generator to run house and well

[steelandcanvas]

I have just two word....."Arc Flash...."

Imagine a fan that you have to throw a switch right at the motor control center to start, 480V, 5hp or so, they've been doing it like that for 25 years. Now because of the new arc flash requirements, you must wear 100% cotton long sleeve shirt, leather gloves, with rubber liners, EH boots, faceshield.......

Just to turn a motor on.

Checking voltages in live panels is also a real treat.

Take a look through NFPA 70E, I don't think you need a face shield to throw a disconnect on a closed motor control bucket. There is a safety equipment matrix that explains it pretty well.

 

[rat4spd]

Take a look through NFPA 70E, I don't think you need a face shield to throw a disconnect on a closed motor control bucket. There is a safety equipment matrix that explains it pretty well.

You're right, it's safety glassses, cotton shirt, EH boots, hard hat, leather gloves, and ear plugs for level 0.

It's all new to me. I just throw the breakers. John Luke from Esco did the training, all 4 hours of it. It was interesting, but a lot to cram in. Every single piece of electrical gear that has a potential for arc flash has a nice orange sticker on it.

 

[Speddmon]

and furthermore, if a gent has a house with 200A service, and wants a separate 200A service to feed his garage/shop, shouldn't he be able to be a customer there too?

I agree with you 100%, the utilities are supposed to be providing us with a service as long as we are willing to pay for it!!!! But you have to understand how far the mayor, and city councilmen and other "leaders" within Canton city limits and surrounding areas have their heads up there collective asses!! AEP is just following suit by being as annaly congested as they are.

Some examples are, supply plumbing within all homes in the city limits must be done with copper, no other material is allowed. Even though many plastics have been around for years and PEX tubing is starting to make it's presence known in the construction field.

If you want to remodel your bathroom, kitchen or any other room you must have a permit and inspections done so they can collect all of the necessary fees and taxes they think they are entitled to.

I had to go to traffic court one day with my wife and there was a gentlemen there who was being fined for not having a piece of siding on his house.

Fellows that I work with who happen to live within the city of Canton, one in particular, wants to build a garage. Nothing fancy and would follow all building codes and such. He can't do it because he has to get all of his neighbors who could see his proposed garage to sign a release form because it might block their view of the "slum" next door.

I'm not even going to get into the requirements for having licensed contractors do the work and things like that. But with building rules like those I can see why AEP, which powers most of Canton, has the stupid rules they do!

YOU COULDN'T PAY ME ENOUGH TO LIVE IN A CITY!!!!!!! Or even in town for that much. I like living way out in the country doing what I like when I like, this is the land of the free after all!

 

[steelandcanvas]

You're right, it's safety glassses, cotton shirt, EH boots, hard hat, leather gloves, and ear plugs for level 0.

It's all new to me. I just throw the breakers. John Luke from Esco did the training, all 4 hours of it. It was interesting, but a lot to cram in. Every single piece of electrical gear that has a potential for arc flash has a nice orange sticker on it.

I've been studying up on it. We have arc flash safety training tomorrow. I just reminds me of how un-safe I've been through the years. Nice to know another "sparky" on the board.

 

[rat4spd]

I've been studying up on it. We have arc flash safety training tomorrow. I just reminds me of how un-safe I've been through the years. Nice to know another "sparky" on the board.

Sorry, but I'm not a Sparky per se. I'm a power plant operator, so i deal with starting motors and control centers from 480V to 12.5KV. Everyone at our plant is getting it.

Now, my part time job I do a fair bit of motors and controls work, some small PLC and stuff that has anything to do with running car washes.

 

[Isaac-1]

The permit insanity is everywhere, the town I live in requires a building permit for changing out a central air conditioner outside unit. Its only $25, and the A/C contractors handle all the paperwork, but still it seems insane for a repair/replace item. (they justify it by having some fine print saying a permit is required anytime anything weighing over 200 pounds is changed).

Ike

p.s. worse yet our garbage pickup has decided to limit pickup to 6 bags per week (residential and businesses without dumpsters), so much for "spring cleaning"

 

[grobinson2]

Generators

Good morning guys,
I have a 35 KW 3PH PTO driven generator now that we use here on the farm with one of our tractors. It is working well but we were thinking of using it as a backup and using one of the LIBBY WELDING CO. , MEP004A or JOHN R. HOLLINGSWORTH CO. , MEP004A generators. There are a few up for sale today and I know it is last min but is one better then the other? Also are these a decent running unit? Also does anyone know what horse engine comes on these and how many hours is too many hours?

Thanks again,
Glenn

 

[Speddmon]

you can't really go by the hour meters on these units. They are used mostly for maintenance clocking, if something happens to the meter they just replace them. Although they are supposed to record the hours it doesn't always get done.

You should know from being around tractors, that the hours a diesel can run and run good depend on the maintenance of it. My experience with the military sets has been pretty good so far. I have an MEP-003a with over 3000 hours on it and it runs like a top.

As far as the different makes of the units. I think J.R Holingsworth and Libby Welding were just the assembly plants for these sets. The engines are probably White or Hercules engines. Technically the sets were supposed to be made to the same standards using the same parts so the military doesn't have to keep different parts on hand for each different company that makes something for them.

I don't think you can go wrong with one of these sets if you get a good running one that hasn't been cannibalized and was taken care of. If you're going to use it to near capacity like they should be run you should get a lot of trouble free use from them....just take care of the maintenance of them and they will do you good.

 

[grobinson2]

Speddmon,
Thanks for getting back to me with the info on the gen units. While I have my Duce and M105A2 I obviously do not know much about these MEP units. Thanks for the info on the hour meters I sure wish the Mil. had a better way of replacing the hour meters as it would be quite nice to really know how many hours were on them. Alas you are of course right about the diesel engines. We have 8000 + hours on some of our tractors and they are running with out a hitch (well they have a hitch but no egine issues ) Anyway I think we are going to invest in a couple of these as to have parts ect. Thanks again,
Glenn

 

[grobinson2]

Hey guys,
Well I won one of the auctions today for a MEP004A generator. It comes with the Herc. engine. Are there any parts out there I should really be looking for to keep in stock to keep this thing up and running? Am I better off buying a couple other units and parting them out or just buying a few parts that I might need?

Thanks,
Glenn

 

[Wrench Wench]

YEAARRRGGGHHHHH! <-- Sound of poverty stricken nerd in pain.

There were dozens of MEP004s mounted on M200 trailers, some with ASKs from Ft. Meade, and they all went for under $400, some under $300, and a couple even under $200!

Why, oh why am I so poor?

To keep it topical, (Edward) grobinson2, Prolly a set of filters is the next consumable after fuel and oil these things need. I know the 003s have funky fuel filters that lots of people convert over to use more common automotive filters, but I'm not sure if there's any comparable problem with the 004s.

*agonized moaning sound* For $1k, I could have had three, one to use for backup, one backup for the backup, and one for parts.

Has anybody with two similar generators alternated their use of them to improve reliability?

Wow. For those prices and in this environment of thinking the SHTF any day now, a 004 on a 200 fully rehabbed would go for... what? I'm thinking $3000-$5000 on the local market, about an order of magnitude return on investment.

What would it take to mount a gladhand and brake/light kit to the back of my mom's 2000 S-10 to pull one home to Indiana?

 

[rat4spd]

What would it take to mount a gladhand and brake/light kit to the back of my mom's 2000 S-10 to pull one home to Indiana?

You aren't pulling one with an S10. They are north of 7000# on a trailer.

 

[decodeme2]

I have a MEP-005 30KW. generator that runs my house.. its 3 phase. i just hooked up 1 lug, single phase and it runs everything in the house and garage..i run it with a auto transfer switch. if the power goes out, i fire it up wait a couple mins, hit the switch that entergizes the lugs, the power goes to the transfer switch, and bam, it switches...when the power comes back on, the transfer switch waits 5 mins then switches back to main power..If i hear or see the slight blink, I go outside and switch the generator off..
I used a 30kw, because of using 1 lug, cuts the KW in half..(im told)..so it would be 15KW..I know its hard on the generator/wireing.
Plus the generator was cheap, with low hours...I also wanted diesel and the large 20 gal tank works for me, and i have a 500 gal diesel tank next to it....I guess i could have used a 10kw single phase, but had a couple of the 30kws to use...anyone else use these?..
Kevin...

 

[rat4spd]

If it's cheap and works for you, no one is gonna argue that. I like the ABT in there. What's that use for diesel per hour?

 

[gen508]

Have you successfully captured any of the waste heat from your generator?