Making yer own backup generator?

It is a little easier for people who own diesel equipment, such as semis.

i
Reply to
Ignoramus6598
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Not really. If you want to save money you won't be using road diesel in the generator. Plus for extended run you're looking at least at a 250 gallon tank.

Reply to
Steve W.

Sounds like ignorance to me.

Reply to
jim

Good idea to have a window AC on hand, for such moments. The new ones with the rotary compressors, don't draw that much power.

Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus

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Sure, but except for AC, the fridges and lights are all that will 'fit'a

3.5KW supply. The central AC draws too much inrush for this genset, even though it would run on 3.5KW. This particular unit quenches the field if you draw too much current. It's output drops to essentially zero, and then stays there as long as there is any non-trivial load still present, even if the inrush demand is removed. Remove the load, and the field recovers (it's a wound, rotating field alternator, not PM).

The last time we were without power for any real time was after the hurricane in (what?) 2004 or 2005? During extended power failures, I won't leave 50 year old unit running continuously, anyway. I have no idea how many actual hours are on it. So we use lanterns for lights, and run the refrigerators, and maybe a couple of table fans on shifts, just to save the victuals and try to stay comfortable.

LLoyd

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

Since you're not going down the road in your generator, please consider using fuel oil. Much lower taxes. Much the same product, dyed different color.

Second, it's unwise to appear to have power, suring a power cut. People living near by can be very irritated, and vengeful. Best to stay out of sight, if at all possible.

Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus

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300 gal of diesel in your basement is very, very normal. 600 gal is the max per fire rated space. 300 will give you a two week generator fuel supply, 600 a month, and that is 24hr operation, far longer if you economize.
Reply to
Stormin Mormon

The biocide takes care of the critters, but the Diesel still gets old. The recommendations I read said "2 year lifespan" with schemes to add X % new while consuming part of your store. If you have active consumers of Diesel, such as a bulldozer or such, that may be enough turnover.

Not true. I worked in the petroleum pipeline business, and #2 Diesel is different than #2 heating oil. The refinery engineer I once asked told me that Diesel had higher Cetane ratings, and other difference. We could {and occasionally did} downgrade the Diesel into Heat; just as Jet-A would be downgraded into Kerosene.

The dye is just added at sale, at the terminal that loads the trucks.

But you miss my point. Even if they *were* the same product; the AHJ code inspector can point to Rule: 3.14.159 and say: "You are allowed to have 200 gallons of heating oil. But that's NOT heating oil; it's generator fuel..."

Again #2 Heating Oil is not #2 Diesel. And on & off road are the same; save the tax & dye.

You not having heard of such does not mean it's not required in some other jurisdiction. And I started talking underground tankage. (If you are in a wildfire area, aboveground storage is not desirable.)

Call me when you have the permit we'd need in NorCal's area.

Reply to
David Lesher

Things have changed post-ULSD.

Bingo, since the product is otherwise identical these days.

There is no AHJ where I live. 300 gal is the normal home heating oil tank and 600 gal (two ganged tanks typically) is the maximum per fire rated space.

They are currently. They may not have been some years ago. Tax and dye are the only difference.

The PRC is an exception to all sanity and should be anexed from the USA.

See above.

Reply to
Pete C.

jim on Sat, 14 Jul 2012 06:24:39 -0500 typed in rec.crafts.metalworking the following:

Probably was, but then what has ignorance of reality have to do with bureaucratic directives?

Reply to
pyotr filipivich

CARB is a lot worse that a gestapo, f*ck them for "carb fuel cans".

i
Reply to
Ignoramus30338

Sounds more like ignorant speculation of what bureaucratic directive might be.

Reply to
jim

I mostly agree with you but even though they come out the same "spigot" there is one difference- diesel is filtered more at the refinery than #2 heating oil. The only downside to this is you'll need to changed your fuel filters more often.

H.

Reply to
Howard Eisenhauer

You can quiet down an air-cooled engine, but you'd have to put it in a rather elaborate sound dampening enclosure, with a foam-lined labyrinth for killing sound radiation from both the entering cold air and the departing hot air.

It isn't worth the hassle - Start with a liquid cooled engine and make the job a lot easier at the start. A good muffler and resonator will cut the exhaust note. And you want a big-bite slow speed cooling fan on the radiator, keep the blade tip speed subsonic.

And if the radiator is remote mounted on the roof so the hot air is totally separate from the engine room, you don't need huge labyrinths for the block compartment and generator head cooling air in and out.

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Reply to
Bruce L. Bergman (munged human readable)

So I called an old cow orker who has retired TWICE from a major oil company, one known best or should I say worse by its initials. {He left; worked as a contractor; they hired him back; few years later he retired again; then they had a leak you read about; and they hired him back AGAIN for support work on shore.....}

He confirms they absolutely make the following distillate products:

Jet-A Kerosene #2 Diesel #2 Heating Oil

The later two differ more than than when I worked there, by virtue of the sulfur level in the Diesel. The Diesel goes for lots more than Heat; even untaxed.

The sole difference between "road" Diesel and "off-road" Diesel is the tax charged at sale, and the dye added then/there. {"Sale" here means where it's loaded onto a truck; not where the truck unloads.}

There are no code, building or fire inspectors there; state or local????? No building codes at all?

Reply to
David Lesher

Nope, outside city limits. Only permits for septic systems. When you go to the building department of the city your listed as by the post office to check on a permit for electrical work and they tell you you're outside city limits and don't need a permit, that's pretty conclusive.

Reply to
Pete C.

"Pete C." fired this volley in news:500371e9$0 $14759$ snipped-for-privacy@newsreader.readnews.com:

Actually, that's only "conclusive" concerning that you don't need a permit for that work. It doesn't mean there isn't an AHJ responsible for it.

AHJ means "authority having jurisdiction". No matter what you think, there IS an AHJ concerning fire code compliance in your county. There is one for electrical work -- even in the outlying county. I don't believe (say) Toyota could come in and build a full-up auto assembly plant with no permits and no inspections, outside city limits, or not. There are AHJs in your county for a number of disciplines.

That your fuel tank may or may not require a permit is an entirely different matter from whether or not there is an AHJ (for each and every endeavor they think there should be one).

LLoyd

Reply to
Lloyd E. Sponenburgh

Or you could put the radiator in the house and use it for heating in the winter. How many watts of heat would a typical 4-cylinder radiator put out, anyway?

Jon

Reply to
Jon Danniken

A gallon of fuel oil is 135,000 BTU, if memory serves. You could figure out how long it takes to burn a gallon of gasoline, and do some math. Gasoline would be different BTU, but at least you're in the ball park.

Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus

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Or you could put the radiator in the house and use it for heating in the winter. How many watts of heat would a typical 4-cylinder radiator put out, anyway?

Jon

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

Perhaps two radiators, one inside, one outside, with a diverter vale to select the most appropriate one depending on the weather??

Reply to
nobody

My 1940's aircraft engine book puts it at around 1/8 of the energy in the fuel. 1/2 goes out the exhaust.

jsw

Reply to
Jim Wilkins

Easily enough to heat the house to 120F in an hour and a half. Regulation would be the hard part.

-- Win first, Fight later.

--martial principle of the Samurai

Reply to
Larry Jaques

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