Your last generator Maintenance Run

[3930dave]

Backup home standbys are recommended to swap out battery every 5 years, but i generally get 7 years out of them as long as there is no battery heat pad in use. With a heat mat….maybe 3 years if your lucky. I always run load test and run my electronic battery tester on them before replacing them for no reason. If its marginal, it gets replaced as i dont want to be doing it in snow and 5 degrees.

If I was away from home for extended business trips like I used to, I'd just pull mine @ 5 years.

I do like to get full-value out of all my stuff, but if we just pick a # (say $100) for a battery...... @ 5 years: $20/yr. @ 7 years: something like $14....... Better-half stuck at home w/o me, with dead battery..... to save $5/yr ? No-brainer.....

Rgds, D.

 

[3930dave]

Second pull reminds me of the time a friend
wanted some help cutting some trees, he had
a Poulan chain saw and it was pullin, pullin, pullin
and pullin, pullin dam thing never did start. We sure
got our exersize that day!

willy

Did a bit of that, the second time I started my newer larger portable gen.... till I remembered that unlike my small old one, the new beast has a manual petcock.....

..... kinda silly mistake, for a guy that started riding motorcycles over 40 years ago !

Rgds, D.

 

[LittleBill21]

there designed for occasional extended run during power outages, and not for continual runs for long periods of time.

I really would like this comment explained. Once a engine stabilizes its temperature, including the generator, what difference does it make if it runs for 5 hours vs 50. the temperature isn't changing, so what is being done to make them only occasional run engines?

 

[3930dave]

I really would like this comment explained. Once a engine stabilizes its temperature, including the generator, what difference does it make if it runs for 5 hours vs 50. the temperature isn't changing, so what is being done to make them only occasional run engines?

Guessing..... better compared to 5000+ hours continuous......

Meaning Prime Power applications.

Huge (relatively) differences in oil capacity, and water cooling gives thermal stability. Modern oils are pretty good, but air-cooled extended heavy runs @ high ambients will beat up the oil.

My 5 cents CAD, inflation being what it is.....

Rgds, D.

 

[LittleBill21]

Guessing..... better compared to 5000+ hours continuous......

Meaning Prime Power applications.

Huge (relatively) differences in oil capacity, and water cooling gives thermal stability. Modern oils are pretty good, but air-cooled extended heavy runs @ high ambients will beat up the oil.

My 5 cents CAD, inflation being what it is.....

Rgds, D.

Yea, sorry i think I want a refund

honda inverter based air cooled units (less then 1 cup of oil), have runtimes into the 10,000's of hours. this also include onan air cooled engines..

I'm going to need a more technical answer on this.

 

[dirttoys]

Yea, sorry i think I want a refund

honda inverter based air cooled units (less then 1 cup of oil), have runtimes into the 10,000's of hours. this also include onan air cooled engines..

I'm going to need a more technical answer on this.

I always tell my boy if he has any trouble with the work he makes me do around his house it is double his money back. Never been called on it, but wouldn't cost me much.

I have a Honda 2200 love it, but 10k would be more of an exception than a rule.

Oil volume, pressure oil as opposed to splash, and oil filter are big deals.

Really it is just design and material. Metal cam vs plastic. Water cooled vs air cooled. Low rpm vs 3600, ring and bearing material.

Cheap air cooled gas = 100hr - 500h.
Good air cooled gas = 1000h - 2000h.
Water cooled diesel industrial = 10k

They can all exceed that or fall short on an individual basis, but in general that is pretty close.

If air cooled gas was the best, we would all be driving bugs.

Best,

ed

 

[3930dave]

Yea, sorry i think I want a refund

honda inverter based air cooled units (less then 1 cup of oil), have runtimes into the 10,000's of hours. this also include onan air cooled engines..

I'm going to need a more technical answer on this.

You do get what you pay for......

You can get feedback from CM, who wrenches on the big stuff (not easy to find air-cooled gens much above 20kw) , but if you require the engineering equations (CM may have them), an actual ME can walk you through the thermodynamics, if that is what you mean by Technical.

Not hating on air-cooled, I own many, including two generators, but I do understand their limitations. Top of list.... no oil filter.

Not ME technical, but another example....

Generator Cooling System Comparison: What Is The Difference Between Air Cooling And Water Cooling Systems? | Kinsley Group

Rgds, D.

 

[Chilliwack Murray]

Duetz was the only major maker of air cooled diesel engines over about 25 hp but I’m not sure they are even attempting to produce any tier 3 or 4 certified engines.

The big advantage was no hoses to fail and coolant to leak, and especially, no coolant to freeze in extreme environments but they don’t have anywhere the longevity of water jacket cooling primarily due to the difficulty of controlling engine temperature.

Air cooled units are often running colder or hotter than ideal making emission control nearly impossible and shortening the life of the engine. The water in the water jacket does a much better job of conducting heat than air so you don’t end up with the hot spots that occur in air cooled engines. Areas with large temperature variations will suffer excessive wear as running clearances are lost when mating parts do not maintain the same temperature or develop hot or cold spots.

Expected life to overhaul on an industrial water cooled diesel (100-2500kw range) is anywhere from 20 to 40 thousand hours depending on the make and model. I’ve seen some of the little 10-20kw kubotas go 60 thousand hours though. Duetz air cooled were in the 12-15 thousand hours if memory serves.

 

[Williy]

Deutz engines are available in the power range 4 to 500 kW, with air, oil or water cooling and with life expectancy of 20,000 and 30,000 running hours

I have seen Mercedes Benz diesel cars with over a million miles with out poppin the head

willy

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Duetz was the only major maker of air cooled diesel engines over about 25 hp but I’m not sure they are even attempting to produce any tier 3 or 4 certified engines.

The big advantage was no hoses to fail and coolant to leak, and especially, no coolant to freeze in extreme environments but they don’t have anywhere the longevity of water jacket cooling primarily due to the difficulty of controlling engine temperature.

Air cooled units are often running colder or hotter than ideal making emission control nearly impossible and shortening the life of the engine. The water in the water jacket does a much better job of conducting heat than air so you don’t end up with the hot spots that occur in air cooled engines. Areas with large temperature variations will suffer excessive wear as running clearances are lost when mating parts do not maintain the same temperature or develop hot or cold spots.

Expected life to overhaul on an industrial water cooled diesel (100-2500kw range) is anywhere from 20 to 40 thousand hours depending on the make and model. I’ve seen some of the little 10-20kw kubotas go 60 thousand hours though. Duetz air cooled were in the 12-15 thousand hours if memory serves.

SLH has probably produced as many or even more air/oil cooled diesels then Deutz, and they are every bit as good, or even better for long lasting.

I have three of them here right now, GREAT diesels!

SR