Survival Generator FAQ

True enough. I was referring to the home version, and should have said so. (Portable Genny) not the road ready version.

 

Fantastic write up B.T.
For those of us who may or may not have access to condensate that has been striped of benzene via an Amine plant and has an H2/0 percentage of less than .5 of 1%, Would this be perhaps an alternate fuel comparable to gasoline ?
I'm thinking perhaps an older Onan at 1800 rpm, With a good supply of engine oil and spark plugs.
Thanks'

 

One thought I had (dang, gotta quit doing that, it's dangerous! LOL) was that you can help your more fragile electric motor loads with a good quality line conditioner. Just make sure it's rated high enough to handle the load, and it should help smooth out the dips & spikes you might otherwise see. When I lived in Guam, I had one for my electronics, since the power there was spastic enough, sometimes, that it would just make a volt meter needle dance......not good!

I also discovered, living there, that if your gasoline you bought after a typhoon was a bit on the "wet" side (excessive moisture), a cap full of STP gas treatment in a gallon of gasoline would dry it out nicely. Otherwise, trying to run the generator with that "wet" gas would cause the governor to constantly hunt for a good speed, as it just couldn't get a steady burn in the engine.

 

Shortly after I bought my present home I purchased a tri fuel 10k generator from Home Depot…it runs on gasoline, Diesel or Propane/natural gas, and with a little (well hell, a lot) of trouble I could build a composter/digester to produce methane gas which would also work…and when all else fails I could probably make and attach a 'wood burner' to it…though I don't know how well it would work. Last time we here in the US saw these was during WW-II.

 

Yup, diesels don't do well with gas..

 

Yep, I was in a hurry…the Diesel doesn't work here…the methane gas does though.

 

I know this is a generator thread but how do people cover/protect their generator? I saw the GenTent advertised and it looked cool- about $200 for one but I am shopping for ideas on what people use. When you are using the generator in the snow, rain and hurricanes- what do you protect yours with?

GenTent cover - run portable generator safely in rain and severe wet weather

 

The stand alone has its own sheet metal cover and is anchored to a concrete pad. The portables have storage covers made by a local guy that makes covers for boats. Only charged 20 bucks and they are great. Can't use them while running. In the past I ran them inside a shed with a pipe going through a wall for the exhaust. Not perfect, but it worked and helped with the noise-a lot.

 

Mine runs inside the storage shed. I have a long shank padlock on it, which allows about four inches of ventilation at the doors and the eve vents. This makes the RV generator silent with the windows closed. I can hear it with the house windows open.
I have used it fully exposed with a half sheet of plywood laid flat on top, this keeps it dry, and free of snow.

 

We have some ply wood that I always figured using. Our generator will be out and exposed if & when we have to use it. I have worried about a huge snow bothering it. When we get deep snow we are always about making sure our vents are clear so I guess we could build a teepee type cover over the genny then keep clearing around it.

 

Need to think about making it as quiet as you can too Moto.

 

That's expensive and doesn't really cover it all the well. I bought a 10x10 easy-up style shelter at Rural King for $60 and lash it to the side of the building where my inlet and transfer switch are. It covers the genset, cables, me when tending to the genny, etc. Eventually I'll have a shed or back room off a new garage to more permanently and securely operate it but not there yet.

 

I have a spot in my attached garage where we are putting a gas water heater vent through the roof and attaching a flexible connection to the exhaust. The plan is to install the house hookup connections directly to the home wiring system using a kit that is for 10k and running a connection to the gas outlet for the garage. Since it will be my SIL doing the wiring it is all dependent upon his time…I bought a flexible line for the gas and can do that one myself when the time comes; haven't even put oil in the engine yet and the whole works is sitting under a cover in the corner…in a 'real' disaster or emergency it would probably take the better part of half a day to get her running.