Your last generator Maintenance Run

[3930dave]

All good questions... not sure what my little one lung Generator is... 5,000 Watt I believe on NG and de-rated for propane... the manual goes through how to adjust for propane.

Utility power is all around the build site but the 5 acres is a flag lot... originally, one of their neighbors agreed to let them trench down the property line... they have 6 acres and the cost of power would be only a third or less... but, the man's son is now in charge and said not interested... so going along the easement is much long and PGE requires setting several poles since no power on that side of the property...

They are actually excited to go solar and the county has a full set of requirements in place... plenty of sun in Paso Robles... plenty!

I was thinking if it was NG to begin with, you're not going to derate much on propane.... so went looking....

Fuel Energy Content and Unit Conversion Tables

^ that lists a cubic foot of propane as having well over 2x the btus of NG, so you likely won't derate at all.

That might work out well.... 5kw would be plenty to support critical controls, and drive a hefty battery charger.

Electricity was cheap and (where I was) reliable when I was a kid. Today, I 'd definitely take those tens of thousands of dollars, and put it into an alternative energy system, instead of poles....

Lots of sun..... put it to work ! :thumbsup:

Rgds, D.

 

[3930dave]

Some interesting fuel comparisons....

Generator Fuel, What Generator Fuel is Best

Also distinguishes vapour and liquid propane systems.

Rgds, D.

 

[3930dave]

Obviously, you guys were doing it all wrong...... should have had a gas powered generator on-board !

well Dave, all I can say is you could have six generators and ten motors and because of this
there was no happy ending:
accompanied by a woman that hates you

as a long time boater thankfully blessed with wife that loved boating, and a multiyear liveaboard, sometimes witnessed the marital unhappiness playing out in little soap operas on other boats. Comes to a peak when male captain is yelling at wife berating her for not handling lines properly. Usually caused by his coming in too hot to the dock and expecting her to correct it. When you hear those engines getting gunned at the dock, you just know someone is getting rattled.
That wife will be as cold as one of your Sunfrosts when she gets home...

Using my Champion 3100W inverter to run lighting and stereo in garden shed, waiting on electrician to come rewire the born to burn wiring in there and find the break in the underground line. Need to put heater on the gen while running, LED lights and a radio draw nothing

**** hath No Fury...... :fiery:

Few things lower my respect for someone faster, than seeing them blame somebody else for their mistake.

I've nowhere near the on-water hours that you have.....but I've been out enough to hear those Captain Bligh conversations.......

"*#@%"&..... we're out here to have Fun !"..... rarely works well, as an order .

I suspect your Champ fired up faster this time ? Even a hair-dryer will help load it up a bit.....

Rgds, D.

 

[3930dave]

My APCs even don't mind my little Yanmar 3.7 Air cooled Diesel Screamer. Just a beep when the water pump comes on.

Mind you APC has different levels of protection. Not even sure, what mine are. I have never bought one, and just get them out of back rooms from my customers who don't care to replace the batteries. The highest levels may be very fussy about power, which is exactly what they are supposed to do.

Nice..... I might send you a PM, the next time I need a bigger one..... I'd sooner throw a TBN member a few $, than some random refurb company.

Rgds, D.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Speaking of boats. I had a really **** boss that insisted no one ever get in his boats with shoes on and made his kids get out of the boat into the water prior to docking, so the boat should never touch the dock! Everything of his had to be in mint condition!

 

[Alan W.]

Ive got a generator question. My Father is motorhoming in FL for the winter and is having problems with his Generac unit. Will have to get the specs on it tomorrow.
Here is the events as he explained them to me.

Microwave was acting up at times not heating food while on park electric.

When he tried to start gen for its weekly test it would not start with the microwave plugged in. Unplugged it started and ran fine.

Replaced microwave and now gen will not start with even an alarm clock plugged in. He said it acts like there is a large load on the unit. He can trip the breakers and it starts fine.

Small loads such as alarm clock was never a problem before. He never had to kick off the breakers to start.

Unit runs and generates fine after starting. Does not appear to have a load on it when the breakers are flipped on after starting.

I know a lot of knowledgable people post on this thread. Hoping someone can help out.

Thanks

 

[Dakota_male]

Has your dad unplugged from the park service first? Gen would not be synced if not

 

[3930dave]

Ive got a generator question. My Father is motorhoming in FL for the winter and is having problems with his Generac unit. Will have to get the specs on it tomorrow.
Here is the events as he explained them to me.

Microwave was acting up at times not heating food while on park electric.

When he tried to start gen for its weekly test it would not start with the microwave plugged in. Unplugged it started and ran fine.

Replaced microwave and now gen will not start with even an alarm clock plugged in. He said it acts like there is a large load on the unit. He can trip the breakers and it starts fine.

Small loads such as alarm clock was never a problem before. He never had to kick off the breakers to start.

Unit runs and generates fine after starting. Does not appear to have a load on it when the breakers are flipped on after starting.

I know a lot of knowledgable people post on this thread. Hoping someone can help out.

Thanks

One place to start is using a basic tester like this

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Southwire-Analog-120-Volt-GFCI-Receptacle-Tester/50129726

I'd leave the generator off, and verify with park power first. Above ^ tester is not expensive, and may help find a wiring issue - if your Dad gets one, check using the GFI test function. Once in a while, a GFI outlet can present strange failure modes.

Rgds, D.

 

[Alan W.]

Has your dad unplugged from the park service first? Gen would not be synced if not

I will have to ask him that and a few more details tomorrow. But I dont think that is the problem because it works fine after starting according to him. I am not that familiar with motorhomes. I avoid them like the flu. To each his own.

 

[Alan W.]

One place to start is using a basic tester like this

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Southwire-Analog-120-Volt-GFCI-Receptacle-Tester/50129726

I'd leave the generator off, and verify with park power first. Above ^ tester is not expensive, and may help find a wiring issue - if your Dad gets one, check using the GFI test function. Once in a while, a GFI outlet can present strange failure modes.

Rgds, D.

Ill forward this to him to try. Thanks