Your last generator Maintenance Run

[shaeff]

Back when, I figured if a couple of people showed up, that might be enough to reduce my laziness about getting some maintenance done on mine......

It's been fun. I've learned a lot about generators here, from tiny ones, to big industrial scale systems, and seen some real quality custom builds and rebuilds done.

Gasoline. There's the E issue of course, but have also seen enough anecdotal info pile up to conclude that regional gasoline formulations can be a factor - what works fine for storage practice on a given model at one end of the continent may not have the same good results at the other end.....

Tips and tricks and really cool add-ons like we've been discussing lately..... always plenty of help here getting the wallet exercised But, that's pretty much a TBN liability in general !

Gen On !

Rgds, D.

Right on, I find it comforting how all these guys and gals from different walks of life, backgrounds, skill and knowledge levels all come together and share information. I'm only 36, nearly 37. I've been on the internet for a good portion of my life, research, entertainment, etc... I've been on forums much like this one (automotive related, though) for the better part of 18yrs. This forum delivers. Always, and with very few snide remarks or unhelpful posts. It's like a breath of fresh air.

In my area, I have a Stewart's gas station (I'm in the Northeast), they carry ethanol-free fuel. It's only their 91 octane, but it's a small price to pay to make sure the fuel won't gum up my carbs. I've kept a full 5gal can for a full year and it still smelled fine and burned great in all my small engines and my gas tractor.

Trust me, I need no help getting my wallet exercised! haha!

 

[Popgadget]

While it's been too long since that type of gear has been at my fingertips, my preference for startup issues would be a good probe, and a fast scope.

Not saying anything against that Fluke of yours Popg. John (Fluke) and Bill and Dave (HP) built some of the best gear of my era, and I obviously don't know exactly what you were using.

I suspect by your ".... as measure on...." comment, you already knew what I put in this first paragraph .... but moving transients around can be more involved than we'd like.

As we've wandered through in recent pages, some equipment may be more susceptible to fast-transients, some may be mostly just area-under-the-curve allergic........ sometimes you need a fast 'scope setup to distinguish.

Playing with power..... lots of nuances, and it's good to see these things kicked around in a practical thread like this one......

Rgds, D.

The meter that I used was a Fluke 902.

I was able to dig up some technical information on the Sure Start and it does use a capacitor to phase shift the start windings, but rather than a simple potential relay to control it, they use their own logic and thyristors that allow it it to ramp up and drop out once the start is complete. So it’s not a “magic box” but rather a sophistication of the basic hard start devices. I am always skeptical of things with big claims and little technological explanation, but now I can see how it would be an improvement over the basic hard start devices.

 

[3930dave]

The meter that I used was a Fluke 902.

I was able to dig up some technical information on the Sure Start and it does use a capacitor to phase shift the start windings, but rather than a simple potential relay to control it, they use their own logic and thyristors that allow it it to ramp up and drop out once the start is complete. So it痴 not a �agic box but rather a sophistication of the basic hard start devices. I am always skeptical of things with big claims and little technological explanation, but now I can see how it would be an improvement over the basic hard start devices.

Thanks for the info. Residential A/C is a common requirement, but obviously there will be plenty of other applications for big-motors around farms.

These deferred-start aids are a nice way to help right-size a gen. Going big is one solution, but many people don't always have the money/space/zoning for that route....

Reminds me..... I should post a recent ISX install I came across.....

Rgds, D.

 

[3930dave]

Right on, I find it comforting how all these guys and gals from different walks of life, backgrounds, skill and knowledge levels all come together and share information. I'm only 36, nearly 37. I've been on the internet for a good portion of my life, research, entertainment, etc... I've been on forums much like this one (automotive related, though) for the better part of 18yrs. This forum delivers. Always, and with very few snide remarks or unhelpful posts. It's like a breath of fresh air.

A big part of why many of us have been hanging out here for a long time...... much cleaner than a lot of the web today. Not perfect, but for the most part we manage to toss data and opinions back and forth w/o the grade-school-at-recess noise you can easily find out there.

Too much more to learn...... I've never had time for noise, and have found a like-minded cohort here...

Generators deserve at least some credit..... many things we own can be annoying when acting up/not working, but a gen is usually at the very top of folks Must Always Work list....... helps for focusing attention, IMO.

Rgds, D.

 

[shaeff]

A big part of why many of us have been hanging out here for a long time...... much cleaner than a lot of the web today. Not perfect, but for the most part we manage to toss data and opinions back and forth w/o the grade-school-at-recess noise you can easily find out there.

Too much more to learn...... I've never had time for noise, and have found a like-minded cohort here...

Generators deserve at least some credit..... many things we own can be annoying when acting up/not working, but a gen is usually at the very top of folks Must Always Work list....... helps for focusing attention, IMO.

Rgds, D.

:thumbsup:

 

[Gale Hawkins]

I have learned so much from this thread over the years. TBN is the most positive website that I visit.

 

[TheMan419]

Technically not a maintenance run.....

Needed to power wash the fence in front of the house. We have an electric power washer (one less engine to maintain). So drug out the generator to provide power. She fired right up and ran for about 3 hours while I was working. Lots of that time under the load of running the power washer. Had to adjust the set screw a bit so when I took her off choke she purred like a kitten.

Cleaned her up, drained the carb, plugged her back in to the battery maintainer to await her next use.

Hopefully enough to care for Mr. Murphy for a while.

 

[3930dave]

Optional gen fire, instead of stringing ext cords, I find is a great way to motivate myself to get a run in..... :thumbsup:

'ol Murph never sleeps, so it's hard to be too pro-active.....

Rgds, D.

 

[3930dave]

Had a chat with a guy who installed a Cummins ISX driven gen on their farm recently.

I was thinking backup for livestock at first, but no, they got "motivated" to use it for prime power when they wanted to upgrade their power for grain elevators etc.

It was bad enough that the line-upgrade quote from the utility (Ontario Hydro) was pretty much the same money as the big new gen. What finalized the gen deal was finding out that their new utility bill would include an additional significant fee for the power they "might use" that month - whether or not they used it.

Trying to dump your infrastructure costs on farmers..... pigs might fly too......

Rgds, D.

 

[LouNY]

Had a chat with a guy who installed a Cummins ISX driven gen on their farm recently.

I was thinking backup for livestock at first, but no, they got "motivated" to use it for prime power when they wanted to upgrade their power for grain elevators etc.

It was bad enough that the line-upgrade quote from the utility (Ontario Hydro) was pretty much the same money as the big new gen. What finalized the gen deal was finding out that their new utility bill would include an additional significant fee for the power they "might use" that month - whether or not they used it.

Trying to dump your infrastructure costs on farmers..... pigs might fly too......

Rgds, D.

Yea, demand pricing take your highest surge and charge that as a minimum.
That happens a lot even to big customers.