Your last generator Maintenance Run

[Rustyiron]

My wife has started the generator and thrown the transfer switch by herself.
I'm both leery of "automatic" and cheap when it comes to street/generator switching.
There's no strange diagnosis if there's trouble in the middle of a stormy night with basically nothing to go wrong with at least the switch part of it.

 

[TMGT]

Not sure anyone here said anything about a cheap transfer, just affordable. Might end up being a used one or new if there is a better manufacturered switch out there that I can adapt to my gen. The big manufacturers are priced from about 2.5-3k for a 400a switch, no matter what it'll have to be rated/certified for service entrance use.

The reason I like automatic transfer switches is more for the shutdown when power is restored rather then the auto starting.

Either way they still have a simple manual override so not worried about diagnosing in an emergency.



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[TMGT]

Not a fun storm, anytime/where......

If you are going to roll your own diesel, if it doesn't have an appropriate control system already, somebody (my lousy memory) in FL posted in this thread about an aftermarket controller that looked to be well designed/built/documented at what seemed to me at the time, a reasonable price for a quality product.

He had used it on a milsurp unit he installed at home. Lousy memory again..... _____-King is stuck in my head for the controller name, but don't quote me, that may just be randomly connected in my memory to Sea-King choppers.....

Rgds, D.

I'll be using a 15kw gen head from my dads old Generac standby that lunched the engine. I have all the controls from it but not sure if I want to try to adapt that or start from scratch.
I have a good running Kubota D1105, plan is to belt drive it and run the engine around 2500rpm which should give me the 22 or so HP needed for the 15kw. I know belt drive isn't ideal but would rather run the engine a little slower.

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[5030]

...This morning at 7AM sharp.

 

[3930dave]

My wife has started the generator and thrown the transfer switch by herself.
I'm both leery of "automatic" and cheap when it comes to street/generator switching.
There's no strange diagnosis if there's trouble in the middle of a stormy night with basically nothing to go wrong with at least the switch part of it.

On one hand, I'm that guy that doesn't trust anything... even an anvil

OTOH, having to deal with the cost-optimizations that sometimes hit automotive electrical/tronic systems.... yeah, Simple has it's attractions.

All it takes, is competent engineering, manufacturing, and installation/servicing, for the foundation of a complex system to be solid.... but, sometimes one or more of those factors is weak....

I've always been hands-on, but in a past (work) life, auto-transfer would have had high value to me, going stretches of 4+ days away at a time for work.

Regards, D.

 

[3930dave]

I'll be using a 15kw gen head from my dads old Generac standby that lunched the engine. I have all the controls from it but not sure if I want to try to adapt that or start from scratch.
I have a good running Kubota D1105, plan is to belt drive it and run the engine around 2500rpm which should give me the 22 or so HP needed for the 15kw. I know belt drive isn't ideal but would rather run the engine a little slower.

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If the original Generac controls are still intact, that might be the simplest route. If you have one or two questions, post-up here.... if grs gets a little better at "retiring" , he may have a little more time to put up his feet and do some recreational surfing here.... though he contributed plenty often, considering he was working flat-out before.

I just thought to mention that full-custom milsurp install, that was posted up here some time back, as a plan B or C Control. When a product comes along in the aftermarket that does a job well, and is reasonable priced, that's something that keeps an old hardware geek like myself hanging out on TBN .

Hopefully you have better luck coming up with RoundTuIts on this project, than I usually do ; post-up when you do.

(P.S - I've come to appreciate the crude but potentially valuable aspect of belts..... as a Mechanical Fuse. You may need multiple rows, but they should do the job fine).

Rgds, D.

 

[LittleBill21]

If the original Generac controls are still intact, that might be the simplest route. If you have one or two questions, post-up here.... if grs gets a little better at "retiring" , he may have a little more time to put up his feet and do some recreational surfing here.... though he contributed plenty often, considering he was working flat-out before.

I just thought to mention that full-custom milsurp install, that was posted up here some time back, as a plan B or C Control. When a product comes along in the aftermarket that does a job well, and is reasonable priced, that's something that keeps an old hardware geek like myself hanging out on TBN .

Hopefully you have better luck coming up with RoundTuIts on this project, than I usually do ; post-up when you do.

(P.S - I've come to appreciate the crude but potentially valuable aspect of belts..... as a Mechanical Fuse. You may need multiple rows, but they should do the job fine).

Rgds, D.

i could be wrong, but the only aftermarket start controller i am aware of , is not universal, and was designed specifically for the MEP units, and is sold by an individual over at steel soldier.

 

[TMGT]

i could be wrong, but the only aftermarket start controller i am aware of , is not universal, and was designed specifically for the MEP units, and is sold by an individual over at steel soldier.

I'm sure a setup could be made from scratch, however I would have a lot of hrs in research and testing to get it right, so probably not worth it.

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[3930dave]

...This morning at 7AM sharp.

Rgds, D.

 

[LouNY]

If I was going to belt drive a generator head I would use the toothed belting setups.
https://timkenbelts.com/products/panther-xt-belt/

 

[LittleBill21]

I'm sure a setup could be made from scratch, however I would have a lot of hrs in research and testing to get it right, so probably not worth it.

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could be done with arudino's, i was eventually going to go this path, but we didn't get enough outages for that type of investment

 

[TMGT]

If the original Generac controls are still intact, that might be the simplest route. If you have one or two questions, post-up here.... if grs gets a little better at "retiring" , he may have a little more time to put up his feet and do some recreational surfing here.... though he contributed plenty often, considering he was working flat-out before.

I just thought to mention that full-custom milsurp install, that was posted up here some time back, as a plan B or C Control. When a product comes along in the aftermarket that does a job well, and is reasonable priced, that's something that keeps an old hardware geek like myself hanging out on TBN .

Hopefully you have better luck coming up with RoundTuIts on this project, than I usually do ; post-up when you do.

(P.S - I've come to appreciate the crude but potentially valuable aspect of belts..... as a Mechanical Fuse. You may need multiple rows, but they should do the job fine).

Rgds, D.

Controls are still there, it is an older unit that doesn't have the touch pad so might be easier to adapt.
The engine I'm planning on using ran hydraulic pumps via belts so I already have a double sheave pulley with spring tensioner.

Biggest job is going to be making the bearing support for the engine side of the gen head and the taper adaptor to mount the pulleys.

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[TMGT]

If I was going to belt drive a generator head I would use the toothed belting setups.
https://timkenbelts.com/products/panther-xt-belt/

If I was building everything from scratch I would go that route direction, but since I'm trying to use what I have it'll be a double V belt.

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[grsthegreat]

Do you have a 400 amp main panel, or a 400 amp meter with 2 main breakers? Reason i ask is because 2 - 200 amp transfer switches are WAY cheaper than any 400 amp transfer switch. I have loads of 400 amp houses running twin 200 amp switches. But never on less than a 22 kw unit. Most houses running 400 amp have so much electrical heat, water heat, etc that a small 15 kw unit will probibly stall out.
i have also installed a smaller gen on a single 200 amp transfer switch from a 400 amp house, than moved all the huge circuits over to the unprotected panel, and moved all the stuff that could run without issue to the protected panel. Most people only wanted to protect frige, freezer, have lights and tv operating. They understand a 60 amp generator isnt going to run a 80 amp heat strip heater.

 

[3930dave]

I'm sure a setup could be made from scratch, however I would have a lot of hrs in research and testing to get it right, so probably not worth it.

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I don't trust my memory of that TBN'ers post enough to comment further.

If I get enough time tonight (Monday night is already destroyed for me), or maybe Tues. night, I'll drift back through the timeline on this thread, and see how well my memory matches reality......

What I will say though, is I'm aware of Generic Controller ABC having been designed for HVAC systems.

For a given application (generator, HVAC, industrial machine....) I'd think the control functions are pretty standardized..... one manuf. may spec an additional sensor or actuator, but I suspect for the most part, they all look similar, technically.

Obviously, the manufacturers don't want the market to see their offerings that way, as it would erode their profit margins.

I won't say it's common, but I see no good technical reasons why any competent controls-engineering firm would not be able to design a generic/open-source Control board, for a given application.

I'll post, once I rewind the thread far enough.....

Rgds, D.

 

[grsthegreat]

Check out this site

Flight Systems

www.flightsystems.com

 

[ultrarunner]

In Olympia the 400 amp service is split to two 200 amp panels.

Off to the side is a Gen Tran 8 circuit box with each circuit having a 3-way switch... Utility-Off-Generator.

Like has been said it has important circuits set up for 5000 watt generator.

Of course someone capable has to be there to run Generator and switch loads.

Not ideal but economical...

 

[3930dave]

Do you have a 400 amp main panel, or a 400 amp meter with 2 main breakers?

Great points on $ vs. load balancing

Rgds, D.

 

[3930dave]

Check out this site

Flight Systems

www.flightsystems.com

That logo seems familiar.... you might have nailed it g.

I will backtrack later..... I now want to make sure I didn't dream of the schematic that logo reminds me of....

(Going back outside now... back to "regular" automotive problems ....)

Rgds, D.

 

[TMGT]

Do you have a 400 amp main panel, or a 400 amp meter with 2 main breakers? Reason i ask is because 2 - 200 amp transfer switches are WAY cheaper than any 400 amp transfer switch. I have loads of 400 amp houses running twin 200 amp switches. But never on less than a 22 kw unit. Most houses running 400 amp have so much electrical heat, water heat, etc that a small 15 kw unit will probibly stall out.
i have also installed a smaller gen on a single 200 amp transfer switch from a 400 amp house, than moved all the huge circuits over to the unprotected panel, and moved all the stuff that could run without issue to the protected panel. Most people only wanted to protect frige, freezer, have lights and tv operating. They understand a 60 amp generator isnt going to run a 80 amp heat strip heater.

I have 2- 200amp panels, I was thinking about doing the 2- 200amp transfer switches but was hoping for a single switch for simplicity. From my understanding, the 400a Generac transfers actually just have 2- 200amp switches in them? Or the info on their site was wrong.

15kw will run everything I need, my loads are relative low, the only reason I was going to power both panels is because the loads I want to run are spread out pretty evenly between the 2.

Can you run the newer whole house transfer switches from an older control system? Also can you control load shedding through the transfer switch using an older gen controller?

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