Generators, Gen sheds, Gen fuel systems, etc.

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  • ChrisOlson
    ChrisOlson Banned Posts: 1,807 ✭✭
    #92
    Re: Generators, Gen sheds, Gen fuel systems, etc.
    Cariboocoot wrote: »
    Probably explains the weird cardiac rhythm too.

    You need to hook yourself up to your solar panels and reset that :blush:
    --
    Chris
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  • westbranch
    westbranch Solar Expert Posts: 5,183 ✭✭✭✭
    #93
    Re: Generators, Gen sheds, Gen fuel systems, etc.

    he would have to reboot the hard drive too and it's probably been recalled or obsolete:cry::p

    ps good luck on the next Dr visit.
     
    KID #51B  4s 140W to 24V 900Ah C&D AGM
    CL#29032 FW 2126/ 2073/ 2133 175A E-Panel WBjr, 3 x 4s 140W to 24V 900Ah C&D AGM 
    Cotek ST1500W 24V Inverter,OmniCharge 3024,
    2 x Cisco WRT54GL i/c DD-WRT Rtr & Bridge,
    Eu3/2/1000i Gens, 1680W & E-Panel/WBjr to come, CL #647 asleep
    West Chilcotin, BC, Canada
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  • NorthGuy
    NorthGuy Solar Expert Posts: 1,913 ✭✭
    #94
    Re: Generators, Gen sheds, Gen fuel systems, etc.
    BB. wrote: »
    Heh... I put 300 watt prime power genset into Google and got this:

    http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009NWK8EE

    :D That's not that easy to run 24/7. Probably couple hours is the max. And fuel is very expensive too ....
    ChrisOlson wrote: »
    NG - yes, there is such a thing. Not quite as efficient as an AC unit with larger baseline loads (you have to add electric water heating, etc., to use a small AC unit). But this was our prime power generator for better than 7 years.

    Is it 300W? Did you run it 24/7?
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  • ChrisOlson
    ChrisOlson Banned Posts: 1,807 ✭✭
    #95
    Re: Generators, Gen sheds, Gen fuel systems, etc.
    NorthGuy wrote: »
    Is it 300W? Did you run it 24/7?

    We never ran it 24/7. In the winter we would let the RE system do whatever it could during the day. At dark I used to start that little generator and let it run at 10-12 amps output (24V system) - I could set the output to whatever I wanted by adjusting the throttle. It would put out 10-12 amps at about 2,800 rpm, which was basically just above idle speed.

    We would run it all evening - usually 5-6 hours - to conserve on battery energy and be able to watch TV and pretty much do whatever we wanted in the house without sucking the batteries down on about 1.5 pints of gas per hour. At bedtime I'd go out and shut it off. However, back in those days there was many times I got up at 3:00 AM and went outside to start it because the batteries got run down by the furnace blower before daylight.

    Sometimes I would run it at full throttle if the batteries were behind and it would put out 44 amps on a little better than a quart per hour.

    It used to set outside the back of the house by the utility room door with a plastic tub over it to keep the snow off it. When it was 20-30 below I'd prime it and pull the rope thru a dozen or so times really slow to limber it up a bit. Then give the primer another 10-12 pumps and start pulling on the rope harder. It would fire once on each pull and after 20-30 pumps on the primer and lots of pulling it would finally start and stay running - with zero pre-heat.

    Like I said, not anywhere close to as efficient as the little diesel we got now, but more efficient than running a larger AC genset for what we needed it for. It served us well for over 7 years.
    --
    Chris
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  • NorthGuy
    NorthGuy Solar Expert Posts: 1,913 ✭✭
    #96
    Re: Generators, Gen sheds, Gen fuel systems, etc.
    ChrisOlson wrote: »
    Like I said, not anywhere close to as efficient as the little diesel we got now, but more efficient than running a larger AC genset for what we needed it for. It served us well for over 7 years.

    7 years with 6 hours per day is 15,000 hours. With these hard winter starts, it is very impressive for this little thing!
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  • ChrisOlson
    ChrisOlson Banned Posts: 1,807 ✭✭
    #97
    Re: Generators, Gen sheds, Gen fuel systems, etc.
    NorthGuy wrote: »
    7 years with 6 hours per day is 15,000 hours. With these hard winter starts, it is very impressive for this little thing!

    Actually more like ~6 hours a day 4 months of the year. So about 5,000 hours on it. The engine was a Techumseh 6 hp snowblower engine and it had some run time on it before I stole it off the snowblower. The alternator was an off-the shelf Delco 10SI 24V, 60 amp self-exciting unit. But it would not put out 60 amps unless the batteries were down to about 23 volts. At normal operating voltages of 25-26 volts it would put out 44 amps.

    Over the years I put a new float and needle in the carb. Put a new ignition coil and points/condenser in it once. New plug every year. Ran 15W-40 diesel oil in it year 'round. And put a new belt on the alternator about once every two years when it got worn and started to slip. It was a pretty tough, relatively maintenance free and extremely reliable unit that I built for less than $200.
    --
    Chris
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