My barn has no electricity service and is quite aways from the house. I would like to have a generator there that I can use as a power source for various power tools, temporary heating devices, etc. (Approximately 5000-8000 Watts). I like the electric start models with a recoil back up and have one at the house for emergency power outages. My understanding is that the electric start models need to be plugged in when not in use to charge the battery. Is there anyway to accomplish this at the barn without a power source most of the time. For example, can I use an inverter (and charge it when I'm using the generator) and plug it into the generator battery when I'm not using the generator. Don't know if that makes any sense at all or if there is another way to accomplish this. Thanks,
Generator question
- Thread starter bx24d
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Manitou
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- Manitoulin Island Ontario
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Good Morning.......You could use a small solar panel they use for charging batterys. They are quite reasonably priced. When we purchased a VW Jetta it arrived with one in the front windshield but when they serviced the car the keep them. Check with a VW dealer they must have quite a collection of them. Garry 
hdbikercouple
Bronze Member
solar tickel charger will do what you want . and if you run the generator enought you don't need that. does you riding mower need to be plugged in all the time? same princaple.
dqdave1
Veteran Member
I agree; solar charger will do what you want. Not sure of the distance from your power source but a underground line may be cheaper in long run. A piece of 10/3 UF tied into 240 volt to barn and a small box in barn will power small items no problem.
LBrown59
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why not just run elect. to it?
chh
Veteran Member
If you are going to use it as much as a couple of times a month I wouldn't worry about the battery charger. I have a Ranger 10 welder that I use as a backup generator and as a welder. I can sit a month or longer and still start like a top. Be sure to put Stabil in the gas if you aren't running a lot. If you just looking to run lights and small power tools, (I'm guessing no more than 25 to 30 amps) you can run an underground direct burial cable quite a long ways. We had 2 sets of lines run 500' to run well pumps set in ponds for part of our operation. Never had any trouble out of it and is pretty easy and economical to run. (NOTE; I am not an electrician!)
Red55
Gold Member
Just bought a Coleman Powermate 5000 with 10 hp subaru for $360 @ home depot ( on sale from $599 to $400 & used 10% off coupon) Nice unit but not battery start. Went to three stores before found one in stock -Ed
Wayne County Hose
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Red55 said:
Hey, I bought the same one 2 summers ago for $500! Ugh, welcome to my world. Anyway, this thing starts on 2 pulls at the very most and has run 12 hours on a tank of gas, 5 gallons.
CHH is right, even if you use it every 6 months, just disconnect the battery and leave it. It will have plenty of power to start a little gas engine.
tommu56
Elite Member
How much will you use it fuel is getting expensive
If you are looking at an electric heater that is going to suck up some fuel.
I would figure cost of fuel verses running the wire
How far is the barn from the house?
tom
If you are looking at an electric heater that is going to suck up some fuel.
I would figure cost of fuel verses running the wire
How far is the barn from the house?
tom
firefighter9208
Platinum Member
I have a Generac (Briggs and Stratton) 5500W - 8500W that I bought at HD that is a pull start. Have had it about 4 years. Always cranks on the first or second pull. I always cut off the gas and run it until it quits. Put Stabil in the fuel.
We have a Honda (Electric Start) on our firetruck 6500W . Paid about twice as much for it. After about a year we "threw away" the battery and just pull the rope.
I bought my mom a 15,000 watt Generac Electric start. She's not strong enough to pull the cord on a pull start.
For a small generator if your able to pull the cord I think an electric start is a waste of money. You can buy several thousand more watts of power for the amount of money you pay for a starter. That is if you can pull the rope.
Chris
We have a Honda (Electric Start) on our firetruck 6500W . Paid about twice as much for it. After about a year we "threw away" the battery and just pull the rope.
I bought my mom a 15,000 watt Generac Electric start. She's not strong enough to pull the cord on a pull start.
For a small generator if your able to pull the cord I think an electric start is a waste of money. You can buy several thousand more watts of power for the amount of money you pay for a starter. That is if you can pull the rope.
Chris
Highbeam
Super Member
Don't worry about charging the battery. Just use the generator and if the battery is dead then pull start it. If you use the genny frequently enough then the battery won't die. The running generator will recharge the battery. It really is that simple.
I've used my 11HP Coleman genset to power electric heaters during power outages. It works fine. Plenty of tools too.
I am about to dump the coleman since the gen head is not giving full voltage anymore and it is not worth fixing. The 11HP tecumseh is sure working great, easy to pull start.
I've used my 11HP Coleman genset to power electric heaters during power outages. It works fine. Plenty of tools too.
I am about to dump the coleman since the gen head is not giving full voltage anymore and it is not worth fixing. The 11HP tecumseh is sure working great, easy to pull start.
tommu56
Elite Member
Highbeam
have you tried to flash the windings may be the armature lost its magnetization
my old generator had that issue id it set for a couple of months.
tom
have you tried to flash the windings may be the armature lost its magnetization
my old generator had that issue id it set for a couple of months.
tom
Highbeam
Super Member
tommu56 said:
No Tom, I've pulled the brushes and they had plenty of life left. The genset will make full voltage with no load and drop down as I apply load. It won't run my air compressor but will run lights. The engine does not lug at all and frequency stays at 60, just voltage goes down. I also can't weld worth benas with it anymore since the low voltage under load means low amps at the arc.
90 volts at the refrigerator during a power outage is not good.
So you think a reflash would do it?
Highbeam
Super Member
tommu56 said:
No Tom, I've pulled the brushes and they had plenty of life left. The genset will make full voltage with no load and drop down as I apply load. It won't run my air compressor but will run lights. The engine does not lug at all and frequency stays at 60, just voltage goes down. I also can't weld worth benas with it anymore since the low voltage under load means low amps at the arc.
90 volts at the refrigerator during a power outage is not good.
So you think a reflash would do it?
tommu56
Elite Member
Highbeam
I would try it before trashing it
start it up and put meter on brush holders to see + - stop it and and i use the 12v starting battery and tap the + to + and - to- for a couple of seconds, i finallly ran wires out through the cooling slots so i didn't have to take it apart to flash it
some times i would get a film on slip rings that would stop current to armature (actually it is a rotating field) and i would crocus cloth off the film.
tom
I would try it before trashing it
start it up and put meter on brush holders to see + - stop it and and i use the 12v starting battery and tap the + to + and - to- for a couple of seconds, i finallly ran wires out through the cooling slots so i didn't have to take it apart to flash it
some times i would get a film on slip rings that would stop current to armature (actually it is a rotating field) and i would crocus cloth off the film.
tom
RonMar
Elite Member
I doubt flashing it will do any good as it is already putting out voltage. Flashing is required when there is not enough residual magnetism in the rotor iron for the generator to self excite, IE: It starts and runs, but no voltage output. This usually happens when it is shut down or runs out of fuel while powering an electrical load. The spindown under load basically neutralizes any residual magnetism left in the rotor from the field coils so there is no rotating field at the next startup to start the power generation process.
If it is putting out less than rated voltage, I would suspect one of the following 3 problems.
1. For a purely harmonically excited generator(no voltage regulator) it probably has a bad rectifyer diode on the full wave bridge rectifyer. This is limiting the current from the harmonic winding being fed back to the field winding via the brushes. Less field current=less output voltage.
2. Some generators of this type also have a series resistor(usually large wire wound) for adjusting the field current and fine tuneing the generator output voltage. IF this has shook loose and it's adjustment has shifted(also not unlikley on a generator) then the voltage could just need an adjustment.
3. For an actively excited generator that uses a voltage regulator(higher end units), there is probably a loose connection or a problem with the voltage regulator circuit.
If you have a picture of the innards(behind control/plug-in panel and where brushes are located) I can probably point you in the right direction to help troubleshoot it. What model number is it?
If it is putting out less than rated voltage, I would suspect one of the following 3 problems.
1. For a purely harmonically excited generator(no voltage regulator) it probably has a bad rectifyer diode on the full wave bridge rectifyer. This is limiting the current from the harmonic winding being fed back to the field winding via the brushes. Less field current=less output voltage.
2. Some generators of this type also have a series resistor(usually large wire wound) for adjusting the field current and fine tuneing the generator output voltage. IF this has shook loose and it's adjustment has shifted(also not unlikley on a generator) then the voltage could just need an adjustment.
3. For an actively excited generator that uses a voltage regulator(higher end units), there is probably a loose connection or a problem with the voltage regulator circuit.
If you have a picture of the innards(behind control/plug-in panel and where brushes are located) I can probably point you in the right direction to help troubleshoot it. What model number is it?
kraftykeltic
Member
If the Generator Slip rings are tarnished it will also cause a low voltage/ amperage condition. My generator, coleman 5500 will set for years between uses. But the slip rings have to be cleaned before use to get the voltage out. Something about copper tarnish not being a good conductor, to excite the windings
Tom
Tom
Highbeam
Super Member
My ill genset is a coleman powermate 5500/6850 surge model. It has the standard coleman genhead on it which has a plastic end bell. I get full voltage with no load, and then as I add electrical load to the generator the voltage goes down and down. I don't even know for sure whether the voltage regulator is in the genhead or in the control panel. The big blue capacitor is in the genhead.
tommu56
Elite Member
Highbeam
goolge colemanpowermate there is a trouble shooting page for the generators
maby that will help
tom
goolge colemanpowermate there is a trouble shooting page for the generators
maby that will help
tom
RonMar
Elite Member
Well looking at the parts manuals for the 5500W Powermate at the colemanpowermate.com website, it appears that all the powermate series have an Automatic Voltage regulator. If corrosion on the slip rings/limiting current to the rotor is not the problem, then I would suspect a problem in this AVR circuitry.
Good Luck.
Good Luck.
