Confused on PTO generator size

[zzvyb6]

Honda America has a simple web page to use for estimating how many watts you might needs to support with a generator. Just check the boxes for all the electrical stuff on your property. IMHO just buy the cheapest pto or inverter generator you can find when the time is right. When your power is out, the time is wrong. I have both: A Winpower 50kW and a Honda EU6500IS. You don't need to be running these devices 24/7, only when you need to reload the water pressure, reset the house temperature or locate the dog food.

This is not a complicated issue, so let's get on to more complex ones, like flood control, tornado damage control, and warm beer.

 

[buickanddeere]

This is exactly what I need but it would appear that is not approved in the Province of NB.....

Will probably end up with a double throw 3 pole switch that is ratd for exterior.

Two pole transfer switch for a floating neutral generator and a three pole generator that switches the neutral for a bonded neutral generator. Simpler to "un-bond" the generator and use a two pole transfer switch.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Never switch a neutral. I made that mistake once and was corrected. If that switch pole fails, you have nasty voltages appearing on your 110 volt circuits.

Someone mentioned frequency regulation. No such thing on a PTO generator. It's governed by the governor on the tractor. Frequency isn't that important at all. Your clocks may run fast or slow and your ups systems may not accept the power, but that's it, within reason.

A friend once had a 20KW PTO generator. All for the time he had it, his lights flickered. I told him to straighten the pto shaft which was not as straight a hookup to the tractor as one could get. I believe this was the cause, even though the man never listened to me if I knew something he didn't! Curious, if someone could confirm this situation about the crooked drive line.

 

[buickanddeere]

Never switch a neutral. I made that mistake once and was corrected. If that switch pole fails, you have nasty voltages appearing on your 110 volt circuits.

Double check the NEC and connection of single phase 120/240 neutral bonded generators .

 

[Soundguy]

Someone mentioned frequency regulation. No such thing on a PTO generator. It's governed by the governor on the tractor. Frequency isn't that important at all. Your clocks may run fast or slow and your ups systems may not accept the power, but that's it, within reason.

.

rpm of pto determines the freq on a non inverter system. on an inverter type generator.. then you have some silicon controling the freq.. just like your UPS does.

 

[MacTractor]

I will end up leaving this to the electrician but there is so many conflicting items on the internet with regards to this as some state that without switching the neutral you could still back feed on the neutral. (If somehow you made a mistage on Gen plug wiring, which would seem unlikely.)

Never switch a neutral. I made that mistake once and was corrected. If that switch pole fails, you have nasty voltages appearing on your 110 volt circuits.

Someone mentioned frequency regulation. No such thing on a PTO generator. It's governed by the governor on the tractor. Frequency isn't that important at all. Your clocks may run fast or slow and your ups systems may not accept the power, but that's it, within reason.

A friend once had a 20KW PTO generator. All for the time he had it, his lights flickered. I told him to straighten the pto shaft which was not as straight a hookup to the tractor as one could get. I believe this was the cause, even though the man never listened to me if I knew something he didn't! Curious, if someone could confirm this situation about the crooked drive line.

 

[gogojuice]

I tried the honda site and a few others. I'm hoping they estimate high because it looks like I can't run that much on a 10 kw gen. I don't know if someone can try one of the sites and see how accurate they are to what they are running. As for the transfer part.. I think MacTractor is right, there is so much conflicting information on the internet. It doesn't really help that were talking different states, and in some cases different countries. I'd probably check with a couple of electricians just to get an idea of what may be possible and what is not.

 

[buickanddeere]

I will end up leaving this to the electrician but there is so many conflicting items on the internet with regards to this as some state that without switching the neutral you could still back feed on the neutral. (If somehow you made a mistage on Gen plug wiring, which would seem unlikely.)

If you won't believe an electrician with a 309A Inter Provincial ticket . Who can read the NEC . Who are you going to believe ?

 

[daybreak1998]

Never switch a neutral. I made that mistake once and was corrected. If that switch pole fails, you have nasty voltages appearing on your 110 volt circuits.

Someone mentioned frequency regulation. No such thing on a PTO generator. It's governed by the governor on the tractor. Frequency isn't that important at all. Your clocks may run fast or slow and your ups systems may not accept the power, but that's it, within reason.

A friend once had a 20KW PTO generator. All for the time he had it, his lights flickered. I told him to straighten the pto shaft which was not as straight a hookup to the tractor as one could get. I believe this was the cause, even though the man never listened to me if I knew something he didn't! Curious, if someone could confirm this situation about the crooked drive line.

Howdy,
WRONG! WRONG!

You need to have the PTO generator spinning at the correct speed. You should have gauges on your PTO generator to have it closest to 60Hz. That is exactly what you want. You want clean proper power. It makes motors start better and things operate properly.

You can NOT always go by your tractor gauges. You might even have your PTO tractor gauge saying its at 510rpm. The important spinning speed is at your PTO generator gauge.
Here the tractor gauge says its at 512rpm with the unit running right where it should.
[video]https://www.dropbox.com/s/pkipkfuklko0i1l/2013-06-28%2016.21.02.mp4[/video]

Electrical products will receive a UL rating which means it can withstand certain variances. Like +-8% of standard 60Hz.

PTO generators need to spin at the proper rpm to make 60Hz and 110-130 volts, and yes, a sloppy worn out pto shaft does not help. Yes, the pto shaft needs to be as straight as possible.

PTO generators come in many models. You do get what you pay for. Smaller units spin at 3600rpm internally (2-pole) to make power while larger ones spin 1800rpm internally (4-pole) to make power. Some have AVR which is more electronic friendly.

 

[grsthegreat]

In 30 years ive never installed a residential transfer switch that switched the neutral loads...never. I have in 3 phase industrial situations though.