Your last generator Maintenance Run
- Thread starter 3930dave
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nikdfish
Platinum Member
Probably 25 - 30 thousand btu comparing appearance of flames to previous known units...
Nick
Nick
Gale Hawkins
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- 8,268
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- Murray, KY
- Tractor
- 1948 Allis Chambers Model B 1976 265 MF / 1983 JD 310B Backhoe / 1966 Ford 3000 Diesel / 1980 3600 Diesel
We started our last Sunday afternoon but the ice storm that night did not cut our power but messed up the roads for several days.
Glad you had heat and got your power back quickly.
Glad you had heat and got your power back quickly.
varmint
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- Northern Maryland
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- Kubota B8200, then a Kubota L3130 HST, now a Kubota L3400 HST
Reading these posts prompted me to pull out our generator (5250W Porter Cable) and run it. I put in some nice non-ethanol gas a friend got me, checked the oil (synthethic, for easy cold starts) and it fired up on the first pull- too long since I last ran it, to boot. I let it run for 25 minutes, powering an electric heater set up in the shop. I guess I should put a serious load on it, but not sure what that would be, other than 3 1500W heaters or something like that. Hooking in up to the house is a pain, avoided unless needed. Looks like all the power company tree trimming, done after several ice storm disasters p****d a lot of customers off, has paid off. One old limb could change all that, of course.
If you went back that far Varmint, you'll see that I started this thread largely to help with my lousy memory.
It has helped me, and probably a few other people as well. Along the way, very good discussion and points have been raised about Owning and Operating generators - Thanks again to all who have dropped in here.
Ice and Wind are big outage factors, but even regular grid equipment failures can kick in. Transformers, Big (sub-station level) and small (pole-mount) can and do fail.... even when they aren't being hit by today's "careful" drivers.....
Reminds me... I need to start a gen next weekend.....
Rgds, D.
Gale Hawkins
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- Murray, KY
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- 1948 Allis Chambers Model B 1976 265 MF / 1983 JD 310B Backhoe / 1966 Ford 3000 Diesel / 1980 3600 Diesel
This thread helped me this past year to be more mindful of ours. Both the RV and house back up generators got new plugs and the house generator got new fuel hoses, air filter after 25 years and this year we may change the oil in it for the second time.
This thread helped me this past year to be more mindful of ours. Both the RV and house back up generators got new plugs and the house generator got new fuel hoses, air filter after 25 years and this year we may change the oil in it for the second time.
Murphy is always out there,
but I'm sure that feels good to get that done Gale !Extended grid outages are a PITA to begin with.... I know how p/o'd I'd be with myself on top of that if I was wasting time trying to start/fix a long idled gen - esp. at the times of the year when I know my sump pump should be running on at least a 50% duty cycle...
That house gen is probably wondering where all this TLC came from ! :thumbsup:
Rgds, D.
Gale Hawkins
Super Member
- Joined
- Sep 20, 2009
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- 8,268
- Location
- Murray, KY
- Tractor
- 1948 Allis Chambers Model B 1976 265 MF / 1983 JD 310B Backhoe / 1966 Ford 3000 Diesel / 1980 3600 Diesel
The thing sets in the back of an open garage and has been super when needed but other than a 65 hour run in 2009 ice storm it has only had short runs for a few hours a few times. The starting battery is a 2002 DC-27 pulled off the motor home when we went to a two battery set up that refuses to die. It can set for months and still be at 12.6 volts. Never seen anything like that out of a battery.
Key to a long back up generator life is to live on a three phase grid I learned. Did not even know it was three phase when we bought. In 2009 when we were out for 65 hours we had neighbors out for 7-8 days or more. We are next to the last house before the grid goes single phase in three directions.
Key to a long back up generator life is to live on a three phase grid I learned. Did not even know it was three phase when we bought. In 2009 when we were out for 65 hours we had neighbors out for 7-8 days or more. We are next to the last house before the grid goes single phase in three directions.
Fi-Q
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- White LT 18hp B&S old beater
I have 2 portable gen. One of the famous. Champion 3500/4000 ( in mossy oak color) and a odd no name 3500 watt with a yamaha engine I think is EnerG... I exercice them at least 3-4 times a year. I usually run them for 15 to 30 min with a 1500 watt space heater plug to it.
The last time we ran out of power for more than 2 hours was 3-4 years ago..... Making me think that It's about time to exercise them again , even if I am not worried about the winter because gas stay fresh longer when it is cold..... And this particular winter beeen really really cold.... I keep them close to empty as i do not use them oftenly. I always put gas already treated with stabill beofre running them. I should eventually change the oil in them as well, just cause it s getting old not because it is getting burnt.
I bought the champion for the rv 3 years ago but haven't been rving off the grid since then.
There is a 240v plug of the yamaha, thinking that someday I would try my well pump on it ( i will see the peak start power with a amp clamp before to see if it make sense) it is shallow well, pump is approx 15 feet below ground level, so I thunk it shouldn't have to work very hard to start.... But I know I can be surprise ! But even if I can't run the pump, I will be able to feed both leg of my panel, eventually when I will be all set. So far I have run a other 6 ga cable from my house panel to my small detaached garage while I had the trench open last year.... So eventually will go the interlock kit with a genny receptacle outside the garage....... Eventually.......
The last time we ran out of power for more than 2 hours was 3-4 years ago..... Making me think that It's about time to exercise them again , even if I am not worried about the winter because gas stay fresh longer when it is cold..... And this particular winter beeen really really cold.... I keep them close to empty as i do not use them oftenly. I always put gas already treated with stabill beofre running them. I should eventually change the oil in them as well, just cause it s getting old not because it is getting burnt.
I bought the champion for the rv 3 years ago but haven't been rving off the grid since then.
There is a 240v plug of the yamaha, thinking that someday I would try my well pump on it ( i will see the peak start power with a amp clamp before to see if it make sense) it is shallow well, pump is approx 15 feet below ground level, so I thunk it shouldn't have to work very hard to start.... But I know I can be surprise ! But even if I can't run the pump, I will be able to feed both leg of my panel, eventually when I will be all set. So far I have run a other 6 ga cable from my house panel to my small detaached garage while I had the trench open last year.... So eventually will go the interlock kit with a genny receptacle outside the garage....... Eventually.......
