Re: [RE-wrenches] Gen preheat in cold climates

2015-04-03 Thread James Jefferson Jarvis
On 4/3/2015 9:32 AM, drake.chamber...@redwoodalliance.org wrote: We are dealing with a generator that absolutely won't start when cold, so I was considering a block heater. Below 20 deg F it has proven worthless, and we can see -20 F on occasion. I had a generator like that. Below zero it

Re: [RE-wrenches] Gen preheat in cold climates

2015-04-03 Thread drake . chamberlin
We are dealing with a generator that absolutely won't start when cold, so I was considering a block heater. Below 20 deg F it has proven worthless, and we can see -20 F on occasion. My concern is using power from a low battery on a cold cloudy day to heat a generator. How long does it take to

Re: [RE-wrenches] Gen preheat in cold climates

2015-04-03 Thread Jerry Shafer
You may want to contact the gen set manufacture to see if the genny can go cold freeze protection at sub zero because it may be required to operate 24/7in that condition. you may be able to install a thermostat to control the block heater, this way its not always on. PS I would use the Outback

Re: [RE-wrenches] Gen preheat in cold climates

2015-04-03 Thread Larry
About the carb heat idea...LP is a liquid at -44°F. The liquid does not combust, it must be vaporized. As the ambient temperature drops closer to the LP liquid temperature, there would be a reduction in how fast liquid is vaporizing and therefor a reduction in volume. What you need in cold

Re: [RE-wrenches] Gen preheat in cold climates

2015-04-03 Thread jay peltz
Hi guys, I don't live in super cold. I'm curious about the block heater part. With the good synthetic oils that are thin at really cold Is the issue heating the block or battery or heating the intake for propane units? Thanks Jay Peltz power On Apr 3, 2015, at 8:21 AM, James Jefferson

Re: [RE-wrenches] Gen preheat in cold climates

2015-04-03 Thread Chris Mason
Heating the regulator won't help if the propane is not vapourizing. You would need to heat the tank. However, you do not need to heat it very much, just enough to let it vapourize. Think about putting it somewhere with a little heat, or burying it. On Fri, Apr 3, 2015 at 1:51 PM, Larry

Re: [RE-wrenches] Gen preheat in cold climates

2015-04-03 Thread d...@solarwork.com
At our high elevation installs the generator gets installed indoors with the balance of the offgrid system we utilize the heat for the room Dana Orzel 208.721.7003 Encourage Free Thinking Self Responsible Free Range Children On Apr 2, 2015, at 8:47 PM, Gary Higbee g...@windstreamsolar.com

Re: [RE-wrenches] Gen preheat in cold climates

2015-04-03 Thread RE Ellison
[mailto:re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org] On Behalf Of jay peltz Sent: Friday, April 03, 2015 11:45 AM To: RE-wrenches Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Gen preheat in cold climates Hi guys, I don't live in super cold. I'm curious about the block heater part. With the good synthetic oils that are thin

Re: [RE-wrenches] Gen preheat in cold climates

2015-04-03 Thread Larry
Chris, After I hit the send button, I thought about how a small generator or gas grill will use tank pressure through a vapor regulator. If this generator is plumbed that way, there lies a problem that your solution of heating the tank will work with. Personally I would not plumb a generator

Re: [RE-wrenches] Gen preheat in cold climates

2015-04-03 Thread Larry
Hi Chris, LP will boil (vaporize) at -44° so until your ambient temperature is below that it is vaporizing. Heating the tank will increase the liquid and vapor pressure in the tank but it is still liquid, not vapor, that is plumbed to a cold regulator, or vaporizer if they have one, where the

Re: [RE-wrenches] Gen preheat in cold climates

2015-04-03 Thread Benn Kilburn
Hi Dana, I have an off-grid client (central/northern Alberta) who tried this but the heat from the gen would shut down the magnum inverter due to over temp. This was in an enclosed room (~15'x15') in a much larger shop. The gen was being exhausted outside but it was an air-cooled unit, so blew

Re: [RE-wrenches] Gen preheat in cold climates

2015-04-03 Thread Allan Sindelar
. Renewable Energy Systems (802)-483-2564 www.Foxfire-Energy.com NABCEP #092907-44 Original Message Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Gen preheat in cold climates From

Re: [RE-wrenches] Gen preheat in cold climates

2015-04-03 Thread Dana
Technologies for Responsible People since 1988  -Original Message- From: RE-wrenches [mailto:re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org] On Behalf Of Benn Kilburn Sent: Friday, April 03, 2015 2:23 PM To: RE-wrenches Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Gen preheat in cold climates Hi Dana, I have

Re: [RE-wrenches] Gen preheat in cold climates

2015-04-03 Thread Kevin Pegg
:48 PM To: RE-wrenches@lists.RE-wrenches.org Subject: [RE-wrenches] Gen preheat in cold climates Wrenches, I'm curious what strategies you use to preheat a propane gen in cold climates. This is a large off-grid design in a sub-zero winter climate and ideal would be to turn on a block heater

Re: [RE-wrenches] Gen preheat in cold climates

2015-04-03 Thread Tump
We have installed many low ambient temp propane genset and here are a few suggestions. I would recommend underground 1k propane tank this allows constant 50* temp improves the evap rate of liquid propane and prevents fuel starvation /lean burn conditions due to low evap rates. Primary reg set

Re: [RE-wrenches] Gen preheat in cold climates

2015-04-03 Thread dan
#092907-44 Original Message Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Gen preheat in cold climates From: James Jefferson Jarvis j...@aprsworld.com Date: Fri, April 03, 2015 11:21 am To: re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org On 4/3/2015 9:32 AM, drake.chamber...@redwoodalliance.org wrote: We a

Re: [RE-wrenches] Gen preheat in cold climates

2015-04-03 Thread dan
Corp.Renewable Energy Systems(802)-483-2564www.Foxfire-Energy.comNABCEP #092907-44 Original Message Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Gen preheat in cold climates From: drake.chamber...@redwoodalliance.org Date: Fri, April 03, 2015 10:32 am To: "RE-wrenches" re-wrenches@lists.re-wr

Re: [RE-wrenches] Gen preheat in cold climates

2015-04-02 Thread Mac Lewis
Hi Gary, We have implemented a preheat strategy that has really worked well at a site using dual sunny islands. They have a load shed function built in with the control relays. We are using that function to add the block heater load. When a generator start is likely (~50% SOC) it triggers a

[RE-wrenches] Gen preheat in cold climates

2015-04-02 Thread Gary Higbee
Wrenches, I'm curious what strategies you use to preheat a propane gen in cold climates. This is a large off-grid design in a sub-zero winter climate and ideal would be to turn on a block heater an hour or two in advance, then run the gen cycle. We plan to use either a Schneider XW or Outback

Re: [RE-wrenches] Gen preheat in cold climates

2015-04-02 Thread Allan Sindelar
Gary, Mac's approach is intelligent and will work well, as an automated system with the right hardware. We took a quite different approach on a somewhat similar scenario in 2009. This was a Kohler 8.5REZ, with the electric carb heater and AC charter for the