Best charging technic

wellbuilt

Hi bill, I have a insulated box with a 60 watt build under the generator and I turn it on with a lite switch from the house 30 min before I head out to start the genarator but it just doesn’t seem to help much , I’ll dig up 100 watt bulb this week  thanks for the reply john 

softdown

I'd estimate that 100 watt bulb will need a couple hours to really get her done. Too bad about the untimely energy usage. In fact, I'd favor a propane heater for ~1/2 hour instead. 

Perhaps your home has a heater exhaust pipe that could be directed to the genset.

mike95490

Maybe an upside down ice chest over the generator would hold some heat in ?  Or a big foam box ?

wellbuilt

Mike I have a foam box over the genarator with a 10”10” hole in the bottom of the bench . 

 The Honda still seams very cold on start up .

Soft I guess I could Try 2 hours , even put the light on a timer to go on at 6 off at 8 . 

 I’ve been thinking about propain also , I have a few small heaters . Little buddy heater looks good . 

  I just don’t like the idea of flame / fire blowing on a genarator.   

  I’ve never used any other type of heat but wood . 

Estragon

I use a propane heater to heat up the genshed, but that's for a diesel.  My little honda eu2000i is near impossible to start at freezing or below so I bring it in the cabin to warm up, which takes at least a couple hours.  I'd be pretty nervous using the propane heater on the gas genny.

I've thought about getting a stick-on electric block heater pad for it.  Ideally it would go inside the case under the motor but I don't know if there's room.

softdown

It is 2019 and we seem to have no way to safely remove snow from roof mounted panels. Something wrong with that picture.

We all have heat sources around our generators. The idea is to leave enough space to be safe. I heat my body with propane and have yet to get burned because I leave enough space. 

Trying to heat a 0F genset with a light bulb vs a real heater - think I'd lean towards safely using the  heater. Relax Ingsoc - I said safely. No need to send a report to the Innner Circle. 

BB.

I reserve the right to draw the circle and decide what is inside or outside said circle.

Bill B.

wellbuilt

EST my honda is frame mounted, there is no case  I think the pad would help the Motor but the whole unit feels frozen when start it .
  
 Soft  I’m not worried about getting to close and lighting it on fire , I’m Concerned with the gas vapor 
  That’s nasty stuff . 

    My little Honda starts when it’s cold . It just Dosent like it .
 Last year I was carrying the unit inside  at night   But that was getting old .
  I ran the unit under the porch roof  but it snows/rains sideways here I get a deep snow drift under the porch when the winter ramps up .
 I went home for 3 days and I had 8 “ of snow to plow today .
  The panels are under 12” of snow now but it looks like rain Monday and Tuesday 

jonr

> 2019 and we seem to have no way to safely remove snow from roof mounted panels.

Isn't mounting the panels vertically effective (although perhaps not convenient)?

I'd use a foot warming rubber heating mat under the generator, all of it in an airtight, thick foam box.  

BoFuller

I had that same question, about whether to charge a little bit each day or go for every other day. My panels are on the roof (security reasons) and being over 30 ft up, it is unrealistic to try and clear them. FOrtunately we don’t get snow all the time, just a have dozen times each winter.

wellbuilt

Well ,  I was on a 10’ step ladder with a 16’ roof rake and manage to clear one string of panels . 
  I’m pushing 60 now and work for a living so I’m still springier then most 60 year old . 
 But it is not a easy task . 
 I’ve noticed if I clear the bottom of the panels the snow slide off the glass with a  Little nudge  
  I’m thinking a 20 foot pole mite work and clear 2 strings . 
 I’m getting 300 watts from the one string with some snow on it . 
 I’ve notice a new problem , I’m now getting some shading from a few tree branches  .