Your last generator Maintenance Run

[JCoastie]

DIY 0 - 6.6kw load bank, selectable in 500w increments

Will touch 7kw for a few seconds when they are first heating up if you energize them all at the same time.

$32 for the 50a splitter Amazon.com
$18x4 for heaters. Can find cheaper ones, but I already had 2 and wanted everything to match. Amazon.com
Had the floor fans, might not need those depending on your climate.
Not bad for $104, and multi use for those heaters.

 

[grsthegreat]

Thanks. I noticed a time interval for the servicing of the battery, plugs, filters, etc. It asks if the items were changed. If it hasn’t met the 100 hour mark since last service, I’ll skip it until next time or every 2 years. Whatever comes first.

I keep a few extra oil filters and service kits on hand with extra oil. Mom’s generator is the same unit. Been getting the oe parts from Amazon. The service kits are $10 cheaper than from the local Electric supply house.

I buy them direct from generac. 90 filters at a time plus 90 air filters, plus 100’s of spark plugs. Way cheaper that way.

 

[LittleBill21]

DIY 0 - 6.6kw load bank, selectable in 500w increments

View attachment 877860

Will touch 7kw for a few seconds when they are first heating up if you energize them all at the same time.

$32 for the 50a splitter Amazon.com
$18x4 for heaters. Can find cheaper ones, but I already had 2 and wanted everything to match. Amazon.com
Had the floor fans, might not need those depending on your climate.
Not bad for $104, and multi use for those heaters.

I do the same thing, you really don't need the fans, but it will ultimately pull more wattage on the ptc elements.

 

[JCoastie]

I do the same thing, you really don't need the fans, but it will ultimately pull more wattage on the ptc elements.

I guess these have crude thermostats and in the heat of the day here, they were cycling off intermittently without the fans.

Watched the waveform with a scope while under load running a big hammer drill and the serage grinder pump, no change.

Break in done, tested hooked to the house and running the sewage pump, oil changed, carb bowl drained, batt charged and disconnected. New gen ready for hurricane season and/or storage until next year.

 

[WinterDeere]

It will help somewhat, I'd wager that a 3 phase motor and some capacitors would probably be even better: The compromises made when constructing single phase alternators and motors are reason for some of the harmonics. 3 phase motors are more efficient, have less mechanical vibration etc.
A 3 phase motor can be "rip cord" started on single phase to make things even easier for this kind of application.

I haven’t tried this, but I don’t think that’s correct. A single phase induction motor is the same as a three phase motor, if the start winding is left disconnected, but with a winding orientation that would be suitable for single phase use.

I used to build three phase rotary phase generators, and while I can imagine how you’d hook that up for single phase mechanical filtering, I don’t believe the result would be anywhere near as good as a single phase induction motor with the start winding left unconnected.

I just might have one 7.5 hp 3-phase motor left over from those old days, and plenty of single phase motors around 2-3 hp, so I might be able to experiment with this. But I just broke a rib on Friday, so I won’t be muscling any 200# motors out of storage in the next few weeks.

 

[WinterDeere]

Most of those o’scopes probably have a simple FFT function, which would likely be a better way to compare waveforms, assuming it has reaolilution/memory sufficient to show close non-harmonic spurs (eg. 100 kHz stuff).

lol…‘I was on vacation when I posted this, and so maybe already two drinks in. I work at GHz mostly, so sorry for calling 100 kHz “close”! This is 60 Hz, stupid! Totally different world, and even the cheapest o’scope with FFT should handle this, assuming memory is long enough.

 

[JCoastie]

Carb sleaner should work just fine to clean a screen

willy

Worked great, thanks

 

[daugen]

going out to run gen in rv, 4kw Onan gas, and then change the oil.
Like a lawnmower, no oil filter, and my least favorite oil fill, the one down at the bottom
with the stubby dipstick.
I've put two hours on this gen in two years. What the prior older couple did to rack up the 184 on it now is a ?
And I'm using the absurdly expensive oem Onan-Cummins oil.
That oil must come in a plastic bottle lined in gold...
and a diesel like oil spec of 15/40

I use oem Motorcraft semi synthetic in the V10 Ford. It's competitive.
The oil for the gen sure isn't...but safest thing for me to put in.
Most of those small gas air cooled gens probably are happier with straight 30 wt.
I normally prefer full synthetic.

meanwhile I'll look very carefully in the bottle to find the gold.

Amazon.com

 

[ultrarunner]

going out to run gen in rv, 4kw Onan gas, and then change the oil.
Like a lawnmower, no oil filter, and my least favorite oil fill, the one down at the bottom
with the stubby dipstick.
I've put two hours on this gen in two years. What the prior older couple did to rack up the 184 on it now is a ?
And I'm using the absurdly expensive oem Onan-Cummins oil.
That oil must come in a plastic bottle lined in gold...
and a diesel like oil spec of 15/40

I use oem Motorcraft semi synthetic in the V10 Ford. It's competitive.
The oil for the gen sure isn't...but safest thing for me to put in.
Most of those small gas air cooled gens probably are happier with straight 30 wt.
I normally prefer full synthetic.

meanwhile I'll look very carefully in the bottle to find the gold.

Amazon.com

You ain't a kidding!

 

[3930dave]

Some serious Generator activity lately, and am loving the Fizx in the conversation-flow.....

Why I hang out here !

Rgds, D.