Your last generator Maintenance Run

[ultrarunner]

That is odd..... watching some of your orange-sky videos on the news...... you'd think you'd be choking on the smoke-smell by the look of that.

Forest fires that I've been nowhere near could be smelt a long way off..... and I don't have the greatest sense of smell. Probably big studies are done (ash is a fertilizer, for one thing), but I'd guess that ash doesn't usually travel as far as the "smell" particles - at least that's how small fires seem to behave.

Hopefully it clears soon..... what you really need is rain, but if that hits hard, that's a problem too.....

Rgds, D.

Two years ago the smoke was choking but huge fires upwind maybe 35 miles... no orange sky.

This time around it changes all the time but one explanation is the ash is carried by the jet stream from Oregon as much as 400 miles away... it is so high it blocks the sun and rains ash here.

Last Sunday I did change the oil and ran the EM 5000 for 20 minutes... drained fuel and replaced plus stabil marine...

Generator has to be about 30 years old now and never missed a beat... plus the red and chrome make a good combination.

 

[grsthegreat]

I'm still learning as the place was an estate sale with lots of custom owner built features...

A/C is almost non existent here and never lived in a home with it... heck, growing up the only time the furnace was on is when the great aunt's came for Christmas.

It was around a 100 for several days cooling overnight to the mid 80's.

Set the A/C to 78 to start at midnight for 24 hours... it was 88 inside.

Ran nearly non stop for 24 hours and 102 was outside in shade and 109 on patio.

78 was a relief... so about a 24 degree split temperature wise... small unit for 3150 square feet with cathedral ceilings throughout upstairs...

That said I went from a net 15 kWh surplus to a 54 kWh deficit for the 24 hour period.

Peak net usage never went above 4.5 kW with the highest use between 6 and 7 pm.

Maybe my trusty old Honda EM 5000 could meet my needs even wi A/C locked on?

i dont know how you do it. If my house gets above 73 indoors, i would be sweating like a pig.

 

[3930dave]

Revisiting the soft start vs hard start discussions earlier in this thread.
After researching the Hyper Engineering 鉄ure Start I figured I would investigate further and plunked down the $275 to buy one to test. I installed it on a 3-1/2 ton heat pump. Here is the before and after results as measured on my clamp on ammeter set to capture peak reading. The before was with a hard start, the after was with a sure start.
I would have to say that while expensive, the sure start does what it claims to do, and I would now recommend one to anybody wanting to run AC or Heat Pump equipment with a generator.
View attachment 669410
View attachment 669411

Thanks for the before/after. Good stuff, much happier gen.

Inexpensive, compared to what a new upsized gen would cost.

Rgds, D.

 

[3930dave]

Two years ago the smoke was choking but huge fires upwind maybe 35 miles... no orange sky.

This time around it changes all the time but one explanation is the ash is carried by the jet stream from Oregon as much as 400 miles away... it is so high it blocks the sun and rains ash here.

Last Sunday I did change the oil and ran the EM 5000 for 20 minutes... drained fuel and replaced plus stabil marine...

Generator has to be about 30 years old now and never missed a beat... plus the red and chrome make a good combination.

Make sense ash being that high up. I'm used to thinking Jet Stream West-East, but it's been doing goofy things the last few years.

Good thing there's less commercial flying these days..... that much ash can't be good for turbines, so I expect even more flights suspended.

Knew you'd had your small Honda a long time, hadn't realized the 5000 was that old. That one has seen your 'hood thru quite a # of grid-events then :thumbsup:.

Rgds, D.

 

[grsthegreat]

Thanks for the before/after. Good stuff, much happier gen.

Inexpensive, compared to what a new upsized gen would cost.

Rgds, D.

yes. Between the soft starts and automatic load shedding....smaller generators are handling larger projects just fine

 

[daybreak1998]

Dave, with your permission, have some questions not entirely related to this thread, but the gen knowledge here is really good...
I'm going to rent my next home so no automatic whole house gen this time.
Picking out the generator is not hard for me, good comparison shopper.
What I want to get right are the components needed to install on house.
I want to run a single 50 amp line into main box, and not have separate breakers.
I am very skilled at "shedding load" having owned boats before. No problems throwing breakers first on hot water heaters, etc.

So...I know I need a manual disconnect switch and then a 50amp inlet/interconnect box for wall. If an automatic switch is needed for modern code, ok.
Could someone suggest the right parts, US made if possible, that I need to plan on. Will used licensed electrician to install.
thanks Drew

Howdy,

Generator Transfer switch connection choices

Hopefully you have a major brand for your service panel. GE, Square D, Cutler-Hammer, Millbank and other large manufacturers have a generator interlock kit for their panels. Which are also UL approved for that panel when installed.

 

[ultrarunner]

i dont know how you do it. If my house gets above 73 indoors, i would be sweating like a pig.

I actually can't take the heat well but staying hydrated helps and near the Bay generally is 10 to 15 cooler in summer and seldom ever gets cold enough to freeze...

I do just fine in 50's to 60's... can get a lot done with a good working ambient temp.

 

[daugen]

thanks Daybreak, read through most of that, most is far larger than I need.
I'm going into a rental home in a month and not going to spend a huge amount to accomplish this, but somewhere between
extension cords and my old 22kw Generac is where I'll wind up. Having had automatic gens on last two homes, I'm just genuinely spoiled
and cannot contemplate either freezing or sweating to death... And where I'm headed, Eastern PA, gets plenty cold in the winter.
First thing I'll do is get an electrician in to survey the existing situation and then make some recommendations, and quotes, based on the interlock box we've
talked about and an outside 50 amp inlet box. And then I'd have to make a presentation to the landlord, who hopefully has a generator on their own very large home.
My plan is to get this gen, which provides a 50amp connection:
Amazon.com : Westinghouse WGen95DF Dual Fuel Portable Generator-95 Rated 125 Peak Watts Gas or Propane Powered-Electric Start-Transfer Switch & RV Ready, CARB Compliant : Garden & Outdoor

 

[Popgadget]

yes. Between the soft starts and automatic load shedding....smaller generators are handling larger projects just fine

The irony is that my standby is 22k and my PTO backup to that is 50k peak, 25k continuous. I added the sure start more out of curiosity than necessity. But it has to be better for the heat pump as well. Im impressed enough that I’m going to add one to my other heat pump.

 

[3930dave]

thanks Daybreak, read through most of that, most is far larger than I need.
I'm going into a rental home in a month and not going to spend a huge amount to accomplish this, but somewhere between
extension cords and my old 22kw Generac is where I'll wind up. Having had automatic gens on last two homes, I'm just genuinely spoiled
and cannot contemplate either freezing or sweating to death... And where I'm headed, Eastern PA, gets plenty cold in the winter.
First thing I'll do is get an electrician in to survey the existing situation and then make some recommendations, and quotes, based on the interlock box we've
talked about and an outside 50 amp inlet box. And then I'd have to make a presentation to the landlord, who hopefully has a generator on their own very large home.
My plan is to get this gen, which provides a 50amp connection:
Amazon.com : Westinghouse WGen95DF Dual Fuel Portable Generator-95 Rated 125 Peak Watts Gas or Propane Powered-Electric Start-Transfer Switch & RV Ready, CARB Compliant : Garden & Outdoor

According to Murph........ set all that up, your grid will be up 100% of the Winter. Don't bother, power will be out for a week.....

I know that you know enough, Not To bet against Murph d :thumbsup:

Let us know what you get installed this Fall.

Rgds, D.