rec's for a _diesel_ small (5 or so kw) generator?

The recent and continuing problems from Sandra highlighted
one big problem with the ubiquitous small gasoline
generators we know and love, namely the availibilty of fuel.

- I delivered a 6 kw Honda to a business in NYC last week,
along with three 5 gal gasoline containers. (It gave them
enough power to do basic functions).

Fortunately they got power restored after just using
one of the gas cans, but if they'd have run through the
rest, it would have been very difficult to get more.

Diesel fuel, on the other hand, was both more readily
available from both the (few open) gas stations, and
also... could have been pulled from their heating
oil tank. (#2 heating fuel is, for the short term
at least, cross compatable with diesel).

Honda doesn't have anything in a diesel line. Any suggestions
from our readership?

Size should be about 5 kw. Inverter tech a big plus
but not critical.

Thanks

 

Thanks. Specs look good. How bad is the noise level?

(no stores nearby, but I might be makign a trip near one...)

Also, does the unit slow down (and get quieter...) with
lower loads?
Thanks again.

 

Specs say 65db. It is quieter than your gas unit.


Jim Rojas
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Northern Lights 1800 RPM - I bought a used marine unit and plumb it into
the heating system for co-generation (with a means to dump heat if
needed, but it's often cold when the power is out here, and hot water is
always nice to have.) Not particularly cheap, but reliable and parts can
be found. I have an 8KW, they make a 6KW.

Not inverter.

There's plenty of China stuff available, but long-term parts support may
be lacking. You may or may not care about that, but if you have a cheesy
unit and it dies when you need it, it's not exactly saving you money -
or at least that was my thought process.

 

The specific application I'm looking at is an apartment
complex (five buildins, 20 stories, about 800 apartments)
which doesn't have "real" backup power, but does have
a couple of rollable 5 kw or so gasoline units to let
them do some stuff.

(Note that this does NOT include moving the elevators...)

Anyway, I figured on dropping them a note to pick up
a diesel unit since... as we just got smacked in
our heads with... getting gasoline could easily be
a problem. On the other hand we've got thousands of
gallons of #2 heating fuel in our tanks, and for
the short term at least, that's cross compatable
with diesel fuel.

So with it really being a "spare" to the gasoline
units, it only has to be good, not great.

Of course, that's NOT what I'm going to tell them.

Still hoping for an inverter model... a diesel
version of the Honda EU series... or Yamaha's
similar line... drool...

Thanks to everyone.

 

The chinese crap should come with a lathe and mill.

 

I bought a Lincoln Welder, figuring it would increase the resale value
10 years down the road. I don't remember if it's 9Kw or 11Kw.
Mikek

 

Selection of a generator

I moved to the Australian tropics about 10 years ago, we have cyclones
(Hurricanes) here and so I decide to install a generator, as one cyclone hit
about 50 miles south of here and the power was off in parts for a month
(Snapped off power poles etc.) here the same cyclone left us without mains
power for a day, a second one left us without mains power for 4 days. First
cyclone was a cat 4 the second one a cat 5. The centre of the second one
almost went though the city.

Now I purchased a second hand 27 Kw 3 phase diesel generator. Connected it
all up with a transfer switch.

The reason for the 27 Kw is that I have a 3 phase 6.5 HP air conditioning
unit. I decide I would need to run this. The start up current is around 100
amps (3 phase 415 volts 50 cycles) The running current is under 15 amps per
phase.

So although I do not need 27 Kw for the house, but I do need that size to
start that air conditioning unit.

Now I have had second thoughts.

The cyclone where we had no power for 24 hours I used 73 litres of diesel
running it for 24 hours. Seventy thee litres, that is about 20 US gallons
or about 16 UK gallons. That is no problem for a couple of days, but would
be a problem for a month.

So now I think I should have bought a much smaller unit just to power the
house. I do have a couple of room air conditioners in the house.

My second thought is that I should have purchased a generator that runs of
porta gas, (propane etc) rather than diesel, as both petrol (gasoline) and
diesel will degenerate over time.

I store 300 litres of diesel for the genny,
and I need to pump that out around every 12 months or so into my vehicle
over time and replace the fuel in the drums, if I were using porta gas that
would not be a problem.

As it is now I do have a petrol genny (4,7 Kw) on my motor home and so now
my plan is to run the diesel during the day and the petrol one during the
night in case of prolonged power failure.

Prior to buying the generators I found we were having some short power
failures, that is not the case now. I purchased a 24 volt 2.5 KW inverter, a
24 volt 40 amp battery charger and a set of batteries (4 x 6 volt 200 ampere
hour deep cycle) Yes it works but although the batteries cost $800.00, there
is not enough power in them to run the refrigerator/freezer all night, as it
is advised to only run the batteries down to around 50% discharge. Yes I
could buy more batteries and use that system of a night and charge them up
during the day, but as we have had 2 cyclones that put power out in 10 years
that I have been here, it is not a financial proposition, as batteries age
and need replacing even when not being used.

So my thoughts are to have a porta gas generator that can handle just the
house requitements and possibly one or two room air conditioners.

My generator runs at 1500 RPM, not 3000 (50 cycles), and that is the speed I
recommend as the 3000 RPM gennies tend to wear out more quickly, although in
general the fast ones tend to be cheaper to buy.

The generator speed for 60 cycles (US power) is 1800 and 3600.

 

who ever told you that diesel fuel degrades over time, is an Idiot, and
knows NOTHING about fuels.... I have burned diesel fuel, that was put up
in 55USG Drums during WWII, (over 50 years ago) in my diesel Gensets,
with NO problems at all. Just make sure you keep any water out of it and
it will be fine.

 

"you" wrote in message

[/QUOTE]

Well now it was the Shell Oil Co (Shell is the world's largest private
sector oil company) and I would think they would have a much better
knowledge than you.

Here is what a few more oil companies say.


http://axifuel.wordpress.com/2011/0...e-diesel-fuel-what-the-big-oil-companies-say/

Chevron
BP
Exxon Mobil
Shell



http://www.bp.com/liveassets/bp_int...ts/downloads_pdfs/f/Long_Term_Storage_ADF.pdf

STORAGE LIFE
Under normal storage conditions diesel fuel can be expected to stay in a
useable condition
for:
• 12 months or longer at an ambient of 20ºC.
• 6-12 months at an ambient temperature higher than 30ºC.

It seems they all say the same thing, now we must wonder who is the idiot.

 

Well now it was the Shell Oil Co (Shell is the world's largest private
sector oil company) and I would think they would have a much better
knowledge than you.

Here is what a few more oil companies say.


http://axifuel.wordpress.com/2011/04/21/how-long-can-you-store-diesel-fuel-wha
t-the-big-oil-companies-say/

Chevron
BP
Exxon Mobil
Shell



http://www.bp.com/liveassets/bp_internet/australia/corporate_australia/STAGING
/local_assets/downloads_pdfs/f/Long_Term_Storage_ADF.pdf

STORAGE LIFE
Under normal storage conditions diesel fuel can be expected to stay in a
useable condition
for:
€ 12 months or longer at an ambient of 20ºC.
€ 6-12 months at an ambient temperature higher than 30ºC.

It seems they all say the same thing, now we must wonder who is the idiot.[/QUOTE]

If that is true, then how come I have burned Diesel Fuel, in my gensets
that was stored in 55USG Steel Drums, from WWII (1943)????? that is over
60 years OLD.... I mean really.... Duh... Are you BLOND, or what.... You
believe the guys that want you to BUY their Products, and cover their
Collective asses, for ANY Liability Issues.... If that is the case you
are a Moroooon (Bugs Bunny Definition)