I have to ask if the Generator is a Generac.

If it is the brushless type Generac - you might want to invest in a extra capacitor for the generator.

I took a near lightning strike back in April - did damage to just the 3 six meter antenna's in the yard and didn't affect anything else except that the capacitor went on the generator and it refused to put out any power.

I took it to the local alternator shop, and instead of just selling me the part, they played dumb and charged me $120 for a simple $25.00 repair.

I am the same way about loosing power.
I like to turn on all the outside lights and the inside lights so the people sitting in the dark can see that I still have light.

My 4500 watt Honda uses about 5 gallons of gasoline every 8 hours.
So by your estimation - you had enough gasoline for about 24 hours of use.

You didn't say where you lived...

If it was New York City - then you probably would have needed to conserve as much as you could.

Other places other then West Virginia it wouldn't have been so bad.

The electric lines arcing tells me that they have a problem with the switch gear at the local sub station.
The power should have cycled 3 times in about a second and then shut off.

That is about standard for new switch gear made today.
Siemens, ABB , ARRIVA etc...

On 11/2/2012 12:27 PM, Channel Jumper wrote:
I have to ask if the Generator is a Generac.

If it is the brushless type Generac - you might want to invest in a
extra capacitor for the generator.

It's a Briggs and Stratton unit.

I took a near lightning strike back in April - did damage to just the 3
six meter antenna's in the yard and didn't affect anything else except
that the capacitor went on the generator and it refused to put out any
power.

I took it to the local alternator shop, and instead of just selling me
the part, they played dumb and charged me $120 for a simple $25.00
repair.

Sorry to hear it. I suggest you tell the owner that he'll never see you
again, and send him copies of receipts from other businesses that you've
dealt with. There are too many businessmen who feel that they can gouge
their customers and who think nobody keeps track.


I am the same way about loosing power.
I like to turn on all the outside lights and the inside lights so the
people sitting in the dark can see that I still have light.

Well, there's a /little/ bit of that in me, but I was compensating on
Monday night: I kept the outside lights off and made sure that the
shades were down, so that the one or two inside lights looked like we
had a lantern or candles going.

I don't worry about my neighbors, whom I know, but about someone passing
by that succumbs to a momentary lapse of judgement.

My 4500 watt Honda uses about 5 gallons of gasoline every 8 hours.
So by your estimation - you had enough gasoline for about 24 hours of
use.

Given the forecast temperatures, I was confident that I could go for
three days with just the refrigerator and occasional cooking. Counting
the generator tank, which holds 12 gallons, and the extra ten I had in
cans, plus the gas tanks in the cars, I could have gone for a week if I
used the generator about six hours per day, off and on.

You didn't say where you lived...

In the Boston, Massachusetts area, about halfway between Boston and
Providence, Rhode Island.

[snip]

The electric lines arcing tells me that they have a problem with the
switch gear at the local sub station. The power should have cycled 3
times in about a second and then shut off.

That is about standard for new switch gear made today.
Siemens, ABB , ARRIVA etc...

After a big storm a few years back, we had crews from Hydro Quebec in
this area helping with reconstruction. All the Québécois were astonished
at the age and inefficiency of the electric plant in my area: I guess
when you depend on water to make electricity, you find ways to make
every drop count.

73,

Bill, W1AC

--
Bill Horne
(Remove QRM from my address to write to me directly)

On 11/3/2012 1:45 AM, Bill Horne wrote:
On 11/2/2012 12:27 PM, Channel Jumper wrote:
I have to ask if the Generator is a Generac.

If it is the brushless type Generac - you might want to invest in a
extra capacitor for the generator.

It's a Briggs and Stratton unit.

IN the 5W size Briggs & Stratton and Genrac are ... Different paint jobs
(nothing more) IN fact if you contact Genrac, for customer support on a
small portable type Genrac, the reply comes from Briggs & Strattion..
Mine is a Genrac 1KW, with legs, I'd love to identify the legs so I
could get the generator back and send the legs to where they need to
spend some quality time.

My other genrator is a Onan 5,5KW, it runs everything in the motor home
with enough left over for a couple of trailers. But we cook with GAS
when we do that. That puppy burns about a gallon an hour, but can use
up to 3/4 of the fuel tank on the house, that's 70 gallons so over fifty
hours of power if the tank is full,, When I had a sticks and bricks, I
only used about 3KW to power the house during a power fail. LIke you I
had not one, but several switches.

I did not worry about CO still do not, the Motor home was about 100 feet
from the house (Well the generator) so that was safe, and in the motor
home itself I use a Gen-turi exhaust extension to get the exhaust
gasses, CO included, up over the roof where they can just keep goign UP.
WOrks great.

--
Nothing adds Excitement like something that is none of your business.
Remove the invalid part to email me.

On 11/3/2012 12:31 PM, John Davis wrote:

I did not worry about CO still do not, the Motor home was about 100 feet
from the house (Well the generator) so that was safe, and in the motor
home itself I use a Gen-turi exhaust extension to get the exhaust
gasses, CO included, up over the roof where they can just keep goign UP.
WOrks great.

Carbon Monoxide (CO) is one of those things that has to be dealt with
according to the worst possible outcome: dead bodies. I'm not an expert,
and I've taken my share of chances, but I don't run generators next to
open windows or inside garages.

I have a "Catalytic" heater that I used to take on camping trips: it
runs on Naphtha and throws a *LOT* of heat very quickly. I always insist
on keeping a window open and a door ajar when I've got it going, and I
*NEVER* keep it running while I'm asleep.

Now, you might wonder why I tell you all this. Frankly, it's because I
feel like an old fuddy-duddy every time I play it safe, and I wonder if
it's all hype put out by the insurance companies.

Still, I take the precautions. Until someone convinces me otherwise,
when it comes to Carbon Monoxide, I'm a live coward.

73,

Bill, W1AC

--
Bill Horne
(Remove QRM from my address to write to me directly)