Your last generator Maintenance Run

[grsthegreat]

yeiks.... Generac has gone and done it. all their future standbys are going to have hydraulic valves, electronic ignition and fuel management, cellular connectivity (with wifi option) , no screen on controller but bluetooth to ipad control, basically it means having to be retrained again..... and alot more changes. it pretty much forces the owners to place their units online. Believe me, here in North idaho with all the tin foil wearing hat people, that aint going to happen.

geesh, they even changed the transfer switch. of course this means having to carry even more parts.

im going to have to take all the classes, but i think im NOT going to service the new units. heck, i take care of 300+ older units. my brain and service truck are both full to the brim. i cant handle any more changes.

ill just not take on any new customers.

 

[MAX-24-Dean]

yeiks.... Generac has gone and done it. all their future standbys are going to have hydraulic valves, electronic ignition and fuel management, cellular connectivity (with wifi option) , no screen on controller but bluetooth to ipad control, basically it means having to be retrained again..... and alot more changes. it pretty much forces the owners to place their units online. Believe me, here in North idaho with all the tin foil wearing hat people, that aint going to happen.

geesh, they even changed the transfer switch. of course this means having to carry even more parts.

im going to have to take all the classes, but i think im NOT going to service the new units. heck, i take care of 300+ older units. my brain and service truck are both full to the brim. i cant handle any more changes.

ill just not take on any new customers.

Bluetooth, the shut it off from a satelite technology. No conspiracy theory needed, worked for the company that proposed the idea.

 

[JRH02]

The more stuff is made smarter the less reliable it seems to get. Yes, bunches of high efficiency while it works. WHILE IT WORKS.

Our household loves Energystar appliances because we are off grid and love a fridge that cycles about the same as a 100 watt light bulb. Both chest freezers too. We are doing OK with them for 15 years.

How is your power bill doing with the blow driers, EVs, convection ovens AND THE AC?

 

[ultrarunner]

LED was the single best move to reduce my usage.

Lots of canned lights here and swapped them all out for LED by CREE… only one warranty replacement .

At the farm one of the outbuildings needing illumination.

It does really well with a car battery with small solar panel charger and a string of LED…

 

[grsthegreat]

Personally i can care less what my elect bill is. I love comfort.

I HATE heat and i HATE super cold. Ill pay for my creature comforts. I got lots of $$$ and cant take it with me.

I service enough off grid houses trying to keep their generators going thru the cold winter. Not for me.

 

[ultrarunner]

The mild climate is the best thing I like about living where I do in the SF Bay Area…

Nearly ideal of major metros throughout the country as measured by the number of heating days and cooling days annually.

Plenty of areas to improve but climate isn’t one.

Until the PSPS started almost no private generators outside of building sites.

PSPS is power safety power shutoff…

Public Safety Power Shutoffs

Learn about Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS), planned outages that help prevent wildfires and keep you safe.

www.pge.com

 

[grsthegreat]

Dont you get hot wearing bullet proof clothing?

 

[LouNY]

 

[ultrarunner]

Dont you get hot wearing bullet proof clothing?

Only time wearing is on OPD ride along… vest, spare key for the patrol car and instructions on how to use the radio…

 

[grsthegreat]

Only time wearing is on OPD ride along… vest, spare key for the patrol car and instructions on how to use the radio…

They dont give you an AR15?

Thats the ONLY way id go on a ridealong

 

[ultrarunner]

They dont give you an AR15?

No… even Reserve Officers are denied carry off duty and check service weapon at the station.

Full time officers are permitted on-off duty carry… last I checked.

The neighborhood here had officers and even the Chief of police of Oakland and also SF

Nobody would have stolen a generator around here in the 70’s…

 

[3930dave]

yeiks.... Generac has gone and done it. all their future standbys are going to have hydraulic valves, electronic ignition and fuel management, cellular connectivity (with wifi option) , no screen on controller but bluetooth to ipad control, basically it means having to be retrained again..... and alot more changes. it pretty much forces the owners to place their units online. Believe me, here in North idaho with all the tin foil wearing hat people, that aint going to happen.

geesh, they even changed the transfer switch. of course this means having to carry even more parts.

im going to have to take all the classes, but i think im NOT going to service the new units. heck, i take care of 300+ older units. my brain and service truck are both full to the brim. i cant handle any more changes.

ill just not take on any new customers.

Mission Creep.... with a few other agendas thrown in for good measure.

I hear ya, for "retirement", you have enough with those 300+ to keep you from just running the streets, and getting in with a bad bunch

Remote telemetry (like you've setup for yourself) would be the main attraction for me, but I can see the Resistance is Futile approach re. cell-phones/internet etc isn't going to play well, and not just with the shiny-hat people.

We live in a time where uSoft can't keep Outlook from crashing, and major credit-card hacks are routine. Add Complexity, Reap the Whirlwind....

Rgds, D.

 

[subhunter]

From 3930dave 6862 I recall an article better part of 20(?) years ago in Homepower. Regular writer (Willy ____ ?), who was a industrial electrician. The high-end inverters (electronic box, not the modern gen) available then, had less THD than what Line Voltage often was, in many areas.... as tested with an Agilent power-analyzer.
The various comments exchanged here just now, have me wondering about the flywheel-effect of a larger generator. THD will matter, but I'm wondering about Rate of Change excursions (voltage, Freq, THD) with smaller generators, as the reason Some Things Die, while others Keep The Smoke Inside.


These two pics are from James Condon videos. Two generators he worked on and tested. This is why I am sold on Inverter generators.

https://imgur.com/a/VwrGUgm

 

[subhunter]

Testing starts at 1:10:14

 

[daugen]

I've seen Condon's tests show up to 28% THD
I guess for an electric heater that's ok

 

[3930dave]

From 3930dave 6862 I recall an article better part of 20(?) years ago in Homepower. Regular writer (Willy ____ ?), who was a industrial electrician. The high-end inverters (electronic box, not the modern gen) available then, had less THD than what Line Voltage often was, in many areas.... as tested with an Agilent power-analyzer.
The various comments exchanged here just now, have me wondering about the flywheel-effect of a larger generator. THD will matter, but I'm wondering about Rate of Change excursions (voltage, Freq, THD) with smaller generators, as the reason Some Things Die, while others Keep The Smoke Inside.


These two pics are from James Condon videos. Two generators he worked on and tested. This is why I am sold on Inverter generators.

https://imgur.com/a/VwrGUgm

Even that ^ post, is a while back ! IIRC, that was a Xantrex @ the time, but long enough ago now I can't be sure. Obviously part of his point was that Grid power @ a given site may not be all that clean either.... but Yes, it is impressive, what can be done w. high-end Inverter products.

Small stuff is even more so built-to-a-price, and Back When (Incandescent bulb days) things where more linear, THD mattered less. I remember a really long time ago, a buddy running a Reel/Reel deck off an inverter in his station-wagon - No Smoke released, but freq was off enough the audio was noticeably slower.

Quick look just now.... was trying to find THD specs for a Generac autobox (re. your point), something like a 18kw...... link below Spec sheet was showing Less Than 5% under the 14kw column.

18kW Guardian Series Home Generator with Transfer Switch | 7228 | Generac

If GRS has a PQ Analyzer, we may get some real onsite THD #'s from him on Generacs....

Rgds, D.

 

[subhunter]

My friend called and said he can get a discount on a F brand generator.
He sent me the model #. I looked it up and sent him this -
THD @ Full Load 25%.
He asked for a link to the Honda I have.

 

[subhunter]

3930dave
Even that ^ post, is a while back ! IIRC, that was a Xantrex @ the time, but long enough ago now I can't be sure.


Back in the 90's I remember Exeltech were the good inverters.

 

[3930dave]

Things can (and often do) change, w. Time.

Cost pressures, and other factors, can mean the brands I trusted in the Past, should be re-checked/verified Today..... Reminder To Self ^.....

Regards, D.

 

[subhunter]

A storm rolled through last night. The lights flickered and I looked over and saw 126v then it dropped to 109v. I flipped the switches and disconnected everything. I was to tired to care that the power went off. Woke up at 05:07 and the power was on. Glad to get the rain.