Your last generator Maintenance Run

[3930dave]

Here are the tags from the engine and generator head. I'm only able to go with those #'s until I can somehow load test.

View attachment 866380

View attachment 866381

Meant to say "Should be Plenty"...... unless you run smelting-furnaces in your shop...... altho, given the TBN crowd, I should watch what I joke about !

Rgds, D.

 

[daugen]

honey, could you build me an electric arc furnace please?
where do I plug it in?...
I've never heard of a Mack engine running a generator.
that is very cool.
if you need a serious amount of juice.
maybe if you own one you have to build a smelter to test it...

 

[ultrarunner]

I imagine it could be quite thirsty at output.

What about load banking once a year

 

[moriboy]

I imagine it could be quite thirsty at output.

What about load banking once a year

I’m sure it is. This size of generator is not for the faint of heart in regard to operating costs. My machining business uses about 2/3 of the rated output on a normal day. Shutting down the shop is much more expensive than the fuel usage that we’d encounter.

I am looking for a suitable load bank test unit. There are a few in my area, but they cost more than the generator did!

Two new batteries $$$ today, and I added a battery disconnect. I can imagine there wasn’t one on there since this was likely hooked up to an automatic transfer switch.

 

[3930dave]

Animals helping out my utility, on Friday. Small utility area, but most of it was out initially, so I fired up my larger portable, as this is not a good time of year to have no power @ sump-pump. Of course, grid was back about 15 minutes after I had my gen running..... Didn't end up taking them that long, to extract a crispy critter from the switchgear. Ran gen for 45 minutes, as it hadn't been run in too long.....

Rgds, D.

Date: May 03/24

Generator: 7kw Briggs

Activity: 1/2hp sump pump, two 500w floodlights. 45 minutes runtime.

Final Fueling notes: filled w. NonE gas, Stabil 360

Maintenance notes: Started on third pull. Note To Self - go back, and read Post#1 in this thread !

TAmbient: 18C

 

[3930dave]

I’m sure it is. This size of generator is not for the faint of heart in regard to operating costs. My machining business uses about 2/3 of the rated output on a normal day. Shutting down the shop is much more expensive than the fuel usage that we’d encounter.

I am looking for a suitable load bank test unit. There are a few in my area, but they cost more than the generator did!

Two new batteries $$$ today, and I added a battery disconnect. I can imagine there wasn’t one on there since this was likely hooked up to an automatic transfer switch.

View attachment 866747

Needs Must... spending money, so you can Keep Making Money makes sense to me. Industrial gens, despite sizeable cost, find their way into funny places...... many commercial EV sites are powered by diesel generators (line upgrade delays), and I personally know of an engine performance shop that when they got the Utility's quote for upgrading their feedline for a new dyno, just went with a generator on a trailer - when they move or sell the business, they can take the generator with them, or sell it.

Varies geographically, but Grid MTCE and Uptime is an issue for many, so I'm sure your customers will appreciate your Shop being up/running, when nothing else is.

I was joking about the smelting furnace, but perhaps some surplus industrial heating product may be the cheapest load, albeit more work to vary than a Load Bank.

Rgds, D.

 

[Fi-Q]

I’m sure it is. This size of generator is not for the faint of heart in regard to operating costs. My machining business uses about 2/3 of the rated output on a normal day. Shutting down the shop is much more expensive than the fuel usage that we’d encounter.

I am looking for a suitable load bank test unit. There are a few in my area, but they cost more than the generator did!

Two new batteries $$$ today, and I added a battery disconnect. I can imagine there wasn’t one on there since this was likely hooked up to an automatic transfer switch.

View attachment 866747

For « load bank » before buying one it might be worth to check with sone local major genset dealer « IE a Caterpillar dealer with an Energy division » and see with them what they charge you to load bank you genset.

 

[ultrarunner]

For « load bank » before buying one it might be worth to check with sone local major genset dealer « IE a Caterpillar dealer with an Energy division » and see with them what they charge you to load bank you genset.

1500-1800 seems to be a typical charge in the SF Bay Area.

Make darn sure everything is color coded so the cables go back where they belong.

Cummins did real damage when phased reversed and Genset started to circuits with large motor loads... not good.

 

[3930dave]

1500-1800 seems to be a typical charge in the SF Bay Area.

Make darn sure everything is color coded so the cables go back where they belong.

Cummins did real damage when phased reversed and Genset started to circuits with large motor loads... not good.

I remember your account of what happened......

Good example of bureaucrats interfering (started the ball rolling, replacing someone knowledgeable) with quality work being done.

Rgds, D.

 

[3930dave]

For « load bank » before buying one it might be worth to check with sone local major genset dealer « IE a Caterpillar dealer with an Energy division » and see with them what they charge you to load bank you genset.

UR's situation notwithstanding.... a potentially good ^ suggestion.

Rgds, D.

 

[daugen]

ding ding ding ding
massive solar flare tonight
some of you have walls of electronics
might be wise to take a defensive posture.
if anyone is a ham radio operator, boy I bet this will be a noisy night

wish there was software that would show where solar flare will hit Earth and when
maybe it's going to get Australia and not us.
I wonder what all the satellite receiving stations are going to do. Could it damage Starlink?
Allegedly, in worst case, this can take down electrical grids.
now that would not be good at all.

got gas?

 

[3930dave]

Good points d. Thanks, I'd missed that forecast.

https://www.npr.org/2024/05/10/1250515730/solar-storm-geomagnetic-g4

https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/

Rgds, D.

 

[grsthegreat]

ding ding ding ding
massive solar flare tonight
some of you have walls of electronics
might be wise to take a defensive posture.
if anyone is a ham radio operator, boy I bet this will be a noisy night

wish there was software that would show where solar flare will hit Earth and when
maybe it's going to get Australia and not us.
I wonder what all the satellite receiving stations are going to do. Could it damage Starlink?
Allegedly, in worst case, this can take down electrical grids.
now that would not be good at all.

got gas?

You know….. ive Never seen actual damage from a solar flair….and im in the electrical trade.

 

[3930dave]

Not common, but does happen. The most widely known Canadian event was the Hydro Quebec outage...

March 1989 geomagnetic storm - Wikipedia

If we have another Carrington.... probably would be a while, before we are back to clicking keys on TBN....

Carrington Event - Wikipedia

Rgds, D.

 

[daugen]

You know….. ive Never seen actual damage from a solar flair….and im in the electrical trade.

that doesn't surprise me, you deal with pretty heavy duty stuff.
Strong metal wires.
Thick posts

it's the MOSFETs and IC's and who knows what that runs on microvolts that aren't always well armed against these events.
I think this is more a telecommunication issue.
Guess we will find out if all those Starlink satellites had enough shielding

I bet out in New Mexico they are buying up all the tin foil and making hats...

 

[3930dave]

That Starlink thread on here is pretty active.... will be interesting to see if anything is reported this wknd.

Rgds, D.

 

[Alan W.]

Have been running my little generator about every other day on my sons house build but today our electric went out for about 5 hours. I do love the small inverters for light loads. Need to get an hour meter on it.

 

[3930dave]

Have been running my little generator about every other day on my sons house build but today our electric went out for about 5 hours. I do love the small inverters for light loads. Need to get an hour meter on it.

The small gens are popular (easy to move !), and cover a lot of needs. If you're gen doesn't have 12v on-board, those vibration-type (3600rpm) hour-meters shouldn't be hard to find (ex. Briggs used to list them online).

Rgds, D.

 

[JPRambo]

My son found out how occasionally running and running them dry helps when you really need them to run when you need it. Friday a.m. N. Florida had a storm that knocked down tree and took out power lines. His 3500/4800 watt gen is running his refrigerator and freezer and a fan and lights. He has a camper it will run so he can use the a/c.

 

[3930dave]

Looks like we made G5. Article has some aurora pics people took, on X.

https://www.npr.org/2024/05/10/1250515730/solar-storm-geomagnetic-g4

Rgds, D.