Whole House Generator

Discussion in 'Energy & Fuel' started by Beth Gallagher, Mar 24, 2021.

  1. John Brunner

    John Brunner Senior Staff
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    That describes the bride...what are the specs on that generator?
     
    #91
  2. Denise Evans

    Denise Evans Supreme Member
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    LOL!! I was thinking when @Faye Fox asked for those specs she meant on the guy :p
     
    #92
  3. Bruce Andrew

    Bruce Andrew Very Well-Known Member
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  4. Denise Evans

    Denise Evans Supreme Member
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    I'm pretty sure we all are in one way or another ;)
     
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  5. Faye Fox

    Faye Fox Veteran Member
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  6. Denise Evans

    Denise Evans Supreme Member
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    #96
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  7. Bruce Andrew

    Bruce Andrew Very Well-Known Member
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    Faye may be the only one who is NOT confused. whistle.gif
     
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  8. Faye Fox

    Faye Fox Veteran Member
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    Oh Bruce
    I am still waiting for the specs.
    This 25 KW liquid cool is really
    an impressive hunk.
    RDuSfcoR0PLh.jpg
     
    #98
    Last edited: Jan 17, 2022
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  9. Bruce Andrew

    Bruce Andrew Very Well-Known Member
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    "Hunk" . . . ? [​IMG] [​IMG]

    What "specs" exactly are you looking for? ;)
     
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  10. Faye Fox

    Faye Fox Veteran Member
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    None really as I can look them up. Just messing with you. Our local police station has that 25 KW liquid cool and it is really impressive.
     
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  11. Bruce Andrew

    Bruce Andrew Very Well-Known Member
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    Mine is a Cummins (the diesel engine maker), had it almost four years. It is hooked into my propane tank which you can see in the pik to the left of the driveway.

    It has worked great. When the power goes out the generator kicks on within probably 2 seconds. There are 12 houses on my road, and at least four of us have WH gens.

    If you need any other "specs," let me know. ;) Cheers.gif
     
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  12. Thomas Stillhere

    Thomas Stillhere Very Well-Known Member
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    Natural Gas does not carbon an engine. I was a field serviceman for Wakeshau Pierce Houston, 6 cylinder to 16000 cubic inch V-12, natural gas and diesel. The big engines often would run 13 years without a shut down using auto oiler s that you could change filters and the oil while running. The natural gas pumping stations all over Texas and La used natural gas, and why not it came right out of the pressure line.

    I would opt for natural gas and not propane, because you would be hard pressed to find propane in the aftermath of a hurricane, natural gas is most likely already there on the property even if the line has never been installed to the house, the meter is usually laid in all subdivisions. I'll tell you what it's like to crack open a natural gas main line to bleed off pressure from the compressor so it can be worked on.

    About 3,000 lbs on the line and you had to use a 3 foot pipe wrench so you had some safety if you could stretch your arm out far enough. The noise is enough to make you wonder why you had this job. No smell since it is untreated in the main lines. The cost of natural gas is probably a lot cheaper than propane or gas and it can be metered very smartly. Propane on the other hand is just up drafted into a small generator engine with a lot of waste. I was always mesmerized when I would pass one of those Ingersol Rand huge engines, housed in a complete building large as half a football field, the compressors were connected from the side of the big engine and there were many running at once but they could be shut down individually. Now GE owns Wakeshau and all the new engines are computerized and also have compressor housing built as part of the engine case, very high tech. In my day a complete overhaul usually ran about 35,000. I won't guess what it runs now.

    I rebuilt three engines at the Exxon Plant Lovel Lake Beaumont Tx, about 45 years. I am sure all have been replaced with this newer gear. That plant has had explosions two times over the past 35 years.

    My shop foreman was Sam Pearson, he could never give me instructions on finding a pumping station unless there were beer joints nearby, he would tell me the name of the juke joint and where it was then take a right blah blah blah. heh
     
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  13. Bruce Andrew

    Bruce Andrew Very Well-Known Member
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    I don’t know if you’re talking to me or not Tom. But there’s no natural gas around here - I’m on a dirt road, nearest town is 5 miles away.

    The only utilities here are electric and internet.
     
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  14. Faye Fox

    Faye Fox Veteran Member
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    What is interesting is our local police and fire station both have the 25KW liquid cool natural gas generators but also each has a large tank to store natural gas. I asked why since they are hooked to the natural gas mainline. The reason is the generators operate off the tanks that are kept full by the mainline but should an earthquake or terrorist attack occur and the mainline is shut down, then they can operate 24/7 for 30 days with their normal usage from the tank. In the event of a real catastrophe, they could go 60 days in conservation mode. Our hospital has a similar setup.

    We also have a huge natural gas storage and fueling facility. Many ranchers and farmers have converted from propane to bottled natural gas for home, shop, emergency generators, and fueling their equipment. All our local UPS trucks are run on natural gas. They sure sound better than those noisy Jimmie diesel engines they use to run.

    I had a friend that lived on St Thomas, VI and I found it interesting that their electricity was produced by generators driven from bottled natural gas that was shipped in.

    @Bruce Andrew Is your heat propane? Who is your avatar supposed to be?
     
    #104
  15. John Brunner

    John Brunner Senior Staff
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    I lived 8 miles outside of DC and it was not until the mid 90s that natural gas finally came through our neighborhood. Here in the sticks, any internet or television I have comes over the airways...there ain't no cables & wires run to houses. There's no municipal water and no sewer pipes (I'm fine with that.) The only gas we have out this way comes in a tank or a Taco Bell bag.

    But you've got my curiosity up. I've never given mush thought to the design of natural gas or propane engines. I'll have to go take a look.
     
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