second pull..... your EU been sitting a while ?

Those industrial single cells would be sweet..... even at the end of "utility" life, they should have years left. Biggest challenge will be the physical wrangling. Talked with an older gent about a dozen years back; he lived totally off-grid, using utility cells like those - at the point I was talking to him, he mainly charged them with an old Chrysler alternator, belted up to a small Honda air-cooled motor.

Rgds, D.

 

[dragoneggs]

Honda's are often first or second pull..... your EU been sitting a while ?


Rgds, D.

Or zero pulls with key start! :cool2: As long as it sits with a battery tender hooked up!

 

[grsthegreat]

We'll see what grs has to say..... he may have questions about the installation....

Rgds, D.

no. there is no way for it to switch over during weekly exercise runs. youd have to reset all clocks, etc every week. id never hear the end of it. the only way would be to manually shut down transfer switch once in awhile and let the generator think that theres a power outage. i usually do this on my own unit before we head into winter.

 

[zmountaineer]

The wife just texted. Generator is now running for its "first" official power outage. I've been waiting for this and I'm not even there to experience the joy of the only one in the neighborhood with power. Lol. I guess this is a good thing having the automatic and having it start up while I'm at work and the wife and kids at home today.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

There are automatic transfer switches, but that gets expensive for the avg homeowner....

 

[3930dave]

Or zero pulls with key start! :cool2: As long as it sits with a battery tender hooked up!

:thumbsup:

I've come to appreciate that feature on my 7kw..... even though its mechanical-pull advantage is very well designed.

Rgds, D.

 

[dragoneggs]

:thumbsup:

I've come to appreciate that feature on my 7kw..... even though its mechanical-pull advantage is very well designed.

Rgds, D.

More a feature that I feel good about when I'm traveling and the wife needs to engage the system. Mechanical interlock switch at the service breaker, indication of which breakers to turn on... trying to keep it to a three step process for her.