Your last generator Maintenance Run

[Industrial Toys]

When I speak 110/220, I mean 120/240. I'm having trouble finding a transformer, 7.5-10KVA 120 to 120/240. There obviously isn't much call for that.

I have never seen sustained winds like this in my life. We have really buggered up the climate! The power "FINALLY" went out, for about two seconds! Ontario hydro marked all the trees to come down on our line, a few years ago already, but I guess no one was interested in bidding on the job.

 

[Chilliwack Murray]

Just ribbing ya with the voltage.

The only time it becomes an issue is when people start making adjustments to get these values... Or call for warranty because their 220 is too high.

Stay safe with the wind and cold. It doesn’t take a very big piece of flying debris to leave a big mark. I’ve done my share of emergency calls in storms and chunks of ice coming off towers and trees are a hazard.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Ran my little honda a few hrs today. Power was off 13 hrs.

 

[Looking4new]

When I speak 110/220, I mean 120/240. I'm having trouble finding a transformer, 7.5-10KVA 120 to 120/240. There obviously isn't much call for that.

I have never seen sustained winds like this in my life. We have really buggered up the climate! The power "FINALLY" went out, for about two seconds! Ontario hydro marked all the trees to come down on our line, a few years ago already, but I guess no one was interested in bidding on the job.

Hydro sent me a letter regarding them cutting trees on my property infringing on their lines. I told them to clear cut the S.O.B. as long as I got continuous hydro. They cut the trees 5 years ago, but they didn't cut far enough back. The trees are 50-60' tall, so they needed to cut the trees 50-60' back from the lines. They didn't.

 

[ultrarunner]

I have electric motor in several voltages... 110, 115, 117, 120v... some go back a 100 years!

 

[shaeff]

Wind here has been pretty crazy today, as IT said, I’ve never seen this much sustained wind in our area! Surprisingly, our power hasn’t even flickered. I’ve got the 10k gen fueled and ready to rock if needed and an extra 15gal of gas, more if I siphoned the tractor fuel.

Should only take 10 minutes to be up and running, I’d let it warm up longer than the 5min the manual suggests before loading it.

 

[Chilliwack Murray]

There were a lot of “standard” voltages in the past specific to one utility or another.

These have mostly been eliminated and standardized voltages used that would be in the tolerable range for most existing equipment. Nominal voltages are only supplied +\- 10% so your 120 is actually 108-132 in most areas.

110/115/117/120/125/127 is all supplied with 120

220/230/240 is supplied 240

For three phase, 440/460/480 is supplied 480, above that there is a myriad of voltages.

For large, expensive equipment, supply transformers are sometimes tapped to supply the actual preferred voltage particularly for motors which are often 460V however most motors are quite happy with a little higher voltage.

 

[3930dave]

I don't need 'maintenance runs'. The power goes out here at least once a month. It doesn't matter if there is freezing rain or if the sun is shinning.
Ontario Hydro is THE most unreliable utility I have ever seen.
The power went out last night, again. The second time this month.

Don't get much for the billions we spend; and that's just on their debt payments !

Hey - send those trees down IT's way..... he needs help attaining outages

Rgds, D.

 

[3930dave]

Hard to believe a hydro plant stopped producing, isn't the problem the distribution lines and wires getting knocked down?

"Hydro" is used by many/most Canucks instead of saying electrical utility........ there could be a nuke plant literally next door, and we'd still say "Hydro"..... :confused3: it's just the way we are..... :laughing:

Hydro-electric generation...... I'm a fan, though it's been demonized in some circles - realistically, that was mostly done to ram PV solar and Wind through funding........

Hydro turbines, like any machine, will eventually need maintenance, but IMO are one of the most reliable forms of generation.

Yep, much of the outages are line related...... wind/trees/ice....... I was driving to work this morning thinking of my Dad, explaining to me what the dampening weights were on rural lines (anti-galloping some call 'em), back when I was a kid on a car ride in the country.....

A medium voltage line was swinging at least 4' vertically at centre-span, in the wind early this morning...... if you have any appreciation for mechanical stresses and fatigue, that speaks volumes about how well installed those lines are - as they continue to work properly.

Rgds, D.

 

[ultrarunner]

There were a lot of 都tandard voltages in the past specific to one utility or another.

These have mostly been eliminated and standardized voltages used that would be in the tolerable range for most existing equipment. Nominal voltages are only supplied +\- 10% so your 120 is actually 108-132 in most areas.

110/115/117/120/125/127 is all supplied with 120

220/230/240 is supplied 240

For three phase, 440/460/480 is supplied 480, above that there is a myriad of voltages.

For large, expensive equipment, supply transformers are sometimes tapped to supply the actual preferred voltage particularly for motors which are often 460V however most motors are quite happy with a little higher voltage.

The entire Hospital is 122.5 volts just about everywhere... it was part of the design.

Up at the Mountain Cabin the power was so bad the only way to get the old TV to work was with a Buck/Boost transformer.

 

[3930dave]

Wind here has been pretty crazy today, as IT said, I’ve never seen this much sustained wind in our area! Surprisingly, our power hasn’t even flickered. I’ve got the 10k gen fueled and ready to rock if needed and an extra 15gal of gas, more if I siphoned the tractor fuel.

Should only take 10 minutes to be up and running, I’d let it warm up longer than the 5min the manual suggests before loading it.

Let the gas go stale..... don't change oil or either filters...... add some neglect, and you'll be certain to get an extended outage ! :drink:

Murphy was an optimist.......

Rgds, D.

 

[shaeff]

Let the gas go stale..... don't change oil or either filters...... add some neglect, and you'll be certain to get an extended outage ! :drink:

Murphy was an optimist.......

Rgds, D.

Most certainly! That Murphy guy always gets me!

Luckily, my cans are all numbered and rotated out frequently. All non-ethanol fuel, and the generator gets fuel treatment. Anything not used for the genny gets used in the tractor for clearing snow, or zero turn for summer mowing.

That being said, I keep non-e fuel topped off in both 5gal tanks of my zero turn all winter with no additive and I’ve never had an issue with fuel going stale. Probably 6 months of sitting, I just figured the non-e fuel lasts longer.

 

[3930dave]

Ran my little honda a few hrs today. Power was off 13 hrs.

Probably not real cold down your way, but that's a fairly long outage...... nice to have a gen purring away, once it's out that long.

Rgds, D.

 

[ultrarunner]

Power has been steady but North SF Bay Area predicting 6 to 12 inches rain... this is also in the area with the devastating fires for two seasons.

I'm the only one with a generator so I'm sure it would be repeat of the last big outage... neighbors showing up with extension cords...

 

[Sawyer Rob]

"Hydro" is used by many/most Canucks instead of saying electrical utility........ there could be a nuke plant literally next door, and we'd still say "Hydro"..... :confused3: it's just the way we are..... :laughing:
Rgds, D.

Does your NEW flag have anything to do with it? lol

SR

 

[Looking4new]

Does your NEW flag have anything to do with it? lol

SR

I like our new flag way better than the other one.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I used to use the old one in strange ways. so utterly disgusted with what Canada has become. Problem is, now whenever I see the flag, I feel the need to urinate. This new one is not so bad.

 

[goeduck]

Living in Canada can not be that bad...

 

[Industrial Toys]

There is zero accountablitity for the people that run the place. When someone does wrong, only, and always, the taxpayers get punished.

As far as my generator project. Once again, I find myself looking for the impossible. A used 7.5KVA transformer with 120/240 on both sides! If I was stateside, this too would be easier. Even if I find one in the US, shipping costs would be prohibitive.

 

[dragoneggs]

Let the gas go stale..... don't change oil or either filters...... add some neglect, and you'll be certain to get an extended outage ! :drink:

Murphy was an optimist.......

Rgds, D.

There is a happy medium... personally I don't know what it is... regarding storing fuel vs. refreshing regularly in determining your regular usage needs vs. anticipating a continuous usage up to an apocalyptic event. Everyone's usage and remoteness varies greatly and I am no expert. I hope I have a couple weeks gas (generator), a month's propane, and of course some diesel for my tractor in a power outage in winter temps. Kinda wondering what others think is appropriate?