Your last generator Maintenance Run

[grsthegreat]

4

Genny's kind of cozy with Tank, isn't she?

i thought so also, but 2 feet from the tank is a steep dropoff. Its been like this since installed 9 years ago. I didn't install it. And its permitted. I didnt measure it myself.

 

[WinterDeere]

A local guy I know had his house burn down from a generator close to the tank, when the tank fitting began to leak during a power outage. Whole rig was located under his deck, which went up first and then took the house with it. Wife and kids made a narrow escape, while he was at work, because the fire being entirely on the exterior of the house never set off any of their smoke detectors. House was cedar shake siding, if I recall.

But grs's site looks like a cell tower... commercial application with little risk to life and limb.

 

[ultrarunner]

Expensive home here was lost to a generator fire…

The generator was inning for days while the family was away during an extended outage…

The exhaust was a through port to daylight and best guess is a rodent nest caught fire from the exhaust.

 

[3930dave]

Murphy never sleeps.

Old COs had battery banks for days (supporting landlines). Given how most people today have zero other communication options, keeping those cell sites up is critical.

Young lady I work with, just lost a 2 y/o Mazda - engine fire, likely caused by mice. I wouldn't mind waving a magic wand, and disappearing rodents.... predators up the chain might get a bit leaner, but they'd adapt....

Rgds, D.

 

[grsthegreat]

Also, the wind up there never stops…never. No way for gas to accumulate anywheres. Inspectors all passed it.

About 8 miles up the side of a mountain…..i have no idea how they top off the propane tank. I was in 4x4 low range most of the way up.

 

[WinterDeere]

About 8 miles up the side of a mountain…..i have no idea how they top off the propane tank. I was in 4x4 low range most of the way up.

Very gassy mountain goats. They keep them on a strict diet of hot dogs and Bush's baked beans for a week prior to deployment.

 

[3930dave]

Also, the wind up there never stops…never. No way for gas to accumulate anywheres. Inspectors all passed it.

About 8 miles up the side of a mountain…..i have no idea how they top off the propane tank. I was in 4x4 low range most of the way up.

I was thinking about the delivery issue, seeing the pic...... there are amazing all wheel drive oil-field trucks, but can't say I've seen a propane delivery truck set up that way.....

Winter's plan would work.... but I'm also surprised they don't use solar/wind for backup too, if for no other reason than to stretch out the propane deliveries....

Rgds, D.

 

[grsthegreat]

Ya, with all the wind up there youd think so. Also…..how the heck did they get electric power all the way up there. I saw a transformer by the tower. Entire way underground.

Im hitting another tower later today.

 

[WinterDeere]

Wind and solar are probably poor choices up there, due to the cost of getting someone up there for maintenance undoing any potential savings, after installation costs. In addition to sun or wind, you need sufficiently high usage and sufficiently low maintenance costs, to make it worth the effort.

The name of the game in cell towers is reliability, 100% up time. The reputational cost of even a short or infrequent outage probably makes them uninterested in anything that has any chance of reducing reliability or increasing maintenance costs.

I've worked on satellite hardware, and the mentality there is the same. When travel costs for the service technician are measured in $Billions, your willingness to try anything with even a remote risk, goes way down.

 

[3930dave]

Ya, with all the wind up there youd think so. Also…..how the heck did they get electric power all the way up there. I saw a transformer by the tower. Entire way underground.

Im hitting another tower later today.

Most jurisdictions, just a line-in cost (1/2 mile or less) is now sky-high..... obviously, that huge cost @ that site/others is easy to jam-out across millions of customers.

(Edit - costs I usually hear, are for poles, not underground.....)

Rgds, D.

 

[grsthegreat]

But seriously….i had to 4x4 up this goat trail to get to the top of this mountain. Most of it in low range. And what do i see at the top…..a ground mount transformer. This must have cost a bloody fortune.

 

[ultrarunner]

Echo Summit Tahoe had a private cable car to reach the microwave station...

Always impressed me at what that cost...

 

[WinterDeere]

And what do i see at the top…..a ground mount transformer. This must have cost a bloody fortune.

What's the alternative? Running low voltage that far would cost a fortune in cable, not to mention the challenge of getting the larger spool wagons up there.

Are pole transformers more common in these cases? Setting poles up there is probably no easy task, either.

 

[LouNY]

Many years ago a contractor I worked for had the contract to do the maintenance at the telephone repeaters in the mountains. Even 50 years ago there would be some solar panels, tons of lead acid, glass cased batteries and a diesel backup generator. Many of those had no commercial utility.

 

[ultrarunner]

Bell systems did pioneer much in the way of solar power...

 

[Smokeydog]

Getting to use generator some last night. Can appreciate the time for prior maintenance. Helene eye to pass over Knoxville Tn today.

 

[3930dave]

Getting to use generator some last night. Can appreciate the time for prior maintenance. Helene eye to pass over Knoxville Tn today.

Best Wishes, for low/no damages.

Rgds, D.

 

[3930dave]

Bell systems did pioneer much in the way of solar power...

Classic solution, for a remote site. Ironic, today, seeing what grs posted - given the 1000's of acres of flat-fields full of panels you'll find. Hike a ridge-line.... other than coastal land, it's usually the windiest spot around.... many areas, drive only a 100 or so miles, you'll see wind turbines. Things that make you go Hmmm....

Bell Labs.....legendary facility. Attended a training session, put together by an analog engineer that had worked there - really savvy guy.

Applied labs like that ^, aside from the notable primary work they do, tend to act as an incubator for startups/spinoffs..... they are an even bigger deal than they first appear.

Rgds, D.

 

[Robin Veerman]

Gave this “new to me” girl a workout…and then an oil change with the addition of a Magnetic dipstick from Goldplug.

 

[D'oh]

My little $299 Champion 1500W quit at night a couple of weeks ago. Funny, because I had just changed the oil and it barely used any before.

I went out and Filled the Oil thinking it was Low, nothing. Switched over to the 4500w and finished the movie, shut it of and went to bed.

Next day, I tried again to start it, found no compression after removing the Plug. So i tore it down to see if a Stuck/Burnt Valve might be happening, nothing.

There was a lot of Carbon built up, cleaned it up, bolted back together. Cleaned the Spark Arrestor, poured some gas in the plug hole. It would sputter but still Very Low Compression (Thumb over the hole).

Next weekend, New Plug in hand, I filled the Combustion Chamber with Carb Cleaner let it sit 15 minutes, Pulled a couple of times, pop, my thumb would get blown out of the Plug Hole. Screwed the Plug in and it started, smoking heavily. Held it on the Governor for a bit to clean out my Cleanings, shut it down, added New Oil, Boom it started again. But smoked heavy. Ran for 1/2 hour and checked the oil, added (it was real low). Fired it up again and went in to watch a movie.

Looked out a few times smoke pouring out of it. Movie was done 1 1/2hrs, I went out to refill the oil, and it was running Clean and Clear. As it is today without burning any oil.

The rings must have been Stuck, the Combustion Chamber cleaning and Carb Cleaner, hard run on the Gov, must have loosen them out. Runs just like New with 1650 hours on it.