Your last generator Maintenance Run

[3930dave]

Also had an acquaintance in the Arctic (where Nat gas was available) who ran 4cyl ford gensets to power his house and ran the rad air under the house to supplement heat. He saved 1/2 - 2/3 on heating costs and his electricity cost was around 30 cents/kWh where the utility charges 59.5 /kwh so it was a huge saving for him. He ran them 2 years, replaced the head, ran another 2 years then replaced the entire unit and did this for many years that I knew him.

CM - were those heads spec'd for Natgas ?

I know that on SuperDuty gas engines, Ford has a head option for Natgas/Propane Prep.

I'm curious in general, but that post about Hutch Mtn had me looking at propane conversion kits, and also the snorkels from these guys

MOTOR SNORKEL TRI-FUEL (Natural Gas, Propane, and Gasoline) Conversion Kit

Who ^ also listed a remote start solenoid kit for propane.....

Asking, because I don't know anyone who has put high hours on a converted-to-propane generator.....

Rgds, D.

 

[Chilliwack Murray]

Just answering two posts instead of quoting and making a longer post...

Most diesels have become more efficient over the course of going electronic but it’s been due as much to mechanical design as the electronics. There’s little the electronics can do apart from more precise timing and better atomization and lowering parasitic loads. There is no mixture to control on a diesel, fuel = throttle position so the gains that precise mixture control give on a spark ignited engine aren’t there.

Emissions took most or all the gains away, particularly without after treatment as emissions are controlled by later timing and EGR which both suck away at power.

I’d personally take an industrial (not automotive) diesel over a gas but that’s partly just bias. They are usually designed for several times the lifespan of a gas which are nearly all automotive based engines plus there are no issues with ignition and especially fuel mixture that gaseous engines are very sensitive to. That said, cost is a big factor so unless you can get the recovery from the initial outlay it’s sometimes hard to justify.

The fords that were run were dedicated Nat gas engines from Ford Industrial Engines with correct heads. 2 years run time is nearly 17,000 hours which is the equivalent of about 750,000kM driven. The heads and engines were changed proactively since at those hours they were paid for and this was his only source of power (he did keep the previous unit there for backup).

 

[Industrial Toys]

Things with "DIGITAL" displays are not always more accurate. You learn that when you build Digital measuring equipment. Like compare one digital clock to any other. Rarely the same time. But that's a little different to my argument.

I would easily pay the extra money for a Diesel. No need to justify it. How do people justify the extra money for products with an "Under Armor" logo? Then go out and by a cheasy noisy gas genny. Probably because they spent their money on all that other consumer junk that people just have to have.

 

[grsthegreat]

Things with "DIGITAL" displays are not always more accurate. You learn that when you build Digital measuring equipment. Like compare one digital clock to any other. Rarely the same time. But that's a little different to my argument.

I would easily pay the extra money for a Diesel. No need to justify it. How do people justify the extra money for products with an "Under Armor" logo? Then go out and by a cheasy noisy gas genny. Probably because they spent their money on all that other consumer junk that people just have to have.

Well i will say it again...to each need there is a different product. for occasional standby power theres nothing wrong with a gas generator ( i have many 1000 hour units running just fine to know this is true). but for someone that has MANY extended power outages or is off grid you cant beat a diesel unit. I can buy 4 air unit for the cost of a diesel unit.

 

[3930dave]

The fords that were run were dedicated Nat gas engines from Ford Industrial Engines with correct heads. 2 years run time is nearly 17,000 hours which is the equivalent of about 750,000kM driven. The heads and engines were changed proactively since at those hours they were paid for and this was his only source of power (he did keep the previous unit there for backup).

Thnx CM.

Common to run dual-generator setups up North, more for redundancy than just capacity ?

Rgds, D.

 

[LouNY]

To me the diesel is easier fuel to have on site,
more dependable and less likely to give me issues.

 

[Chilliwack Murray]

He is actually in the middle of a largish town but at 60 Cents per kWh it’s cheaper to produce his own especially with the heat benefit.

He has no utility connection so needs a redundant unit. The utility wants $300 per month to be connected without using any power.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I can't think of much worse fate than running with Jerry cans in hand to the gas station for an extended outage. And one rarely knows how long an outage will last. That, I hate the most.

Heard yet more stories about Rich peoples (auto start) propane gennys not starting in the cold. ALWAYS seems to be the propane jobs that are giving trouble.

 

[grsthegreat]

I can't think of much worse fate than running with Jerry cans in hand to the gas station for an extended outage. And one rarely knows how long an outage will last. That, I hate the most.

Heard yet more stories about Rich peoples (auto start) propane gennys not starting in the cold. ALWAYS seems to be the propane jobs that are giving trouble.

Very odd. I service 100’s of propane gensets over the years, mine included. Always start. I’m in north idaho. That’s pretty cold.

 

[daugen]

Very odd. I service 100’s of propane gensets over the years, mine included. Always start. I’m in north idaho. That’s pretty cold.

My 22kw Generac never likes the cold weather, makes funny noises, sounds like slight hiccups, finally smooths out. And that's in 10-20 degree temps, usually as low as it gets here. Always wondered about putting a heat kit on it, but only thing I've done is religiously put a smart charger on the battery twice a year.
It's never failed but doesn't sound happy in cold, surging for a short while.

Reminds me to go run my little 3200 Champion inverter today. This time I'm plugging both a heater
and a dehumidifier into it after it's warmed up a little.
It's becoming harder to start, partly because I don't start it every month.
On a number of small old engines I've found that just a whiff of starting fluid
in the air filter element seems to get a pop or two out of the engine, which seems enough
to pull the gasoline through the carb and get the engine going.