[RE-wrenches] Gen preheat in cold climates

[Larry]

Chris,

After I hit the send button, I thought about how a small generator or 
gas grill will use tank pressure through a vapor regulator. If this 
generator is plumbed that way, there lies a problem that your solution 
of heating the tank will work with. Personally I would not plumb a 
generator with vapor lines from the tank, especially is it is a long 
distance away. Since Gary said this was a large system, I am assuming it 
is liquid delivery to the generator.

Gary, is the LP to the generator vapor or liquid from the tank?

Larry

On 4/3/15 10:56 AM, Chris Mason wrote:
> Heating the regulator won't help if the propane is not vapourizing. 
> You would need to heat the tank.
> However, you do not need to heat it very much, just enough to let it 
> vapourize. Think about putting it somewhere with a little heat, or 
> burying it.
>
> On Fri, Apr 3, 2015 at 1:51 PM, Larry <larry at starlightsolar.com 
> <mailto:larry at starlightsolar.com>> wrote:
>
>     About the carb heat idea...LP is a liquid at -44°F. The liquid
>     does not combust, it must be vaporized. As the ambient temperature
>     drops closer to the LP liquid temperature, there would be a
>     reduction in how fast liquid is vaporizing and therefor a
>     reduction in volume. What you need in cold weather is enough
>     volume to maintain at least 11" wc while cranking or running the
>     engine. You can test the vapor pressure with a manometer while
>     cranking to verify if this is the problem.
>
>     If this is the reason the engine does not run, my thoughts are
>     that heating the LP regulator would be much more economical from
>     an energy standpoint, than heating the whole engine block. Perhaps
>     an insulated enclosure with silicone heaters appropriately
>     attached would work. They are available in many DC or AC and at
>     various voltages.
>
>     Larry Crutcher
>     Starlight Solar Power Systems
>
>

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