Your last generator Maintenance Run

daugen · Jan 10, 2022

I wish I had known about the twin 200's instead of a single 400. When I asked why the install at my NC farm was so much more expensive than my
last whole house gen, they pointed to the line item price of that 400 box. Wow. Price of a small car years ago...
But it all worked flawlessly

Diggin It · Jan 13, 2022

Taking the SS Generac on a 4 hour tour. Hopefully nothing will spring a hole in anything and leave me deserted.

Haven't used the big whole house forced air furnace all season. Been using other sources to try and cut back on KwHrs used. But kicked it on to load the genny and fuel supply to check for conflicts. None noted so far, burners and blower both started fine with no noted bog in genney.

Darn thing's noisy though so close to the house. Probably going to have to move it, which I'm not looking forward to.

ultrarunner · Jan 13, 2022

Funny thing about human nature...

Have new tenants in a nice single family on an acre which is rare in the city.

They came from a 1,000 square feet rental with a broken wall furnace... but weather here is mild.

Moved in December 1 and so happy and commented several times on the beauty of central heat and how much they love not being cold anymore... high efficiency gas furnace, well insulated and double pane windows...

Just stopped by yesterday and house cold and all wearing sweats...

I asked why so cold and they said at their old house the natural gas bill was never more than $20 a month... their first gas bill at the new house came with a gas bill of $220

Sometimes having what you think you want isn't the same as having it...

Diggin It · Jan 13, 2022

Throwing in some laundry to increase the load. Kicked on a 1500 watt oil filled space heater I haven't used in a while. Throwing everything at it including the kitchen sink ... hot water to run the water heater.

daugen · Jan 13, 2022

20 bucks a month for heat
well, maybe in Panama...
Ultrarunner your tenants had better not move to the NE or Canada and buy a house with fuel oil.

you'd really have to live in a goldilocks zone to accomplish that. And not mind fairly hot or fairly cold.
Not me, I want that thermostat on 71, 70 at night. As I've gotten older that number has crept up a couple of degrees.
Of course I live in a 900sf cottage and utilities are pretty cheap.

one of my favorite rv sites is expounding on the future of solid state battery banks instead of generators on rv's.
They need to figure out how to lower amperage consumption for hvac first. Some magic gas with 99% efficiency.
Because you can't depend upon solar being there. And solar isn't the most attractive thing in the world...
So we'll continue to ingest petroleum products in our generators. Which means we have to maintain them,
change the oil, recycle the waste oil, put the oily filter in the landfill, and make an enormous amount of noise
during operation. Which is why there are 162 videos, or so, on youtube showing home made generator noise boxes.

I'm up for continuing scientific breakthoughs. Is there an EMP proof option for generators?
Firing up the old Farmall with a gen on the pto will be in high demand if someone sets off one of those EMPs.
I'm no prepper but having some of the pre-electronic stuff might come in super handy. Some of these electric grids
clearly have some issues.

ultrarunner · Jan 13, 2022

Generator noise can sound like dozens of Briggs and Stratton mowers for hours on end and think it took a toll during the planned utility shut offs.

I like quiet and if money no object a sound stage genset would fit the bill.

I was once where they will filming and the gensets all Honda Diesel so quiet in there huge cases you wouldn't even know they are running...

The $20 monthly natural gas bill at the renters old place was hot water only as the home heater was broken and never did get fixed... East Bay SF Bay Area where 2 million dollar homes probably don't have A/C...

PILOON · Jan 13, 2022

As to generator noise I once found a neat trick.
My noisy Briggs powered genny was about 30 feet from my chalet and we could not converse.
Their was a hole near it, perhaps 1 foot deep and equally wide.
I attached some flex tubing that was handy and re directed the exhaust into that hole.
Miracles!--- all we could hear from nearby was the clacking of the valves.
The soil sides of that hole deadened 95% of exhaust sounds and we could carry on conversations at normal volume.

grsthegreat · Jan 13, 2022

A whole house unit is way way quieter than a portable producing 1/2 the power of the standby.
actually my 6500watt portable is noisier than my 22 kw standby. I can hardly stand being next to the portable when its operating. I can carry a conversation next to the 22

ultrarunner · Jan 13, 2022

Ive heard the larger Honda Inverter Generators and not bad... only know of one Generac in the neighborhood but never heard it run.

5 our on Generac Wait List at one time but no updates.

One is an elderly retired couple with a Honda eu3000 Inverter and electric start... I really like how quiet and fuel sipping since I refill it... most of the time is is on eco-idle.

It powers a oxygen concentrator refrigeration, lights and computer/internet...