Your last generator Maintenance Run

[Chilliwack Murray]

Simplicity is king when it comes to reliability. Over the last dozen years complexity of engines, controls and emissions has increased several fold and reliability has suffered.

Standby gensets that are properly maintained had a 30-40 year service life if they were decent quality to begin with but I can without a doubt that is not the case anymore. Nobody will be supporting the complex controls on modern engines more than 10 or 15 years out - it’s really not even possible. Take for example software required to service or repair an engine from 2005. It would have run on Win ME or XP and will not run on any PC you can buy today and the rate of change is only accelerating.

It used to be simple to update a control and still is fairly easy to swap a controller and tie into the CANBus control network but ECMs that actually run the engines are proprietary and cannot be replaced with anything generic. When they go obsolete for anything but the most common engines you will have scrap metal.

The mindset of technicians now is also to replace anything that’s more than 5 or 10 years old rather than attempt a repair, I see it first hand regularly. It provides bells and whistles like emails but little or nothing for reliability or longevity.

 

[daugen]

The mindset of technicians now is also to replace anything that’s more than 5 or 10 years old rather than attempt a repair, I see it first hand regularly. It provides bells and whistles like emails but little or nothing for reliability or longevity.

From the point of the tech, sounds like job security to me...load up on bells and whistles and almost always that's what breaks and keeps you busy.
makes you wonder what a limp home mode for a generator would be...for the boss's coffee pot.

 

[ultrarunner]

Simplicity is king when it comes to reliability. Over the last dozen years complexity of engines, controls and emissions has increased several fold and reliability has suffered.

Standby gensets that are properly maintained had a 30-40 year service life if they were decent quality to begin with but I can without a doubt that is not the case anymore. Nobody will be supporting the complex controls on modern engines more than 10 or 15 years out - it’s really not even possible. Take for example software required to service or repair an engine from 2005. It would have run on Win ME or XP and will not run on any PC you can buy today and the rate of change is only accelerating.

It used to be simple to update a control and still is fairly easy to swap a controller and tie into the CANBus control network but ECMs that actually run the engines are proprietary and cannot be replaced with anything generic. When they go obsolete for anything but the most common engines you will have scrap metal.

The mindset of technicians now is also to replace anything that’s more than 5 or 10 years old rather than attempt a repair, I see it first hand regularly. It provides bells and whistles like emails but little or nothing for reliability or longevity.

Felt the effects with building energy management systems with optimal start/stop... the little modules are no longer supported... the windows 2000NT system is a dinosaur... but we have 80k into it so it keeps plodding along.

 

[ultrarunner]

The mindset of technicians now is also to replace anything that’s more than 5 or 10 years old rather than attempt a repair, I see it first hand regularly. It provides bells and whistles like emails but little or nothing for reliability or longevity.

From the point of the tech, sounds like job security to me...load up on bells and whistles and almost always that's what breaks and keeps you busy.

makes you wonder what a limp home mode for a generator would be...for the boss's coffee pot.

Looking out at the parking lot most of the new cars are leased... most like new tech as long as they are not on the hook for repairs...

Leasing, for a fee, gets rid of the repair responsibility and even emissions in my state as new vehicles have 5 year before required testing..

 

[Industrial Toys]

Some of my security panels have been out there working for thirty years, making me revenue, with only periodic backup battery replacement (and everytime they last a shorter time), or keypads for button contact issues. Not panels, I even remotely connect with. Now Honeywell drops a Bombshell on me that they are withdrawing support of my high end commercial panels. What, in a big complex, I am supposed to replace everything? Some systems having taken years of additions. And you know the new stuff will be NOTHING but trouble.

NOT only that. To add insult to injury. An issue where you lose control over a system, was dismissed by them for years and only now, that they are announcing abandoning the product line, do they admit they have new firmware available! I learned that only by accident! What a totally f..ed up dysfunctinal world!

 

[Chilliwack Murray]

Relieved to check back and see that my opinions were well received.

Typed that out after an 18 hour day and was a little concerned I had picked a fight somewhere in the middle of that rant.

 

[aczlan]

If anything that big gen needs some load put on it...

Wet stacking anyone?

Aaron Z

 

[Chilliwack Murray]

The mindset of technicians now is also to replace anything that’s more than 5 or 10 years old rather than attempt a repair, I see it first hand regularly. It provides bells and whistles like emails but little or nothing for reliability or longevity.

From the point of the tech, sounds like job security to me...load up on bells and whistles and almost always that's what breaks and keeps you busy.
makes you wonder what a limp home mode for a generator would be...for the boss's coffee pot.

Limp mode for a generator is Derate and can seriously compromise a facility. Nobody buys a generator significantly larger than required but when in derate it will typically be limited to 60%.

In high rise applications for example that will handle a normal power failure - running loads are usually around 30% but in a fire situation where stairwell pressurization fans and fire pumps are running you can expect 80% loading. Hospital generators are often loaded to around 50 - 60%.

When you derate the max throttle is limited so any increase in loading results in lower and lower frequency until the protection shuts it down on under frequency.

 

[3930dave]

There have been some options in the HVAC market for universal controllers, so had a quick look at generator options....

Hot Selling Universal Remote Controller for Diesel Generators From China (Deepsea 512) - China Generator Controller, Deepsea Controller

NFPA11 Compliant Genset Replacement Control Panel | Flight Systems

More work than a direct replacement, but way less than re/re a complete system.

More incentive to find a MEP, or Lister ?

Rgds, D.

 

[Industrial Toys]

In this day and age, FLIGHT SYSTEMS are number one in my books. Pick up the phone and talk to someone that knows Onan, light years better than Onan. GREAT pricing.

I have two new Dynagen controllers I intend to install in two sets. They are priced well, have north american support, but the older basic model is not rich in features.