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

[Dingfelder]

Good to know, thanks. There's no Northern Tool around here and I've never heard of them before ... think I saw that name in a post here the other day though ...

... maybe I'll take my generator in to a small repairs shop. If it's something simple it might not cost me much more than the cost of the gas and oil I'd have to dump out of this one to trade it in. Plus I wouldn't have to figure out how to turn the thing upside down safely and drain the gas.

 

[Dingfelder]

Well, it started up again today. Was out helping my mother fix up her garage, so not around when it was really hot, so again, just another five minutes. But I feel quite relieved. Moving that thing around is tough, and getting the fuel out first sounded very cumbersome and messy at the very least. So I'm glad that I did indeed get what appears to be a keeper.

Spotted a couple resonances:

1. There is a metal circle behind one of the wheels. A brake of some sort, I wondered? I'll have to check it out more thoroughly. But it was the source of a high pitched rattle. I found that holding it flush against the wheel made the noise go away, so if I can't figure out anything better, I'll duct tape it so it makes less noise.

2. There is the generator, pointed away, then comes my trailer, then comes the house. I noticed the noise sounds louder and like it has more bass when I'm between the trailer and the house. I was hoping from that position, more of the noise would be masked ... or at least it wouldn't sound louder or more penetrating.

Well, like I said, I'll be working on an enclosure. I'm going to Home Depot tomorrow to rent a concrete sander for my mother's garage floor, so I think I'll pick up some steel rebar and start working up that PVC skeleton to put around the generator.

 

[Trebor English]

1. There is a metal circle behind one of the wheels.  A brake of some sort, I wondered? I'll have to check it out more thoroughly.  But it was the source of a high pitched rattle.  I found that holding it flush against the wheel made the noise go away, so if I can't figure out anything better, I'll duct tape it so it makes less noise.

It is a parking brake.  It locks that one wheel.

 

[Dingfelder]

K thanks.

Okay I have the A/C on now for the first extended period, about half an hour. it's set to about half power. Gone from 90 to 82 so far.

The A/C just cut out for a split second, though, for the third time. This last time, a light flickered too.

Warning of danger to the trailer's circuitry, right? I'm going to go turn the A/C to low and see if that continues ... hmm, it happened again ... lemme see if that repeats...

 

[Trebor English]

The A/C just cut out for a split second, though, for the third time.  This last time, a light flickered too.  

Warning of danger to the trailer's circuitry, right?

A common problem is loose connections where they plug in at the generator.  There is vibration there.  Check for something getting hot.

 

[Dingfelder]

K thanks Trebor, I'll do that.

There is a RV plug that comes with the generator, configured to work with a RV power cord. You turn the plug a big to the right to lock it, but it doesn't feel locked all that tightly. I'll check if it shook loose.

Otherwise, last night it was almost 80 degrees here even at 10 p.m. That's more like California heat than Oregon. I remember it not cooling off till 4 a.m. in California, and not by a huge amount either. Here, we usually go down 30 degrees at night, we should have been down well into the 60's.

Anyway, those hours keeping cool yesterday were wonderful. It got down to 65 degrees in here, and after a while I turned off the generator and lived off the cool already stored up in the trailer before eventually opening up the windows again to go to sleep.