Military Camp

Generator for home during power outages

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  • Wulf202

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    Jul 5, 2021
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    From the path of hurricane ida the natural gas was still on even with the power outages. However the generac whole house units are not reliable. Burning out boards and such after a day or two use. Dealership ran out of parts on day 4.
     

    diesel1959

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    Dumb answer.
    Only to someone who doesn't own a diesel. All diesel sold in this country should be B5. No one would ever have to buy a lubricity additive ever again. And B5 doesn't attack older hoses and diaphragms. It's safe for ALL diesels.

    MORE biodiesel and LESS ethanol.
     
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    baboon

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    Out here by the lake!
    From the path of hurricane ida the natural gas was still on even with the power outages. However the generac whole house units are not reliable. Burning out boards and such after a day or two use. Dealership ran out of parts on day 4.
    New neighbor has a Propane Generac ordered! As much as I would hate keeping lots of gasoline on hand I thing a Honda generator might be the way I roll.
     

    pronstar

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    New neighbor has a Propane Generac ordered! As much as I would hate keeping lots of gasoline on hand I thing a Honda generator might be the way I roll.

    I’ve read slightly better reviews for Kohler while-house units.

    But overall reviews are all over the map and pricey, that’s why I went the route I did with a large and cheap portable.


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    Wulf202

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    Canton tx
    Only to someone who doesn't own a diesel. All diesel sold in this country should be B5. No one would ever have to buy a lubricity additive ever again. And B5 doesn't attack older hoses and diaphragms. It's safe for ALL diesels.

    MORE biodiesel and LESS ethanol.
    Not quite, for systems that were designed on ultra low sulfur diesel that's true, but designs that pre date that still benefit from lubricity additives for the pump and injector longevity.
     

    Axxe55

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    Not quite, for systems that were designed on ultra low sulfur diesel that's true, but designs that pre date that still benefit from lubricity additives for the pump and injector longevity.
    But you can use diesel fuel additives to add lubricity back into the fuel relatively inexpensively.

    Truck stops and auto parts stores carry numerous brands.

    Not really any different than those of us treating ethanol based gasoline for small engines.
     

    Wulf202

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    Jul 5, 2021
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    But you can use diesel fuel additives to add lubricity back into the fuel relatively inexpensively.

    Truck stops and auto parts stores carry numerous brands.

    Not really any different than those of us treating ethanol based gasoline for small engines.
    I absolutely agree it's an easy fix with a shot of 2 stroke oil.
     

    avvidclif

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    My 2 cents. Any gas generator if not exercised monthly will have fuel problems with ethanol. UNLESS it has a fuel cutoff valve so you can run it until it dies. And that can leave enough to cause problems. I had an RV with a 30 gal tank so had no problems with emergency power. I sold it. I now have a dual fuel 3500w that has never smelled gas in the 2 years I have had it. I have multiple 20 lb bottles and a 40. Due to health issues I'm going to go home backup. It will be in the 25k range and I like Kohler. At that size they are water cooled. I will put in a 250 gal propane tank. It will do the maintenance as needed with no intervention.
     

    baboon

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    Out here by the lake!
    I’ve read slightly better reviews for Kohler while-house units.

    But overall reviews are all over the map and pricey, that’s why I went the route I did with a large and cheap portable.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
    When I bought my Cub cadet lawn mower I had the choice between a Koehler & Kawasaki engine. Salesman @ the farm implement store said the was the better choice! He said the Koehler have shitty Chinese parts!
     

    oldag

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    I’ve read slightly better reviews for Kohler while-house units.

    But overall reviews are all over the map and pricey, that’s why I went the route I did with a large and cheap portable.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
    Generac's commercial units (a little larger than home models) are extremely reliable. Just do the annual maintenance.
     

    pronstar

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    When I bought my Cub cadet lawn mower I had the choice between a Koehler & Kawasaki engine. Salesman @ the farm implement store said the was the better choice! He said the Koehler have shitty Chinese parts!

    Japanese over Chinese for sure.
    They offered both Kawasaki and Kohler on my ZTM.
    I’d prefer Kawasaki if I had a choice, but I bought it used, and it’s a Kohler.

    But between Kohler or Generac, I’d go Kohler.


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    diesel1959

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    Not quite, for systems that were designed on ultra low sulfur diesel that's true, but designs that pre date that still benefit from lubricity additives for the pump and injector longevity.
    You are incorrect. ANY diesel engine can run diesel fuel with up to 5% biodiesel content. At that concentration, even rubber hoses and diaphragms are safe. It makes no difference whether the vehicle is designed for ULSD or not—B5 is safe to use and an excellent choice. If you go higher, like B10 or B20, you had better have Viton fuel lines and diaphragms. I don’t know if they still exist, but there used to be tax incentives to use biodiesel blends—something like one cent less tax for each percent biodiesel in the blend.

    in such case, it winds up cheaper to run B5 than straight dino diesel. And it’s nice not having to add anything, as that’s an extra expense over the long haul.
     

    Wulf202

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    Jul 5, 2021
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    Canton tx
    You are incorrect. ANY diesel engine can run diesel fuel with up to 5% biodiesel content. At that concentration, even rubber hoses and diaphragms are safe. It makes no difference whether the vehicle is designed for ULSD or not—B5 is safe to use and an excellent choice. If you go higher, like B10 or B20, you had better have Viton fuel lines and diaphragms. I don’t know if they still exist, but there used to be tax incentives to use biodiesel blends—something like one cent less tax for each percent biodiesel in the blend.

    in such case, it winds up cheaper to run B5 than straight dino diesel. And it’s nice not having to add anything, as that’s an extra expense over the long haul.
    It will run it, sure. Until the lift pump or injector pump or injectors wear out prematurely. Many studies have been done on additives for the older diesels. I did an impromptu study myself when I first got my diesel and wound up with a bad pump on the highway while towing a large trailer right next to a sign that said "no services this exit". After a very expensive tow bill I did a lot of inquiring.

    in this link you'll find a pdf from bosch about ULSD that was written before the ULSD was federally mandated about premature wear on pump components.

    B5 is certainly better than B20 but ULSD has poor lubricity for pumps and injectors compared to the older D2.

    I experimented with b20 and got terrible mileage to boot. B20 was 10% cheaper than B5 and resulted in 20% less fuel economy on the same trip with the same vehicle. I was looking into B100 as a fuel source but quickly decided against it.
     
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