[lt230s]

Haven't had the need for it for awhile, but since neighbors lost power yesterday due to limbs broken from heavy snow on Friday night and another storm due Monday into Tuesday with totals higher than this, I pulled generator out to fire it up and give it a run .
Good thing I did. Didn't want to fire up, so pulled plug. It was wet, so I knew it was getting fuel. Cleaned plug and still nothing. Ran to NAPA got new plug and she fired right up.

Here it is running for a bit with fan going to exercise it.

 

[chuckv]

If you want a reliable standby generator, you should 'exercise' it regularly. Good for you that you thought to test it prior to an urgent need! Running under load is the best exercise.

The permanently installed gen-sets like those made by Generac and other firms have an automated exercise cycle of every two weeks to monthly...not only does this verify readiness, but it also ensures the starting battery is in shape to accomplish the start in any weather throughout the seasons. These machines also have a detailed maintenance schedule included in their documentation.

I chose to go a more manual and perhaps less expensive/complex a route with a tri-fuel portable gen-set from Firman that I documented in a post on this forum some time ago.

Getting the generator ready...

We have pretty reliable power here in our place in Idaho, but we have almost always had a standby generator "just in case" at our prior properties. It was more of a necessity when I built the off-grid solar powered house back in the late 1970's -- that generator was an 1800 RPM Onan unit that...

www.wfmachines.com

I run this generator about once a month...mine runs on natural gas so I don't have the issues with storing/handling liquid fuels like gasoline or diesel. Vapor based fuels mean fewer issues with some maintenance chores and no 'stabilizers' are needed.

Chuck

 

[Mike_U]

John - smart move getting the generator ready. Hopefully you've got a couple full cans of gasoline ready and heavy gauge wire extension cords just in case too. If you are running a couple high loads like refrigerators and freezers, you will be pulling some current and you don't want voltage drop in the extension cords if you can help it.

Here's a little generator info from my days in the electric power generation industry. Exercising is good not only for the engine but also for the generator. The internal copper windings of reliable generators are typically sealed with a vacuum impregnated epoxy that keeps moisture out of the windings but over time, cracks can occur and a little moisture can seep in. If a lot of moisture is present and the windings are heated quickly, that moisture turns to steam and can permanently damage the windings as it tries to escape. In critical standby generator applications in high humidity areas like basements of buildings, etc., space heater elements are added to the generator housing to keep moisture out.

When you add a small load during exercising you warm the windings of the generator slowly and drive out any moisture that might have gotten between the windings. It's usually not critical on a small unit like yours but every little bit helps keep moisture out.

One thing I like to do when I run my generator is to firmly ground it. I usually take a long metal rod, pry bar or long crowbar if I am desperate and drive it into the ground next to the generator and attach one end of a battery jumper cable to the generator frame grounding point and the other end of the same cable to the bar I drove into the ground. It ensures the generator is properly grounded. I also use an extension cord with a GFCI Ground Fault outlet whenever I can for added protection.

I hope you don't need your generator any time soon. Mike

 

[lt230s]

@chuckv and @Mike_U
I do exercise it several times a year just to make sure. I think spark plug was just something. Generator is over 10 years old as we got it during Sandy in '11.
Got plenty of gas as we stocked up for winter for snow removal equipment and snowmobiles but never got to use it. Treated with Seafoam.
I have plug out side wired into panel breaker with manual switch over. I think Chuck has similar set up. I also want to build enclosure like Chuck's to keep close by and for sound attenuation.

I'm hoping that getting it ready, it will not be needed.👍

 

[chuckv]

John,

At 10 years old, you might want to check the condenser (and points if it has them...) Sounds like you take good care of it and pay attention to keeping it in working order for when it is needed -- hopefully you are right about by being prepared, that may keep it from being actually needed.

The enclosure does allow me to keep my generator at its use location and yet our of the weather. It also makes a small reduction in sound level as well, but not nearly as much as those "zombie box" enclosures. Those are slick and can really reduce the sound level, but are quite expensive -- about $2000 for a larger unit.

Generator Box — ZombieBox

Portable Soundproof Generator Box

www.zombiebox.com

Chuck

 

[lt230s]

My plan was complete service this summer, but may get done earlier. Manual notes first service after 25 hours and then every fifty after that (I think). Its just over 50 hours now and oil looks a little dirty, plus plug cover boot broke when I pulled it off spark plug. It was hard plastic type and I assume it got brittle from heat/cool cycles. It doesn't affect firing but will get replaced along with air filter and anything else that looks questionable.

 

[army]

Mike. Where ya been? Good advice on generators. After two ice storms recently I've been eyeballing them.

John - smart move getting the generator ready. Hopefully you've got a couple full cans of gasoline ready and heavy gauge wire extension cords just in case too. If you are running a couple high loads like refrigerators and freezers, you will be pulling some current and you don't want voltage drop in the extension cords if you can help it.

Here's a little generator info from my days in the electric power generation industry. Exercising is good not only for the engine but also for the generator. The internal copper windings of reliable generators are typically sealed with a vacuum impregnated epoxy that keeps moisture out of the windings but over time, cracks can occur and a little moisture can seep in. If a lot of moisture is present and the windings are heated quickly, that moisture turns to steam and can permanently damage the windings as it tries to escape. In critical standby generator applications in high humidity areas like basements of buildings, etc., space heater elements are added to the generator housing to keep moisture out.

When you add a small load during exercising you warm the windings of the generator slowly and drive out any moisture that might have gotten between the windings. It's usually not critical on a small unit like yours but every little bit helps keep moisture out.

One thing I like to do when I run my generator is to firmly ground it. I usually take a long metal rod, pry bar or long crowbar if I am desperate and drive it into the ground next to the generator and attach one end of a battery jumper cable to the generator frame grounding point and the other end of the same cable to the bar I drove into the ground. It ensures the generator is properly grounded. I also use an extension cord with a GFCI Ground Fault outlet whenever I can for added protection.

I hope you don't need your generator any time soon. Mike

 

[army]

They are apparently called doghouses John.

I also want to build enclosure like Chuck's to keep close by and for sound attenuation.

 

[lt230s]

They are apparently called doghouses John.

I'm not keeping my dog in it, so it'll be called a gennyhouse. 😜

 

[tmac58star]

I keep our backup portable generator under my fold-down work table in the garage. Also keep a 55-gal thick plastic barrel well away from the shop out back as my stored fuel depot. It has a lid and vent holes, and holds four 5-gal fuel cans...1 diesel for the 430, and 3 gasoline for my herd and the generator.
Twice a year I drain the generator tank and cycle all the gas on hand into my pickup tank...then treat/restock with fresh gas. Treat with Stabil, Seafoam & Marvel Mystery Oil...which I know is overkill. Keeps all my carbed engines clean and free of crapenol gunk and doesn't affect the Toyota truck engine. I also pull the generator out every couple of months, fire it up and let it run awhile with a light load. We've only used it about 5-6 times in as many years when we have short weather outages. It's worth the little bit of occasional maintenance to have it handy when you need it IMHO.

 

[TempletonJDguy]

It’s not overkill. Stabil treats the top layer of gas and makes a film on top to keep gas from evaporating the good parts out of it. Seafoam mixes with fuel to do the same thing. By doubling down on the treatments you are ensuring your gas will not breakdown many times over. The oils in mm oil and seafoam also lubricate the sensitive parts of the carb that could begin to varnish and rust. Ok fuel engineers I’ve left myself wide open here ready for a good smackdown 🤣🤣

 

[chuckv]

tmac,

Good fuel handling system to keep your stores as fresh as they need to be !! These considerations are one of the major reasons I went with a natural gas fueled generator -- that and my wife does not need to handle any large fuel cans in the middle of an emergency use of said generator. The absence of issues with water in the gas, varnish from evaporation, etc. are another bonus of gaseous fuel. My generator has a choice of NG, propane or gasoline -- so if needed a diffferent fuel type can be employed, but for now it has only seen NG.

John, the descriptive term "doghouse" may fit the smaller enclosures, but "shed" seems to fit the larger ones. At a prior property I put a real doghouse (resin type, weatherproof style) over the well pump down at the end of the property rather than build one out of wood that would need to be replaced every few years...plus it was rapidly deployed.

Chuck

 

[lt230s]

Unfortunately around here, natural gas is only available if you live along major road or in one of the villages that the major road intersects. Propane wasn't common when we built the house, so went with fuel oil.
Like others, I just make sure any gas stored is treated to help long term.

 

[tmac58star]

I'd like to know the details on Chuck's off-grid solar home from the days of yore...lots of our neighbors are adding panels to their property/houses. If/when we move back to my home ground in a couple of years, I'd like to know how to add/build solar into an existing or new retirement nest.

 

[5540jd]

Chuck, glad to see you opted for multi fuel generator. My cousin had on on his house that is strictly natural gas. After the tornado that struck our area in December of 2021, there were so many houses ripped from foundations and gas lines just blowing wide open, they had to shut main off in his area for several days till they could get everything capped off. I know that was an unusual situation, but it can happen and did.

 

[chuckv]

Yes, multi-fuel covers it as much as anything can... earthquakes can disrupt the utility gas service, among other things.

Tmac, the off-grid house had a solar electric system, direct gain solar heat (stored in an insulated concrete slab of 24+yards) and a back up generator powered by propane. Secondary lighting in the home was also by propane mantel lamps -- primary lamps were the 24 volt DC fixtures.

I modified plans for an octagon home, since it provided cross ventilation for most rooms and a good solar exposure to the three main rooms on the south, southeast and southwest side of the building. I incorporated longer than normal eaves of 3+ feet to shade in the summer but allow direct gain in the winter when the sun is low in the sky. Also used a wall height of nearly 10 feet when most single story houses were just over 8 feet. The taller wall kept the long eave from hiding the view or making things seem claustrophobic.

We built the house by hand -- but I did contract out the concrete work and the drywall work as those are pretty specific skills. I did borrow a neighbor's small caterpillar tractor to level the building site myself, however... Here are pictures of me on the Cat 22.

These are old snapshots...sorry for the low quality. The back edge of the site in the top picture goes down about 100 feet to a creek bed, so caution was the main criteria, not speed...

Chuck

 

[lt230s]

Yes, multi-fuel covers it as much as anything can... earthquakes can disrupt the utility gas service, among other things.

Tmac, the off-grid house had a solar electric system, direct gain solar heat (stored in an insulated concrete slab of 24+yards) and a back up generator powered by propane. Secondary lighting in the home was also by propane mantel lamps -- primary lamps were the 24 volt DC fixtures.

I modified plans for an octagon home, since it provided cross ventilation for most rooms and a good solar exposure to the three main rooms on the south, southeast and southwest side of the building. I incorporated longer than normal eaves of 3+ feet to shade in the summer but allow direct gain in the winter when the sun is low in the sky. Also used a wall height of nearly 10 feet when most single story houses were just over 8 feet. The taller wall kept the long eave from hiding the view or making things seem claustrophobic.

We built the house by hand -- but I did contract out the concrete work and the drywall work as those are pretty specific skills. I did borrow a neighbor's small caterpillar tractor to level the building site myself, however... Here are pictures of me on the Cat 22.
View attachment 289665
View attachment 289666

These are old snapshots...sorry for the low quality. The back edge of the site in the top picture goes down about 100 feet to a creek bed, so caution was the main criteria, not speed...

Chuck

Boy that description brings back memories of my HS and college architecture classes. We had studied active and passive solar designs. Massive concrete heat sinks to store daytime sun light, long overhangs, and even buried into a southern exposure to take advantage of the constant ground temperature. Never got to put into reality like yours, but always fasinated me.
No need for the geothermal designs or heat pumps they're pushing today.

 

[army]

Shorten it to genhouse and ya got a deal

I'm not keeping my dog in it, so it'll be called a gennyhouse. 😜

 

[lt230s]

Shorten it to genhouse and ya got a deal

Deal!!!!! 👍

 

[army]

Rhymes with henhouse so it'll be easy to remember.