Your last generator Maintenance Run

[dragoneggs]

The pacific northwest has been hammered with winds and snow this year. Saturday i was out repairing a whole house generator when a jet ranger helicoptor flew overhead at tree top level. He was blowing snow off of the trees and powerlines to help prevent damage to powerlines. Pretty cool to watch....cept he blew snow all over me and my truck.
Ive been working 6 days a week ...10 hour days for over a month setting up generators and transfer switches. Some areas were without power for 5 days last month...and again for 5 days this week. Im getting 3-5 calls per day to give bids on whole house systems.

Getting pretty tired of looking at generators right now. Ive installed so many this year im starting to get loopy. I was hoping for a few months off, but thats not going to happen any time soon.

Cool use of helicopters!

 

[GaryLock]

I was asked to go through a woman at work's generator and fix a wood chipper as well. It turned into a nightmare. Everything I touched in the fuel system was either gummed up or degrading so badly that fuel lines would simply crumble in my hands. If they had needed this, and were able to get it running (doubtful) it probably would have leaked gasoline and ended up in a fireball. After replacing all the fuel lines with modern fuel lines, and adding fuel filters and such, it ran fine for them. I taught them about maintenance runs and how to start, run, load, and run dry once a month during winter, every three during summer. What a mess.

 

[grsthegreat]

Are you still able to get your inspections done when conditions are bad?

Just curious.

yes, but itsucks. Most of the calls are on older units that have seen no maint for many years.

 

[buickanddeere]

I hope no one has brain surgery scheduled in the new year.

A commercial pilot friend once told me something interesting. Not sure if it's true, but Toronto Airport (Pearson) has their own generating plant, and uses the Utility as the back-up.

Toronto International -Pearson has had natural gas turbine co-generation for at least the past 25years .

 

[3930dave]

Thanks, i'll be giving that a try!

Welcome..... I like to share new items that looks promising+useful....

Rgds, D.

 

[3930dave]

I was asked to go through a woman at work's generator and fix a wood chipper as well. It turned into a nightmare. Everything I touched in the fuel system was either gummed up or degrading so badly that fuel lines would simply crumble in my hands. If they had needed this, and were able to get it running (doubtful) it probably would have leaked gasoline and ended up in a fireball. After replacing all the fuel lines with modern fuel lines, and adding fuel filters and such, it ran fine for them. I taught them about maintenance runs and how to start, run, load, and run dry once a month during winter, every three during summer. What a mess.

Good save Gary, that would have likely been a FD/911 call.

Rgds, D.

 

[3930dave]

Cool use of helicopters!

I can see that the job Needs Doing, but man, I'd hate to see the bill for that snowblower !

Rgds, D.

 

[3930dave]

yes, but itsucks. Most of the calls are on older units that have seen no maint for many years.

Ignore, Ignore, Ignore...... then panic when something critical breaks down........

Yeah, I'd have to bite my tongue during those conversations.....

Rgds, D.

 

[3930dave]

Toronto International -Pearson has had natural gas turbine co-generation for at least the past 25years .

Makes sense, thanks for the confirm.

I'd expect many large sites with low-cost access to Natgas to be doing the same, or tri-gen.

Rgds, D.

 

[grsthegreat]

I am going to have to replace an engine in a 2006 generac as theres no compression in one cyl and only 20 psi in other. Was about 1/2 full of a sludge i guess was oil at one time. I had a hard time draining it to do service change. New oil didnt help. They said it hasnt been sounding too good for quite some time before it gave up the ghost. Had a sticker stated last oil change,,, 2009.

Still replacing engine is alot less than replacing generator. But shouldnt have happened. Cant beet maint to save $$$$ in the long run.