Realistic 2k-ish generator time in 90-100+ degrees

[Dingfelder]

The Honda eu3000 is alleged to be big enough for a 14000 BTU rv roof air conditioner.  I have seen the Harbor Freight 3500 work well under the load where the Honda 3000 was marginal with the dog hair dryer and the small air conditioner.  If you are considering a generator for a roof mounted rv air conditioner consider the Harbor Freight generator.  

If you use two gallons of gas per day for the next month that's $6 x 30 = $180.
Three months of gas plus the generator will be about $1200.

If your friend's house wiring is bad you don't want to get into that.  Your trailer is overloading something, maybe a fire hazard.  They may need a replacement of the breaker panel with great disruption.  It may be a simple cheap fix, maybe a can of worms.

Thanks a lot, Trebor! A bunch of really solid points there and I appreciate your feedback about those two generators from experience.  I see the Predator for 679 ... cheaper by far than a Honda 3000 ... or I guess the two linked 2200's it sounds like I'd need to run a rooftop AC.

Getting an electrician out looking at the house might be an expense I should forego, considering that a generator is something so many people eventually buy anyway.  Maybe I should just get it over with and buy one now.

The reviews for the Predator on HB's site are certainly stellar.

It does sound like I'd have to be making lots of trips into town to buy gas unless I want an endless number of gas cans littering up the place, but getting myself out of this heat would be a huge quality of life issue.  And my dog would appreciate it too -- he's got thick fur and I feel worse for him than myself, since I can get down to bare skin and he can't.

I think I'll take a trip to Harbor Freight tomorrow and have a look ...

 

[highdesertranger]

I used to have an English Sheep dog. in the summer I would use sheep shears and cut all his hair off, I would do it twice once in the beginning of summer and again about half way through. he really liked it. by winter it would all grow back. just a thought. highdesertranger

 

[Dingfelder]

When I had persian cats, I used to do that too. The dog is a family dog though and I have been overruled on cutting his hair. Even though he lives with me now, separately, I don't want to get the grief if I clip him.

I will give his butt area a significant trim if he starts getting his poop stuck in it again. Happens sometimes when his hair gets really long. But I can't have him wearing his poop around, even moreso in a tiny trailer.

 

[Dingfelder]

No, too variable.

Step one is owner agrees. Then find out if permit required.

Don't advertise you're dwelling there.

For charging a future electric vehicle maybe?

I hadn't really thought about the attention it might draw.

I've been going back and forth on this, but I really don't need any extra attention.  Just about everybody here in this HOA has or has had a trailer of some sort out front even though it's against the rules, but nobody has been living in one.  And at least it's their own house.  But maybe I should just make as few waves as possible.

 

[Dingfelder]

Well, Trebor and others, I decided it wasn't worth the potential strife of asking my friends to start thinking about fixing their electrical system. It could be taken as in some way critical or judgmental, and if it looks like it will cost a lot of money ... somehow that sort of thing tends to result in a resentful "kill the messenger" kind of thing. And I don't want that. We are really good friends, I enjoy being here, and they actually enjoy having a young(er than they are) guy around, to help out and just make them feel more secure.

So I bought went and got a Predator 3500 at Harbor Freight. 100 pound monster, but at least it has wheels. Not saying great wheels ... just wheels. I think this is far too much for the average woman or older fellow to comfortably move around, wheels or no.

Anyway, I got back and it's getting dark, so all I did was put a tarp and some boards down to get it a little further off any potentially muddy ground or water trickles come the wet seasons ... and also to level it off, as the ground isn't quite even. A few scrap boards etc. did it. I put some gas in, and I'll leave it at that till tomorrow.

I did read the manual instructing that you need to ground the thing and have a qualified electrician do it. I've seen a number of videos about generators now and have yet to see anyone talk about grounding or appear like they were in the least likely to do it. Who is going to bring a qualified electrician out to a campsite in the boonies? Or anywhere and everywhere they stop day by day? Sounds silly to me.

They did say something about a spark plug arrestor, and that the unit could throw sparks. Said consult your local fire department. I don't know what one of those is, though it sounds obvious what one does. I don't know how realistic that warning is, again. But maybe I'll look into that. I did borrow a leaf blower and blow all the dry leaves away for a good distance around my trailer.

Oh, also I had a nosy nay-sayer friend of the family drop by only moments after I had gotten the thing in place by my trailer. He likes to say no to anything anyone is doing and create panic scenarios in people's minds, so I hope he doesn't get to the homeowners here. But I expect he will and I'll just have to deal with it.

I do have 90 days to return it, they say. And I bought a two-year replacement plan for $130. They don't repair, they told me, but any problems within that two years, you'll just get a new one. I've seen a lot of complaints about generators having problems, so I figured I would make the investment.

Wish me luck! Looks like tomorrow will be the first cool afternoon all summer.

 

[C-Cat]

The grounding is just to save their arses in case someone brings a lawsuit for some freak accident... in reality you're probably totally fine running without. If the trailer is properly wired, it should still trip the breakers if some electric device shorts out... if you're really worried about it, a 12 inch metal stake of some sort with a wire welded or screwed on should do the trick.

Don't forget before you fire it up the first time to check / put oil in it if you haven't yet... they ship these things usually without oil!

 

[highdesertranger]

drop the plug. it's a spark arrester. all engines operated in National Forests must have them. it will be stamped on the exhaust system. highdesertranger

 

[Trebor English]

The spark arrestor is a fine mesh screen located in the exhaust pipe.  Any red hot particles of carbon get caught.  It does need occasional cleaning.

There is a door on the side where you check / fill the engine oil.  After you fill it up with oil don't put the door back on.  Leaving it off assures unrestricted air flow.  

A 12 inch metal stake isn't enough.  If you want to do it right you need a 10 foot ground rod.  I have never seen anyone do that.  My dog groomer friend does not put in a ground rod at each customer's location.  Some are concrete paved parking lots.  Installing a ground rod could take more time than grooming a dog.  

New engine break in suggestions include running it at low and high loads not constantly one way.  Change the oil first time at 80 hours.  The display has an hour indication as well as other stuff.

 

[Dingfelder]

drop the plug.  it's a spark arrester.  all engines operated in National Forests must have them.  it will be stamped on the exhaust system.  highdesertranger

Thanks Trebor, C-Cat, and higdesertranger.

ranger, I don't know what you mean by "drop the plug."  Can you please clear that up for me?

 

[Dingfelder]

I went to Harbor Freight online and they didn't have a spark arrestor (or arrester,tried that spelling too).

There are a bunch on Amazon but they are all different shapes and sizes. They look like basically some wire mesh, sometimes flat and sometime shaped. None of them say anything about being for a generator, as far as I can tell, much less a Harbor Freight one.

Then I checked Home Depot, and they look like chimney covers, really big. Not something that would fit a little exhaust pipe.

Ace Hardware's search engine took me to, of all places, a page with a few gas cans on it.

Can somebody tell me where I should be looking for one of these things?

 

[Trebor English]

When the generator is cool stick your finger in the exhaust pipe.  It only goes an inch till you hit the screen.  That's the spark arrestor.  It should already be there.

 

[Dingfelder]

Hmm well that's odd. The manual tells me to be sure to have one ... then I 1) can't find one for sale and 2) I guess already have one installed. I'll go check.

But anyway ... weird ...

 

[highdesertranger]

in your post #25 fifth paragraph,

"They did say something about a spark plug arrestor, and that the unit could throw sparks"

that is what I was referring to.

note all internal combustion engines used on public land must have an approved spark arrester on the exhaust. most of your dirt bikes, chain saws, and name brand small engines come with spark arresters. some have it stamped right on the muffler.

https://www.fs.fed.us/t-d/programs/fire/spark_arrester_guides/

highdesertranger

 

[John61CT]

The manual warnings are to cover their butt wrt liability.

They are easy to lose and do wear out, get holes, so get spares once you identify the diameter you need.

Not hard to make in a pinch.

 

[Dingfelder]

I'm just trying to figure out where to get the spares.

But since it's basically wire mesh, it seems to me I could just buy some wire mesh and tape or clamp it over the exhaust ...

In fact the ones I saw on Amazon for some random tools looked a lot like tea strainers, so they shouldn't be hard to find as an alternative.

 

[highdesertranger]

read that link I posted if you go to the PFD it tells you the mash size. highdesertranger

 

[Dingfelder]

k thanks

Well, got it started. And quiet it is not. Nothing compared to the unpleasantness of the generators and power tools I've heard people use from half a dozen houses away, but still, quite loud.

The good news so far:

1. It ran my rooftop AC, at 90 degrees, even on economy mode!
2. It started up right away with the electric starter.
3. I feel my dog will be safer now if I have to leave him alone inside, something I've never previously done. FWIW he seemed delighted when I turned on the A/C.
4. I found the spark arrestor.

The bad news so far:

1. Wow, putting it under load sure made it much louder! Even on econo mode. No question now that I will need some sort of a running housing to cut back the noise.
2. The oil intake is very nearly horizontal. To deal with it they give you a funnel so straight it feels like they did that just for spite. Couldn't they have canted the bowl of the funnel up at least a little? If the generator is on even slightly uneven ground in the wrong direction, the oil will likely spill right out.
3. It is very hard to know how much oil to put in, or if you've put too much, while you're doing it. You just have to guess and check with the dipstick very frequently. Overall a really clumsy, drive-way or lawn-staining affair. You'll be wearing gloves or washing your hands, IMO. Glad I put a tarp down first.
4. There is some rattle to the thing. I'm hoping that will settle down. Rattle = more and harsher noise.
5. A ton of heat comes out of the exhaust, making a wide area quite toasty. Pointing it in the right direction could be a big deal. I didn't want it pointed at my trailer.
6. This is one of those devices where connecting the battery is difficult. It's even more so when you have to get low to the ground to do it.
7. The manual advises you to perform certain maintenance things yearly by a professional. But Harbor Freight doesn't service these at all.
8. After I moved the generator to a better spot about 15 feet away, I couldn't get it to start. I tried a few times, might have flooded the engine, I don't know. I do have 90 days to return it, so if worse comes to worse I have some hassle and fuel loss ahead of me, not a total loss. (No idea how I'd get the gas out though.) But maybe it just needs to cool down before restarts? I hope so. I only got 5 minutes of A/C so far!

By the way, re the electricity options previously discussed: I tried four electricians. One's answering machine said he didn't want new clients. Two didn't answer at all. One said he doesn't do that kind of thing. So it's this way or the highway, apparently.

Still, providing I can get the thing to start again, I foresee being happy to have it.

 

[Dingfelder]

Grr an hour later and it still won't start ...

 

[Trebor English]

7.  The manual advises you to perform certain maintenance things yearly by a professional.  But Harbor Freight doesn't service these at all.

Northern Tool sells an almost identical generator.  It is blue instead of red.  I know of one Northern Tool store that has a technician who works on them and they sell parts.  

Harbor Freight has an 800 number where you can call to order parts.  

Any place that repairs small engines like lawn mowers should be able to deal with it if they can get parts.

 

[Trebor English]

Grr an hour later and it still won't start ...

If it is hot it won't start with the control set to start.  It wants to be set to run.  

If it isn't level the oil level sensor won't let it run.