Survival Generator FAQ

Discussion in 'Survival Articles' started by survivalmonkey, Oct 15, 2005.


  1. Yard Dart

    Yard Dart Vigilant Monkey Moderator

    I suppose it depends on the size of your gennie and its use. Some are big enough to be pulled behind a truck/tractor and those solid wheels will not work... well they may work but your unit is going to get beat to death going down the road or being pulled out in the field to a well pump.
     
  2. kellory

    kellory An unemployed Jester, is nobody's fool. Banned

    True enough. I was referring to the home version, and should have said so. (Portable Genny) not the road ready version.
     
    Yard Dart likes this.
  3. Gator 45/70

    Gator 45/70 Monkey+++

    Fantastic write up B.T.
    For those of us who may or may not have access to condensate that has been striped of benzene via an Amine plant and has an H2/0 percentage of less than .5 of 1%, Would this be perhaps an alternate fuel comparable to gasoline ?
    I'm thinking perhaps an older Onan at 1800 rpm, With a good supply of engine oil and spark plugs.
    Thanks'
     
  4. BTPost

    BTPost Stumpy Old Fart,Deadman Walking, Snow Monkey Moderator

    I suspect that with bit of fooling around with the Carb, it should at least turn the engine over.... Check with the Plant's Resident Chemist, or Process Engineer, and find out what the BTUs Per Volume is, for the stuff.... That will "Tell the Tail"....
     
    Gator 45/70 likes this.
  5. natshare

    natshare Monkey+++

    One thought I had (dang, gotta quit doing that, it's dangerous! LOL) was that you can help your more fragile electric motor loads with a good quality line conditioner. Just make sure it's rated high enough to handle the load, and it should help smooth out the dips & spikes you might otherwise see. When I lived in Guam, I had one for my electronics, since the power there was spastic enough, sometimes, that it would just make a volt meter needle dance......not good!

    I also discovered, living there, that if your gasoline you bought after a typhoon was a bit on the "wet" side (excessive moisture), a cap full of STP gas treatment in a gallon of gasoline would dry it out nicely. Otherwise, trying to run the generator with that "wet" gas would cause the governor to constantly hunt for a good speed, as it just couldn't get a steady burn in the engine.
     
  6. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    Bump for more experiences and ideas.
     
  7. Keith Gilbert

    Keith Gilbert Monkey+++

    Shortly after I bought my present home I purchased a tri fuel 10k generator from Home Depot…it runs on gasoline, Diesel or Propane/natural gas, and with a little (well hell, a lot) of trouble I could build a composter/digester to produce methane gas which would also work…and when all else fails I could probably make and attach a 'wood burner' to it…though I don't know how well it would work. Last time we here in the US saw these was during WW-II.
     
  8. BTPost

    BTPost Stumpy Old Fart,Deadman Walking, Snow Monkey Moderator

    Tri-Fuel does NOT include Diesel Fuel.... It is Gasoline, Propane, and Natural Gas, that is it..... Ignition type ICEs, (Internal Combustion Engine) are a whole different Engine than a Compression type ICE.....
     
    Tully Mars likes this.
  9. Tully Mars

    Tully Mars Metal weldin' monkey

    Yup, diesels don't do well with gas..[reddevil]
     
  10. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    However, I think there are some ng diesels out there --
     
  11. Keith Gilbert

    Keith Gilbert Monkey+++

    Yep, I was in a hurry…the Diesel doesn't work here…the methane gas does though.
     
  12. Motomom34

    Motomom34 Monkey+++

  13. BTPost

    BTPost Stumpy Old Fart,Deadman Walking, Snow Monkey Moderator

    Mine are in the Winter PowerHouse, and are permanently installed.... There is a picture of them on my WebPage,(http://www.99850.net/Images/BTP1.jpg) along with a few Picts of the Summer PowerHouse.(http://www.99850.net/Images/353-398.jpg http://www.99850.net/Images/Cat3516.jpg) They are protected from all Wx issues, except 20+ Feet of Snow, but even that wouldn't cause but a slight issue, just requiring a packing Down of the drifts. Rain and winds are not an issue, as we get 120 Knot winds a couple of times a Year, and still have power. If one does the installation properly, in the first place, it just takes care of those issues.
     
    Last edited: Dec 24, 2014
    Yard Dart and Motomom34 like this.
  14. Tully Mars

    Tully Mars Metal weldin' monkey

    The stand alone has its own sheet metal cover and is anchored to a concrete pad. The portables have storage covers made by a local guy that makes covers for boats. Only charged 20 bucks and they are great. Can't use them while running. In the past I ran them inside a shed with a pipe going through a wall for the exhaust. Not perfect, but it worked and helped with the noise-a lot.
     
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  15. kellory

    kellory An unemployed Jester, is nobody's fool. Banned

    Mine runs inside the storage shed. I have a long shank padlock on it, which allows about four inches of ventilation at the doors and the eve vents. This makes the RV generator silent with the windows closed. I can hear it with the house windows open.
    I have used it fully exposed with a half sheet of plywood laid flat on top, this keeps it dry, and free of snow.
     
    Motomom34 likes this.
  16. Motomom34

    Motomom34 Monkey+++

    We have some ply wood that I always figured using. Our generator will be out and exposed if & when we have to use it. I have worried about a huge snow bothering it. When we get deep snow we are always about making sure our vents are clear so I guess we could build a teepee type cover over the genny then keep clearing around it.
     
  17. Dunerunner

    Dunerunner Brewery Monkey Moderator

    Put your Gen Shed on stilts. That way it is above the deepest snow fall and still gets ventilation from anywhere there is a hole, gap or unsealed void. If large enough to be water cooled, you will need a vent anyway and in colder climates a modulating vent that allows some of the engine heat to warm the shelter, perhaps the cabin and some hot water, too.
     
    Tully Mars likes this.
  18. Tully Mars

    Tully Mars Metal weldin' monkey

    Need to think about making it as quiet as you can too Moto.
     
  19. Airtime

    Airtime Monkey+++

    That's expensive and doesn't really cover it all the well. I bought a 10x10 easy-up style shelter at Rural King for $60 and lash it to the side of the building where my inlet and transfer switch are. It covers the genset, cables, me when tending to the genny, etc. Eventually I'll have a shed or back room off a new garage to more permanently and securely operate it but not there yet.
     
  20. Keith Gilbert

    Keith Gilbert Monkey+++

    I have a spot in my attached garage where we are putting a gas water heater vent through the roof and attaching a flexible connection to the exhaust. The plan is to install the house hookup connections directly to the home wiring system using a kit that is for 10k and running a connection to the gas outlet for the garage. Since it will be my SIL doing the wiring it is all dependent upon his time…I bought a flexible line for the gas and can do that one myself when the time comes; haven't even put oil in the engine yet and the whole works is sitting under a cover in the corner…in a 'real' disaster or emergency it would probably take the better part of half a day to get her running. ef7cffd2-cc74-4e82-8d3c-0a1614b3cf3a_300.
     
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