Your last generator Maintenance Run

[LouNY]

I like your drawbar, creative fix
You should see quite a difference in fuel consumption depending on the generator loading.

 

[3930dave]

Nice story, and write-up Fi. Thanks ! Made in Port Credit too !

Diesel is spendy today, but, Needs Must - your friend gets his work done faster .

If you've never changed out the gear oil, ask your friend to keep an eye on the gearbox oil-level. Any water in the sump may get driven off with an extended run like that, with a corresponding drop in oil level.

Rgds, D.

 

[grsthegreat]

Question to Fi-q, where are you located? You report temps in metric, but using generator at 60hz.

the only people i know that use metric have 50 hz equipment (canada).

 

[Fi-Q]

Question to Fi-q, where are you located? You report temps in metric, but using generator at 60hz.

the only people i know that use metric have 50 hz equipment (canada).

In Canada, Eastern Quebec, but we use 60hz. As far as I know, the « costumer end » power is standard in North America, 120 / 240v at 60hz. Not sure where you took the 50hz for Canada ?

I think diffrent region have diffrent high volatge for power lines ( I know Hydro Quebec use 735kv).

And Canada made the switch to metric in 1975, but beign USA neighbor, we still use the American Standard a lot.

 

[grsthegreat]

I was hooking up motors in cabinet shop over the years. All imported from canada, and all 50 hz.

not sure what part of Canada though.

this is the only instance ive encountered with 50 hz systems though.

 

[DMW]

In Canada, Eastern Quebec, but we use 60hz. As far as I know, the « costumer end » power is standard in North America, 120 / 240v at 60hz. Not sure where you took the 50hz for Canada ?

I think diffrent region have diffrent high volatge for power lines ( I know Hydro Quebec use 735kv).

And Canada made the switch to metric in 1975, but beign USA neighbor, we still use the American Standard a lot.

There were competing electrical systems in North America until standardization in late 1950's. Of interest to Canadians may be that Southern Ontario (Windsor-Niagara-Toronto) was on a 25hz system until the 1950's. A very interesting bit of history I was never aware of until this thread piqued my curiosity.

ONTARIO SCRAPS ITS HORSE-AND-BUGGY LIGHTS | Maclean's | AUGUST 15 1951

For fifty years the rest of Canada has poked fun at Ontario’s flickering lights. Now, in the world’s biggest power conversion job, Ontario Hydro is spending two hundred millions to bring a million consumers up to date

archive.macleans.ca

 

[grsthegreat]

I just remember the nightmare getting UL Certification on this Canadian 3 phase equipment to use in a US shop. Was very expensive, and time consuming. Was years ago, and never encountered it again. I just thought canada was all 50 hz. Never bothered to question it.

 

[3930dave]

There were competing electrical systems in North America until standardization in late 1950's. Of interest to Canadians may be that Southern Ontario (Windsor-Niagara-Toronto) was on a 25hz system until the 1950's. A very interesting bit of history I was never aware of until this thread piqued my curiosity.

ONTARIO SCRAPS ITS HORSE-AND-BUGGY LIGHTS | Maclean's | AUGUST 15 1951

For fifty years the rest of Canada has poked fun at Ontario’s flickering lights. Now, in the world’s biggest power conversion job, Ontario Hydro is spending two hundred millions to bring a million consumers up to date

archive.macleans.ca

Interesting time-capsule article.

I remember my Dad's brothers talking about flickering lights on the farm, before conversion.

Rgds, D.

 

[3930dave]

I was hooking up motors in cabinet shop over the years. All imported from canada, and all 50 hz.

not sure what part of Canada though.

this is the only instance ive encountered with 50 hz systems though.

I'm wondering if that equipment was manufactured here, but originally designed for Europe, or other 50hz markets......

Official reporting here is C, oldsters like me talk both C and F amongst ourselves. SI Electronic, I usually default to C.

Rgds, D.

 

[Fi-Q]

I just remember the nightmare getting UL Certification on this Canadian 3 phase equipment to use in a US shop. Was very expensive, and time consuming. Was years ago, and never encountered it again. I just thought canada was all 50 hz. Never bothered to question it.

No problems. On the other hand, back in the mid 2000’s I worked crazy overtime getting a USA manufactured windmill farm ( installed in Canada) to get it CSA compliant ( the equivalent of UL standard in the USA).

At the start of this project, back then I was installation manager, I raised many flags and send a crazy amount of email to the project managment team stating that the produxt will not be able to go on grid as many things, to my eyes anyway, we not going to fly with the CSA inspetor. Not did I know anything back then about the code, but I just finsihed a project in Eatern Ontario then and we wnt theough the wholse CSA campliance show!

Then the Alberta project was under sone west coast PM.

Anyway, no one ever replied to my emails and questions about the CSA standard , then 1 week before final commissioning. We were seeking permission to go live with approx 50 MW of power, so the locall grid authority send an inspector for the CSA certification, and we miserably failed ! At the moment, I was so pissed cause I spent month warning upper management about this exact moment!

But a few days down the road, I realized that this would give me and my team 3 months of extra work , retrofitting these wind generator to CSA standard, while there was no other job on the go for the compant in Canada, so I ended up enjoying the fact that no one have listen to me, the extra « gravy » months paid , at the time, the used Duramax I got there 6 months earlier !

 

[3930dave]

Bosses asleep, more $ in your pocket...... Life is Good Fi !

Rgds, D.

 

[Williy]

My first and last time that I played 9 holes of golf
my score was 75.
There is nothing that will ruin a good golf game is
that little round white thing!
When I was stationed in Corput Christi, TX I would
go out to the golf range and hit golf balls I could drive
that little white thing over 550 yards as that was the
last mark they had for the driving range and I could
drive gold balls past that sign. This guy was going to
show me how I should stand to hit the ball and I told
him why should I change my stance when I am driving
the balls over twice as far as he is?

willy

 

[daugen]

Tiger Woods' longest drive on record is 498 yards. Williy, I think you are in the wrong business.
I believe most folks drive 200-300 yards. I've never hit the ball.

high winds predicted coming with next storm. Gen might just get a workout.
I started it a few days ago and it started on propane at 1003. Normal. Takes a little while to get the vapor in that carb.

I keep looking at LI batteries and inverters. Seems to be a very reliable solution.
Several TBN folks are off grid and fully self sufficient.
I bet most have at least one backup gen.

Belt and suspenders in case primary breaks.

On a 1000ah battery, how many hours of operation could I get if my draw were 30amps, say to 90 percent discharge level.
I wonder if results are linear meaning twice as long operation with two identical batteries instead of one with same draw.
While my 9500 gen will run the single central a/c unit, I would draw the line there on a do everything backup.
If I'm on backup to the backup, I can do without a/c. But not heat. With fuel oil, not a lot of load. So the priorities would be sump pump,
fridge and freezer, and then heat.

I've been thinking about a single battery with 2kw sine wave inverter, or a double 1000ah battery with a 4kw inverter. I wish there was some online calculator where
you could plug in various capacities and loads to find run time. At 30 amps and 50amp draw. I bet my offgrid friends would know.

I guess someday our maintenance discussions will only be about which smart charger we like best.
But there will always be old iron out there.

 

[LouNY]

Tiger Woods' longest drive on record is 498 yards. Williy, I think you are in the wrong business.
I believe most folks drive 200-300 yards. I've never hit the ball.

high winds predicted coming with next storm. Gen might just get a workout.
I started it a few days ago and it started on propane at 1003. Normal. Takes a little while to get the vapor in that carb.

I keep looking at LI batteries and inverters. Seems to be a very reliable solution.
Several TBN folks are off grid and fully self sufficient.
I bet most have at least one backup gen.

Belt and suspenders in case primary breaks.

On a 1000ah battery, how many hours of operation could I get if my draw were 30amps, say to 90 percent discharge level.
I wonder if results are linear meaning twice as long operation with two identical batteries instead of one with same draw.
While my 9500 gen will run the single central a/c unit, I would draw the line there on a do everything backup.
If I'm on backup to the backup, I can do without a/c. But not heat. With fuel oil, not a lot of load. So the priorities would be sump pump,
fridge and freezer, and then heat.

I've been thinking about a single battery with 2kw sine wave inverter, or a double 1000ah battery with a 4kw inverter. I wish there was some online calculator where
you could plug in various capacities and loads to find run time. At 30 amps and 50amp draw. I bet my offgrid friends would know.

I guess someday our maintenance discussions will only be about which smart charger we like best.
But there will always be old iron out there.

Some of the u tubers that I watch are quite impressed with these units;
https://www.ecoflow.com/us

 

[dodge man]

Yeah, I drove the ball a little past the green on a par 4 once, probably a 400 yard drive. It was a drought year and they didn’t water the fairways. I hit the ball well and probably a 300 yard drive but it rolled forever.

 

[daugen]

Some of the u tubers that I watch are quite impressed with these units;
https://www.ecoflow.com/us

Lou, I couldn't find the pricing but I'd say the design and fit/finish is very impressive and
with an equally impressive price.
I think I can make this myself for less than two grand. /drew
good thing to fool around with on a rainy inside day

 

[daugen]

turned out to be about 1400 dollars to build one's own, as in large 200ah LI battery, 4kw s/w inverter, 10ah smart charger, inline DC breaker, cables, etc.
And probably a platform cart to store it on and move it around on concrete if need be.

I was all set to build this when trip to dentist yesterday told me I not only broke a crown but the bridge to it also.
Almost four grand to fix. So no big projects this month for sure. Scrooge has arrived.

I like the idea of quiet power. Battery is warranted 11 years. So cost will amortize to a little over a hundred bucks a year during ten year life.

only question I have left is are the LIPO4 batteries vented and do they offgas into the surrounding air anything harmful while being charged.
Sure can't run a generator in the basement, but is it safe to do this with one big battery? I'm guessing it is. Guessing...

 

[daugen]

I jinxed myself plotting....power went out half an hour ago and I'm listening to the drone of my propane portable.
and staying nicely warm

 

[3930dave]

I jinxed myself plotting....power went out half an hour ago and I'm listening to the drone of my propane portable.
and staying nicely warm

I like both formats of power delivery, but in Winter, can't see anybody complaining about noise if that means heat continues

Batteries outside (shedded) with the generator, just inverter inside ?

Rgds, D.

 

[Williy]

YA I filmed myself on the driving range
and look like a wood chopper LONG
ways from a golfer but I had the power
I handled freight for 2 years really built
up the muscle! To pick up 400 lbs was
noting.

willy