Generator for AC and heat

[keightley]

So I have given up on the idea of using solar to power an AC unit.  I am looking at generators.  What I am really trying to do is to figure out a way to keep my van cool in the summer and warm in the winter when I am away from it.  I do have a dog to take care of.  I am not going to give up my dog nor can I afford to put her in doggie day care when I am at work.  I might as well just pay for an apartment ($30/day @ 5 days a week is $600/month)!  One of the big points of living in a van is not having to spend so much on rent.  And I am not in a position where I can work out of my van home.  I work in an office.  And she cannot come to work with me.  So where there is a will there is a way and I need your help to find it. 

There must be a way to design/engineer an environmental system that will keep my dog safe and comfortable for 4 to 5 hours alone while I am at work regardless of what the weather is!  I am thinking that there may be a way to have a generator kick on when the van gets to a certain temperature that will then turn on the heat or a/c as required? At minimum there must be system that will notify me with a smartphone app, a text, and/or email what the temp is in the van so that I can go to it and fix problems as needed. 

Keightley

 

[jonsun]

same boat haven't found any fancy system. the way my van is I can't have an AC unit at all. No room on roof, no where to cut into body for a window unit. My portable ac solution failed.

so my conclusion is basically don't work in the peak of summer heat. If I have to do night shifts. or get a good evap cooler and aim for dry climates.

I would love to be able to dog sit for income but everyone is spread out and personally I would have to really get to know someone before I left my baby with them...so I expect everyone else to be the same.

 

[tx2sturgis]

Man, thats a tall order Keightley, and when you say 'design and engineer' a system, it will likely get even MORE expensive than solar AC.

A few questions:

What state or climate are you in, and do you have a roof fan already installed?

Also, can you park in some shade? Is the van insulated well?

Where you park, is it a crowded parking lot or on a public street?

How healthy or elderly is the dog? Will she tolerate this? 

And finally, any system that could be built to provide automated climate control will be expensive, and subject to failures...you will need an alert of some kind if that happens.

So we are talking about a complex, expensive system...

 

[jonsun]

Now there is a way to kick generator on. The AIMS inverters have that. but you're talking some big $$. well over a grand for generator and inverter. What would probably make more sense is to just let the generator run continuously and let the AC's thermostat handle the temp inside.

you can get temp usb sticks and if you leave a laptop or tablet on in the van you can connect remotely to that and see the temp.

 

[tx2sturgis]

Unless it's a built-in genset, like an Onan, that runs off of the vehicle fuel tank, keeping a portable generator running for 5-8 or so hours everyday is gonna be an issue.

You have to keep it fueled, it will be noisy, and almost certainly exposed to pilfering or theft. Not to mention the cost of gas and maintenance. Most portable generators are not designed for running 40 hours a week and be able to last for very long.

I think she (I assume keightley is a female name) wants something that is more automated, running the genset only when needed.

In the trucking world, we have frame mount APU's which power a mechanical AC, run the heater blower, and generate electricity for hotel loads but these things cost many thousands of dollars, they use diesel fuel, and are quite heavy.

 

[G20Blue]

There is a way to power A/C through solar which needs a "soft-start" device. Look through Gone with the Wynns site for details. They've used it on their RV and their catamaran.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[jonsun]

No..... they'll run an easy 1500w load for a solid 10hrs on a tank. I spent 12 years running them at the race track powering tire warmers from sun up until 5-6pm for days on end. Theft is an issue no matter what. building a box with a radiator fan will prevent theft and keep noise down lower than a honda. gas will be about 3 gallons a day which is pricey even now as its relatively cheap.

but nowhere near as expensive as rigging up an autostart mechanism and running when needed...which will be most of the time anyway. An hour or two at idle isnt going to make much difference versus being off. $150-200 a month in gas.

 

[rm.w/aview]

Would a low mount intake fan(s), with louvers & screens, with a high mount exhaust fan(s) be enough, with what you have now, to introduce fresh air flow and negate heat buildup?

 

[Gideon33w]

What you're asking IS doable. The issue is cost. No matter which way you go it will be pricey. Solar wattage on par plus batteries will be a very high initial investment and a generator (Honda eu2000 would be my suggestion) will have high fueling costs. There is a kit to convert the Hondas to run on propane which would probably be preferable but still ... It's going to be a pain.

The ZeroBreeze isn't out yet really and the kickstarter backers who have gotten theirs are giving mixed reviews. However, once widely available it will be a very low power option worth looking into.

The only thing I can think of that wont break the bank would be to setup a dog house which uses thermoelectric cooling. It isn't very efficient as far as watts to btus but you can size the system to your needs, control it digitally, and by installing it in a dog house or other cubby space you need only cool a small area. If you were venting the dogs body heat out you could probably get away with a power consumption of 100-200w though the load would be constant while in use. That said, if used during the day time while you're at work you probably will have little load on your solar other than this setup.

Build insulated dog house, add thermoelectric setups, add digital controller ... When the dog needs to cool down it can go in the dog house.

 

[tx2sturgis]

No.....  they'll run an easy 1500w load for a solid 10hrs on a tank.

Hey bardo, you are most likely referring to 'contractor grade' generators, with an 'extended run'
 gas tank, probably 4 to 6 gallons.

Noisy as hell, but at a race track noise is not a problem.

I was referring to a small, portable, quiet, inverter style generator and they wont run 10 hours at full load off one tank of gas. And I dont know of any small ones that have electric start. Larger inverter gensets have the electric start option on some of them, but they get extremely $spendy$ in a hurry.

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

Does anybody know what the lifespan of a Honda or Yamaha generator is in hours?

I'm just wondering how often you're going to be buying a new one if you run it 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, week after week after week?

 

[XFILE36]

I know you don't want to do daycare for doggie, but maybe put an ad in CL and could you possibly do an exchange for, let's say, yard work, maintenance work, etc. Maybe you could find retirees in the sticks n bricks with good AC who are home all day any way? Just an idea.

 

[John61CT]

A good genny even small is $1000+, and only the larger noisier ones have electric start.

The real key is super insulation, like 6-8" all round, sealed door no windows.

Sometimes you see a reefer delivery/box truck, I missed out on a portable morgue vehicle in great shape got outbid.

Sure can do it, cheaper than renting an apartment after 2-3 years maybe, but you do need the capital up front.

 

[jonsun]

Hey bardo, you are most likely referring to 'contractor grade' generators, with an 'extended run'
 gas tank, probably 4 to 6 gallons.

Noisy as hell, but at a race track noise is not a problem.

I was referring to a small, portable, quiet, inverter style generator and they wont run 10 hours at full load off one tank of gas. And I dont know of any small ones that have electric start. Larger inverter gensets have the electric start option on some of them, but they get extremely $spendy$ in a hurry.

Absolutely. Yes your average $300 4kw deal. usually 4 gal tank. They can be very quiet with a proper enclosure.

but ironically they're bitched about quite heavily despite the constant noise all weekend lol

 

[jonsun]

Does anybody know what the lifespan of a Honda or Yamaha generator is in hours?

I'm just wondering how often you're going to be buying a new one if you run it 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, week after week after week?

I've never seen one die yet. I know regular units that have literally been through hell and back and been going many years with hard abuse. I wish I had pics of my buddies champion open frame. Its been on fire, everything is busted and its been doing 72hr weekends 15-20 times a year since like 2000.

I wouldn't even be considering an inverter generator for this at all. fuel tank way too small, no electric start, theft eye candy. this is hitch tray open frame with a wood box and high cfm cooling fan job.

 

[tx2sturgis]

The only thing I can think of that wont break the bank would be to setup a dog house which uses thermoelectric cooling.

{snip}

Build insulated dog house, add thermoelectric setups, add digital controller ... When the dog needs to cool down it can go in the dog house.

You got me thinking dude...

Back up...regroup.

Not a bad idea really!

Lets say you bought a large marine style ice chest. Think REALLY big.

Cut a hole in one end. Trim it up so its nice and comfy for the dog, no sharp edges. Add padding inside.

Install the guts from a thermoelectric cooler in the lid (or even a cheap 12v compressor fridge).

Use a small computer fan, and a thermostat, set at 72° or so, and hang a soft curtain in the opening.

VOILA!

Instant meat locker for Lassie!

If the guts all ran on direct solar, then no battery needed, no controller, and it would run the best when its hot and sunny outside!

The van needs to be vented, of course.

Dude....you solved it.

 

[Gideon33w]

Does anybody know what the lifespan of a Honda or Yamaha generator is in hours?

I'm just wondering how often you're going to be buying a new one if you run it 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, week after week after week?

Constant use is typically a lighter load than stopping/starting. As far as lifespan, I've rarely seen one of the Hondas actually get old enough to start having issues. Heck, we even used them in the Army some. Follow the service intervals and I'm sure you could run one long enough to come up with a better option.

 

[John61CT]

I don't think the little ones are rated for thousands of hours like the big old diesels, but maybe, if you know a guy does rings, rebuilds.

But anecdotally people do swear they run "forever", fit an hour meter, change the oil, use synthetics. . .

Propane would also give a much longer lifetime compared to gas, maybe triple?

Deadly is storing for months with standard ethanol mix, use the add-in preservative stuff, or even better, run dry before storing.

 

[tx2sturgis]

Deadly is storing for months with standard ethanol mix, use the add-in preservative stuff, or even better, run dry before storing.

True this^^^

I try to use only 'pure gas' in them, when I can find it.

I own 5 generators and most of them have a fuel shutoff, but the 2 smaller inverter gensets do not.

There is no way to simply shut off the fuel and let the carb run dry. The shutoff switch only kills the ignition.

Of course, you can let the generator run dry from the tank, or drain the tank.

 

[jonsun]

as someone who rebuilds 20-30 carbs a week, sometimes ones sitting for years, the ethanol stuff is mostly a myth. Rust and plain old gunk 99% of the time. When you do get the green bowl of death you actually find less dirt/grime but sometimes what looks like lime scale.

I more concerned the actual generator going out long before a little 4 stroke single needs attention.