Backup generators. [RE-wrenches]

[jay peltz]

Hi Allan,

Its a long subject.  The more you use your genny the better it had
better be.
We have lots of gennys in use around here.

We've have and had, Honda, Kohler, Onan, ( all the above in both gas and
propane) and then the diesels, ( 7kw on up).

I think you have sites that the gennys are used pretty infrequently. 
Here there
are places where people are using them for months as there is limited
sun at all
here in the winter,and they may live on the north side and get no sun
for
months.  The folks who live like this kill generators ( propane ones). 
Also the
actual electrical production doesn't seem as good as a similar sized
diesel.
Can't load them as hard or for as long.  In another example at
Tassarajara, they
use a 12.5 kw Kohler ( commercial unit, Ford engine, cast iron block and
head, water cooled) pretty much full time in the summer( 8-14 hrs day)
and they have
to do valves like every summer.  In contrast, the diesel that they have
ran for 10 years with no problems.  They bought the propane for smell
and quietness, but in the end, the much higher maintenance, fuel, and it
wasn't quieter than the sound enclosed diesel, they got rid of it.  And
that seems to be the common story with propane units at least around
here.  The ones that get their valves cleaned every year or so last for
many years, but lots of mx.  I wonder if there are differences in the
propane that make some propane leaner burn than others?

So the end result is this.  If you use your genny infrequently you can
get away
with anything.  But if you use it a lot, then for cost and reliability,
the
diesel is the way at least around here.  For ease propane.


jay

peltz power


Allan Sindelar wrote:

> > The propane units have all had problems, even the so called commercial
> units from Kohler
> etc.  ( they probably work fine in load loading, but under heavy load burn
> valves with great regularity.)
>
> Jay,
> Could you say more about your Kohler experiences? We're (limited) Kohler
> dealers, and they're so much more expensive than the homeowner units that
> most folks are used to that we have to offer them as a premium, top-quality
> alternative. We have seen no significant problems except sometimes at
> start-up. What problems have you seen? And in particular, how do the
> homeowner units (the 8.5 and 11 RMY) units compare with the smaller
> commercial units? (On that note, we use the 10, 12, and 20 RY models, as
> they derate better at our elevations; I guess the 17 and 22 are more popular
> near sea level.)
> Thanks!
> Allan at Pos En
>
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