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TailhookTom · Post by **TailhookTom** » Nov 7th, '11, 15:47

I have had a Kohler 8kw gasoline fueled generator for 17 years. During Storm Irene I used it for 2 days. Apparently it got ethanoled as when I went to use it for this storm -- it went boom. I bought a new 7500kw Westinghouse -- as it was available -- and it is designed to run on up to 10% ethanol. My neighbors are grateful as I have 14 staying with me right now as I am the only one that has heat and power. I never paid attention to ethanol eating away the internal fuel lines, etc. in a home generator - I hope none of you get stuck like I did. After 17 years, it owed me nothing - but, the first night without it was in the high 20s outside. Thank God they were able to deliver a couple of blocks away from me and I hand trucked it in past the trees and power lines!

In Memory Walter K · Post by **In Memory Walter K** » Nov 7th, '11, 16:51

Therein is the problem. The worlds best kept secret. No one will tell you. If you own ANYTHING gas powered that is pre late 90's, your hoses and fuel exposed gaskets are being degraded as we speak. Also, no one tells you your fuel has a 90 day shelf life without additives and special watching for fuel separation. Wreaks havoc on items that get rarely used, like generators. You may be better off keeping it empty and storing some 5 gallon jugs away from the house, and after a while dump it in your car and buy fresh gas every few months. I'm putting in a propane tank and propane generator because of it.

Russ Pagels · Post by **Russ Pagels** » Nov 7th, '11, 17:05

Good move Walt, I had a 20KW installed in the spring,with a 500 gal propane tank. it worked very well when when our last hurricane went through..Russ

CaptPatrick · Post by **CaptPatrick** » Nov 7th, '11, 17:51

Here's a couple of links from fuel-testers.com that I tripped over last week...

Good info.

http://www.fuel-testers.com/expiration_ ... l_gas.html

http://www.fuel-testers.com/ethanol_eng ... tions.html

In Memory of Vicroy · Post by **In Memory of Vicroy** » Nov 7th, '11, 18:14

Our local paper here had an article this morning about where to buy alky-free gas in our area and had a couple of websites listed. I'll dig it out and see if any of them are national sites....paper said there were several hundred local alky-free outlets. Issue presented in the article was the alky eating up stuff in small engines.

I had Next Gen in Jacksonville build me a 21 kw diesel set back in the 90s powered with a four cyl. Kuboda engine (with a 16 qt. oil pan and 1,000 hour oil change interval) and also had them supply an outdoor enclosure. I have a 275 gallon galvanized steel farm tank hooked up to it and put a Racor 500 filter in the line - used a 500 since I have them on the boat & no sense in stocking different filters. I keep stabilizer in the tank and have never had any - not a speck - of crap in the Racor bowl.

I keep an automatic on-board trickle charger on its battery and the batteries last about 5 years. It has around 600 hours on it, some of them during major hurricanes here, running for two weeks at a whack. It burns about 10 gallons a day on average, so the 275 gallons will last a good while. We have a pretty big house, around 4,000 feet with three large a/c systems, electric ovens & dryer and the 21 kw will start & tote it all with no sweat. Have nighbors with natural gas units and they seem to bog down a good bit starting big a/c compressors. No automatic transfer switch as I don't want it running without me knowing about it. My view is the diesel is the cat's meow.

Recall paying in the range of 7K delivered for the gen & enclosure and another 500 for the tank locally. I did the plumbing and wiring myself to an existing 200 amp transfer switch. I added a separate ground rod for the generator. It puts out 240 VAC, single phase and the two load legs are real well balanced, which is important to check.

My Bride usually scorns all my guy stuff, but the genset passes muster.....now I do remember one hurricane where we had our two kids, spouses, kids, dogs, cats, couple of hamsters, a bird that cussed, etc. I thought about pulling the plug on the generator....

UV

TailhookTom · Post by **TailhookTom** » Nov 8th, '11, 09:11

UV:

Leave it to you to have the Rolls Royce of home gensets -- I remember during Katrina you noted that you had the entire extended family in your air conditioned home. And loaded weapons everywhere to keep the uninvited at bay.

As I said, my Kohler owed me nothing - it was more of a pain trying to get the new one delivered near enough to my home that I could use my handtruck to walk it the rest of the way. I'm still on generator, but the power guys are now working withhin a few blocks, so I expect 2moro!

Walter -- I have 30 gallons of gas stored in my shed in 5 gallon jerrycans -- my Volvo holds 20, so they will be gone by late next week. The new genset has a fuel line shutoff about a 2 inches from the carburator, so I will flip that and let it run dry, let the rest drain into the fuel tank, and then start it once a month and repeat the process.

I just wanted to alert everyone that thought they were prepared of a potential problem.

Tom

In Memory of Vicroy · Post by **In Memory of Vicroy** » Nov 8th, '11, 10:09

Tom - glad they are getting close to you with the juice. Even with a genset its no fun.

This is the link in our local paper yesterday to find alky free gas:

http://pure-gas.org/

I'm kinda a beleiver that buying the best is cheapest in the long run, and buying cheap crap that breaks down at the drop of a hat is worth less than nothing, a lot less.

If I had the room, I would have gone with a DD 2-71 railroad generator that will put out anywhere from 14 to 20 kw single or 3 phase. They run at 1200 rpm and are very quiet and smooth. DD made tens of thousands of them for railroad reefer cars and they will pretty much last forever. The later models had brushless generator ends, which is a big improvment over the kind with carbon brushes. I see them advertised in Boats & Harbors for anywhere from 2k to 3.5K. The downside is they are huge, maybe 8 feet long, 5 feet tall and 3 or 4 feet wide, and weigh in at a whopping 2,200 #. Most do not have internal fuel tanks or enclosures. If you had a shed for one and a tank its a lifetime deal for short money. My sis & bro in law had one for their houseboat at Port Eads and it was a real hoss and sips fuel, something like 8 or 9 gallons a day.

UV

TailhookTom · Post by **TailhookTom** » Nov 8th, '11, 13:05

UV:

You are absolutely correct. Even though I purchased an industrial use generator-it is really a throw away. It is not made for 10 days of continuous use -- I've changed the oil on it twice already -- damn thing only holds a quart plus a 1/4. I'm seriously thinking about modifying it to a larger oil capacity to keep the temp down and add an oil cooler. Makes me wish I had kept the Westerbeke that was in the B31!

I bet 7k wouldn't touch what you have now -- probably double that. And worth every damned penny!

I heard that I will be back on line by 11:59pm 2moro -- yup, and the check is in the mail and I'll respect them in the morning too!

Tom

In Memory of Vicroy · Post by **In Memory of Vicroy** » Nov 8th, '11, 15:30

Actually, Next Gen and Phasor both offer a 21 KW 4 cyl Kubota driven industrial radiator cooled set for about 7.5K without the enclosure.

Air cooled engines are hell on oil, not sure a cooler would work since most of them use splash lube vs. an oil pump.

Hope the check's in the mail....

UV

TailhookTom · Post by **TailhookTom** » Nov 8th, '11, 15:37

Thanks for the update -- the new machine is indeed splash lube, so it is just a matter of time before global thermal nuclear war causes it to meltdown.

7.5k, hmmm......I really don't care for the neighbor to my West much -- ever since she moved in and dumped a poolhouse on my property by accident and then got pissy when I politely hauled her before the zoning board and the poor little single mom of 4 had to pay to get it moved 28 feet -- yes, 28 feet, not 2.8 feet. She really started disliking me when she cried hardship and I pointed out the live in nanny, the live in boytoy, or that she is an SVP of Time Digital Media who actually works out of her house, and doesn't commute to NYC as she implied. So, does this system have a muffler or can I rattle her little ass out of bed 4 times a night?

That system would last me till I am long gone from this world.

Thanks UV!

In Memory of Vicroy · Post by **In Memory of Vicroy** » Nov 8th, '11, 16:33

Mine came with a tractor muffler that sticks vertically out the top with a rain flap on it that was not too effective, so I had an elbow bent and added a Toyota muffler with a 45 downspout off its end so the two mufflers keep it to a low hum....but I bet you could get one of them JC Whitney cable operated cut-out like we used to put on our old cars when I was a kid and give her a good shakking, then close it when the cops show up.

Build a fence, a tall one.

UV

Rawleigh · Post by **Rawleigh** » Nov 8th, '11, 17:07

Vic: I think Tom should go for the Detroit with a straight stack!!!

Wingnut · Post by **Wingnut** » Nov 8th, '11, 20:06

One word: AVGAS!

I use the 100 low lead sweet smelling blue stuff in anything that sits or as my fuel stash for the days with no power. 100 LL is in my snow blower, chainsaws, push mowers, trimmer, generator and a few others.

I had a crazy neighbor that used to let his plane sit for a year plus at a time then get someone to hand prop it and off he went. Now, I certainly don't recommend that, but the 100 LL is good for at least two years in my experience.

Most local airports will sell you some. Mine is fully automated; all you need is a credit card and a container!

JD

bertram31.com

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