Generator getting a workout

gerard · Nov 18, 2002

Guess I'm finding out one of the downsides to rural living and above ground power lines. Ice storm, besides taking out the tops of about 15 of our pine trees (previously 30 foot tall ones!), took out the electric power yesterday for about 10 hours. No problem - got the generator going and life was back to normal (short of having to run to the gas station and fill up the containers). Power comes back on around 5am, shut things down, hook back to the grid, put generator away, watch tv on day off with newly installed dish. 2PM - there goes the power again - more tree's down, hook back up the generator. This time only 3 hours, back on the grid at the moment but the generator is ready to go again until some of this slop melts off. Don't know about the rest of you in upstate NY but this is WAY too early in the season for this kind of slop./w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

pajoube · Nov 18, 2002

At least you are ready for these problems. Most decide to get the generator the day of the outage.
PJ

Egon · Nov 18, 2002

Happens in the city too.

Egon

alco141 · Nov 18, 2002

that reminds me that i need to lay in the winter gasoline supply. the generator runs well, and has been tested and is ready for storms. i like to keep a fair amount of gasoline in a distant shed for use around the place and for emergency winter use.

alex

Anonymous Poster · Nov 19, 2002

Ain't too bad over here, by the Genesee, but I'm ready to go thanks to the demonstrated incompetence of RG&E last year.
Now that we're part of Eastern Group, making my own power will probably be a routine every winter.
Don't forget to change the oil every 10 hours on the generator, and add Stabil to stored gasoline.

gerard · Nov 19, 2002

Every 10 hours?? I'd be changing the oil every day! I'll check the manual but I'm pretty sure it doesn't call for changes that frequently

Anonymous Poster · Nov 19, 2002

A couple things to keep in mind, the manual was written by the people who sold you that generator and want to sell another one. Oil is a major cooling factor in small engines, and rapidly looses it's lubriscity from the heat.
Oil is CHEAP, compared to engines.

gerard · Nov 19, 2002

I use mobil one for that reason but I still can't see having to change it every 10 hours. Contractors run generators all day on work sites and I can't see them dropping the oil every day. I know honda makes some outstanding engines which was a big selling point for me for this specific generator. I really wanted a diesel one but didn't want to spend almost double what a gas one cost. I'll post what the manual calls for when I get back home.

snowman · Nov 19, 2002

Franz,

Wouldn't the oil pressure change if the oil got too thin (less viscous)?

I've got a basic 5,000 watt and a larger 12,000 watt Yamaha for the house, and both have low oil pressure shut offs.

The shut off works on the little one - I used that back in 1997 when we had the labor day storm - no power for about four days. Worked quite well; the generator would shut down, and I'd check either the gas or the oil.

I've only had the Yamaha a few years - less than 30 hours on it. I check the oil and it still looks nice and clean. Have not even had to add any.

Gerard;

I'm right around your area. Power was out Sunday until around 2. My wife said it went out again yesterday for a few hours.

gerard · Nov 19, 2002

Yup, I was out again yesterday from about 2PM to 430PM. My engine also has the low oil shutoff but haven't had to avail myself of that feature yet. Think I WILL check the level tonight when I get home as this is the first time I've run it under load for any significant time. (I wasn't ALWAYS this prepared!! When we first moved in we had a storm that dumped about 5 inches of rain really quickly and the power went out. Wife and I spent about three straight hours with 5 gal pails bailing the sump pump just to keep up!! THAT was when I decided to get a generator!! /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif)