If you don't have a portable genset, best get it soon - while you can

The is still a few listers or the Indian made "LISTERIODS" around with a little searching. I did what big Ron suggested and snagged a small VW diesel with manual trans and clutch installed on a skid as a power plant to run a Chinese (unfortunately) ST Generator head or spin a grain mill or whatever. Far more energy efficient than a 3600 Rpm Box store has generator and will last much longer.

 

Don't just buy a generator and let it set.
Put it to work and put it through it's paces and make sure it performs for what you expect out of it . Waiting to the last minuet may be embarrassing and disheartening if your fuel supply has gone stale.
All new engines I get are run for at least 10 hours and then the oil is changed to remove break in debris.
And then run it once a month to keep it lubricated and the commutator clean, especially in humid environments. I once lived in a very humid environment and the armature became coated with corrosion and I had to clean that off before the unit would perform.

 

Look for 1800 rpm generator sets. 3600 are screamers and wear out much faster.
The only 900 rpm generators I've ever seen or worked on were like 400kw Waukesha's
Little to big for most households?

 

The articles I’ve seen are a bit vague. Does this include whole-house generators, propane or natural gas?

 

Vague for a reason, They simply don't know
We had carbon emissions put on us years ago in the oilfield.
Problem was the government had nothing to go on.
Contractors were hired too get the emissions readings on existing running equipment.
That was how the emissions were set....by what we had running at the time.

 

Bio gas eats aluminum pistons.

 

Big box store screamers weren't built to run long term, just the occasion emergency use or remote power on a job site. The way the world is going, talk of grid failures or cyber attacks or God help us an EMP, a backup long term use generator is important. Something that sips fuel and slow like a small diesel is my plan.

 

You can always run automotive style alternators with a small engine gas or diesel, any speed you want, just over drive the alternator about 2x to 3x crank speed and let the engine run about 2,000 to 2,400rpm and it will love you long time.
A lot of automotive alts can be changed to 24v with a different regulator.
I use a heavily modified Dr44g alternator for welding, it makes about 86v peak with full 12v on the armature.

 

I like to start a gen. once a month and put a load on it. warm it up and shut it down. If I do this it starts first pull.

Interesting. In a perfect world, I would have an old Lister with cast iron pistons. Fuel will become a problem, getting it and paying for it. I think of making a methane-producing biosystem for cooking and wondered about running a gen. with it. I also have a hydrogen generator.

 

Bio gas even eats boiler fire tubes. Without proper gas scrubbers only use bio gas for direct combustion. I have seen waukesha engines that the pistons were eaten through to the crankcase.
If you want to burn bio gas for power generation it gets burned in a gas turbine or steam boiler.

 

No generator should be used in round-the-clock long-term situations, that is what batteries are for. Only an idiot fires-up a 10kw generator to run a 1000 watt toaster oven or microwave. Charge your batteries using solar or wind, and top them off with a generator as needed. For big power demands, fire-up the generator. It might be a good idea to have a "generator day" a couple of times a week when the generator will be running to power tools, charge batteries, run appliances, etc., that are too big for your battery bank.

 

Also, if current portable generators are banned, restricted or heavily modified that is not going to bode well for the availability of parts. So, you had best lay-in a supply of parts for future repairs. For want of a nail...

 

The single cylinder yanmar diesel engines shake little 3.3kw generatora apart after about 400 to 600 hours.

 

Remember, advancing the timing on your small engine can increase power and fuel economy.

 

And the best engine for small applications such as 1800 rpm generators is?
Onan
Yanmar
Chinese?
Reason I'm asking is who ever is out looking may not have that much time to ponder....

 

Yanmar with an ST head is an unbeatable combo.

 

Just a side note, Thermo-King engines from reefer trucks are adjustable up to 52 HP. They have huge oil capacity and a monster aluminum oil pan, Made to run....

 

I have an old Champion Honda clone 3000-watt gen. I use it once in a while for running power saws when doing work. I use fuel stabilizer stuff in it and change the oil regularly and it works really well. A Water-cooled diesel would be the way to go.

 

Now I have something to read up on. gas turbines, steam boiler.