A "Solution" Turned Into a Problem (Genset Issues)

Can you find a kit to convert the gasoline to NG? I've seen kits that allow you to keep the gas, and use LP or NG.

Or you should add a procedure to turn the fuel shut off (you may need to add a valve), as part of engine shutdown to run the carburetor dry of fuel. Then you need to add the procedure to open the valve for startup.

Despite there are a lot of cars running on NG in my country, I actually discarded the idea of converting the generator into it, cause I thought the conversion kIt would not be available for small engines... but i will check that!

It should probably be run once a week for 15 min....and I would keep a spare battery on hand....I would use stabil in the gas tank...I would have a battery selector switch so I could charge the batteries alternately when I had the time during maintenance runs....A charger is not necessary to be hooked up all the time...this eliminates the possibility of overcharging and drying out the battery....I would have a multi tester on hand, or a voltmeter hooked into the battery circuit that could be switched on when needed....

The best thing I ever did for my portable generators was fuel them with premium fuel. Here in Ontario it's ethanol free, and the higher octane components are also less likely to oxidize and cause varnish. In the past 2 years the only problem I've had with my 8500 watt unit was starting it outdoors at -23 C (the battery was dead and I had to jump it from my pickup!! No way it was starting on the pull cord).

Mine has a pull cord too... and I never could either ! I bet it has been built in more for "it has to have a pull cord " reasons rather than ´cause the manufacturer honestly believes someone could start it that way! ... not even if I were The Incredible Hulk

I strongly suggest you purchase a fuel stabilizer and add it to the generator fuel tank in the correct proportion.

This will prevent the type of issues you are having.

It is still very important that the machine be tested at least once per month and the best option is to test it once per week.

In lieu of a genset I went for a large on line UPS. 6kVA in my case. Bigger than required but bigger UPSs have more batteries too.

Just works, no starting instructions etc. Yes, it is on selective loads only, eg lights, fan, TV.....one room basically.

I had a 4hr blackout once and didn't notice till I left that room..

Maintenance...none other than battery change which is now due, I have about 1 second of autonomy at present, first time in 5+ years.

My truck also has an invertor, so it becomes my diesel generator if required....there's another option. I can plug my house into my truck's invertor through an MTS in the shed.

Do you mean "charger" when you say "tender"?

Assuming yes for the moment:-

Most of the battery chargers I have seen have overcharged the battery, gassed it to an early death.

I can usually tell if a charger is OK or not by simply monitoring the maximum and minimum voltages achieved.

Also, it should not have a trickle charge feature to my mind, as they can be really dangerous to the longterm health of the battery if badly designed/implemented. It can actually be implemented with a small bit of electronics quite safely, but who needs it?

Trickle charging is a t(r)icklish operation to design and build as it must "maintain" a charge level, not add or subtract to/from it!! A new battery needs a smaller trickle than say an older battery....it changes by a tiny amount each day, with changes in temperature adding and subtracting to the charge needed.

Battery size and manufacturer play a role also....

Which is why I gave up years ago in designing them, more trouble than they are worth....

Assuming a 12 volt (nominal) battery, you want the charge to stop completely by 13.2 - 13.4 volts and restart at about 12.65 Volts. That way no gassing....no water loss!!

Do not go for a "full" battery, stay with around 70% of capacity.....

Seriously, you will have a problem finding a charger that does NOT damage a battery.....but as I gave up years ago trying to find a good one at a reasonable price, I started making my own.

UPSs are a good example of bad chargers, rarely do batteries last more than a few years....

But I could be wrong today!! Just don't believe the all sales talk/brochures!!

A leisure battery, provided it can supply the cranking amps needed, may be a better bet as they handle deep discharging better.....just in case!!

Tender is the operative word. These, theoretically, monitor the battery and only apply a charge when the monitor says to do so - and they are not that expensive anymore. My experience is still limited, but over the last 2 years, I haven't had a problem with my "tender" even when I don't check the battery for a few months at a time. My installation is in my summer time vehicle which always had a dead battery when I went to start it after having it sit for more than a month at a time. This year, I haven't checked it for the last 4 months, so I will see what the outcome is.

I honestly don't know much about generators, but I know plenty when it comes to my 90 Yamaha Virago. It uses an electric diaphragm type fuel pump that feeds 2 carbs instead of the normal gravity fed fuel system with mechanical valve.

Not important when it comes to your generator, but goes to my point of running the generator at intervals long enough for any measurable amount fuel in the carb to evaporate being the worst thing you can do. Doing this with wreck havoc and you'll be taking the carb off and cleaning it again in no time. I didn't ride my bike for about a year, but started it up and ran it for ~10 minutes a month, that frequency was long enough for most, if not all of the fuel to evaporate from both bowls on a 1100cc bike. Sta-Bil was added to the tank, the bike ridden enough to get it run through the (stupid) reserve tank, and then I topped off the tank. It ran progressively worse, needing the choke wide open even after coming up to temp just to keep it running, and was completely unrideable. Then one day the pump never stopped(engine off), spitting fuel out of the breather tubes. All the fuel evaporating clogged the jets and then one of the the float valves got stuck, letting the fuel flood out everywhere.

So I'd combine suggested solutions. Run it to make sure it's operational, but drain the fuel from the carb when done and just dump it back into the tank. Also take heed of the NO ethanol fuel, and keep the tank full to lessen any condensation. While expensive, I'd put race gas in it before any fuel with ethanol.

Also, what kind of battery are you using? AGM batteries are the last thing you want to use as they aren't made for starting and then only charged for a few minutes, besides being stupid expensive. But if one is used, spend the extra $$ on a temperature compensated charger/tender with an AGM mode. It's a good investment if you have anything with an AGM or VRLA battery, or use a VRLA for the generator. Instead of this a regular LA battery in tandem with an AGM with a disconnect is a good option. Use the LA for all maintenance activity, and if it happens to crap on you then just flip the switch to the AGM. A new, unused AGM has a ridiculous shelf life.

Yep! And kerosene lamps. I have also found that solar landscape lights work good and are cheap. I have a number of them and just take the top with the battery and light off and take them inside.

I would question the changing of the fuel system to NG with out either adressing it with the engine manufacture. Or some study of the engine. Running NG or LPG in small engines the engines have to be designed for it. Both these fuels run hotter. I have seen where an equipment manufacture will use choose an engine that runs fine on gasoline. They had major head problems with LPG. I not only saw it with their equipment but across the market with others manufactures engines on the same type equipment. Most of these engines 18 to 24 hp.

Biggest problem found was the heads design using different lenght head bolts. Causing premature head gasket failure do to the added heat of combustion of the fuel. Most auto engines are water cooled. If yours is then there won't be a problem.

Firstly, a good post.

The only addition I can make is that over here, the companies that put gas conversions in petrol cars, do not support trailer usage on gas.......due to the exact same reasons you mentioned!!

Overheating!

Propane conversion is an easy modification. There are kits on line at E-bay all the time for generators, and a lot of the propane suppliers have the kits for the conversion of a lot of different equipment. Like trucks and cars as well as lawn mowers and tractors of the gas variety. I currently have a Kohler 15.000 Watt with a 4 cylinder continental engine as the power to run the generator it was designed to run propane from the factory. It has been out in the weather since the 1970 on the back of a food service truck with two 75 lb tanks. When I purchased it I mounted it on an old trailer we had from the midget racing days of many years gone by. Then mounted the propane tanks on the front of the trailer so they were accessible to fill or remove to fill if necessary to keep power going continuously if one tank runs out of fuel until power comes back on. One of the really nice things about propane is it does not leave all of the hydrocarbon's in the oil. A lot less oil changes and no deposits in the carburetor to worry about. And as far as I know propane does not go bad in storage. Plus being mounted to the trailer makes it really assessable to use for other projects away from home. Plus it has a power distribution box on the trailer with a power cable to the house. It also has an auto start feature if it senses grid failure, so we almost never know when the power is out, unless I forget to check on the propane tanks. Then I grab a tank and run for the propane dealer or else I have to face the wife in (beast mode) not a pretty sight.

I´ll see what I get in e-bay! let ya know! this

With ALL my small engines i turn the fuel off and let it run until the carby has run dry. It is a trick my father taught me. This is especially important with 2 strokes. The only carby problems i have had are due to wasps nesting inside the carby. Our workplace uses a Swedish made Tender that seems to be very good. www.ctek.com
Jim

I'll only add this: When your neighbor runs out of LNG at 3AM on a Sunday, he will be wishing he had used gasoline!

Heed the post about the fuel stabilizer, that's the trick to trouble free operation.