Generator theory question!

I think if you search the phrase 'load bank' here you will find a few different designs. I built one years ago, inspired by another user here, on a rolling cart with heating elements from a clothes dryer. Its set up to be selectable load steps of 2.7kw, 5.4kw, 8.1kw, 10.8kw, and 13.5kw... all by changing which breakers I turn on.

Interesting. Thanks for the suggestion. I'll so some more searching.

Hmm... Northern Tool has a 240V 3kW/5kW electric garage heater on sale for a hundred bucks. Maybe I could just use two of those?

nf6x said:

Hmm... Northern Tool has a 240V 3kW/5kW electric garage heater on sale for a hundred bucks. Maybe I could just use two of those?

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(look in the description for time stamps)

I got mine from Tractor Supply, it's nice because they are selectable from 3, 4, or 5kW.
I've load tested my generator 2 times with them, once in the Winter and once in the Summer, I thought about doing a barrel of water (that was I could leave it out year round and just let rainwater fill it) but realized it would freeze and be useless/damaged in the Winter.

For a load bank for my generator I found a NordicAir 3 ton ECU. The heat coils are good for about 9.6kw of load.
I'm using it with an 802, so I disabled one set of coils and it pulls a little over 6kw pure resistive.

nf6x said:

I had previously built a really cheesy generator testing load bank with switchable electric water heater elements mounted through the bottom of a metal trash can, which I filled with water. It's barely up to Red Green Show quality standards, and I'd like to have something safer and more practical for testing and exercising my MEP-003A 10kW set. Do y'all have any better suggestions for something I might buy or build which won't break the bank?

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I like discarded or used electric oven/stoves for load banks. I've got one I paid $50 for and one I found discarded on the side of the street. Mine are the old style with exposed, plug in electric eyes (cheap parts). I had to add a few burner eyes to the road find stove and now all is good. My plan was to take the road find up to the woods with my 'camper' 802 but that never happened: it sits in my small bone yard, but it's ready to go!! I use the Kenmore that I paid $50 for every quarter to run my 803. I bolted it onto a couple of moving dollies so I can move it around on the driveway.

nf6x said:

Hmm... Northern Tool has a 240V 3kW/5kW electric garage heater on sale for a hundred bucks. Maybe I could just use two of those?

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I'm using one of those 3kw/5kw garage heaters as a load tester for my MEP-002a's. It works very well for that and I could always use it as a garage heater or remote heater as well!

Yes, you could wire it to use 2 units in parallel and then use it to step up genset in increments of 3, 6, 8, & 10 kW.

Yes, you could wire it to use 2 units in parallel and then use it to step up gen set in increments of 3, 6, 8, & 10 kW.

I would say this is a great option. Just dumping 5 or 10 KW on the set is not always the best way to load test. Its not real life.

Yeah, I agree that a single full-power load is unrealistic. And if the genset is having problems, maybe it can’t run with a full load while you’re trying to diagnose the problem.

Sorry to revive a dead thread, but I've just been lurking old threads. I noticed the comfort zone 3, 4 and 5kw heater is now $79.61 on Amazon. I'm picking up at least one for my 802a. Easy way to make an inexpensive load bank with a few of these and an electrical panel...

I wired up a 240V receptacle in my garage that I had left over from when I did my Sub-Panel on my 803a.
One of those heaters has been running for 3 weeks now with no issues so far, keeps my garage around 65F-75F (all walls and ceiling are insulated) and I only have it set to 3000W. (outside temp has ranged from 17F to 45F)
Got to say its super nice to not have to walk out barefoot onto a 20F concrete floor...

I also use a 5kw heater from amazon, about a hundred bucks, to up the load on my MEP803a when I'm running it light. Works great. Bonus, heat.

2X on the oven. That's what I use... Free ovens and a 4 outlet cord to add additional heat guns heat lamps etc.
Even used 2 ovens and a ton of other odds and ends while back feeding into my shop to test 005's converted to single phase.