MEP-803A getting it to work,,,my first one!

[WWRD99]

So it's been a bit so I thought I'd update on the wiring install...I have about 140 feet from the genset to the switch on the house...rented a ditch digger and have that part ready to bury the wire...I bought 2 gauge 3 wire feed with a 4 gauge ground in aluminum...still have to find the shut off switch but at least the wire will be in the ground with 1 1/4 pipe.

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[WWRD99]

Got the wire run nice...now for the hookup...trying to find a box I can bolt to the genset that has the 1 1/4 diameter hole for the wires to run in to be hooked up.

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[WWRD99]

So I finally got the manual switch approved to finish the hookup of this generator...been a good bit of back and forth to get to this point! The switch box is heavy aluminum and pretty big...I put a roll of masking tape in the one pic to show scale...it is a 3 position switch...Painted the genset too...drilled out the rivets and took off the signs and painted all of it then riveted them back on...looks great! I used the rustoleum implement paint...so Hopefully get this wired up in the next week!!

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[GopherHill]

Looks really good.

 

[WWRD99]

So I finally got the transfer switch mounted....probably the longest hookup ever!!! I found a guy that did the leg work for the code stuff and is going to hook up the wires to the switch and make sure the white and ground wires are not on the same mount in the fuse box. I guess they have to not be on the same block...IDK I'm just glad I should have this loaded up and running this week!! Snow comes Wednesday!!
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This is my 40x9 foot container I got last month and had a local guy paint up this mural Thursday...it looks way better in person!!

 

[WWRD99]

Ok here's the good news...got the switch wired up to the genset yesterday and it worked perfect...the switch was expensive but no more than an automatic one out there but I am very happy with the working result. My slight problem, which could turn into something bad, is load...my winter load is very small...so much so that if I turn on my stove and dryer it barely registers on the load meter...the one thing that gets it to about 30 percent is my oil furnace only when it first fires up with the auto spark to get it going then it shuts off and the load goes away again....so my thoughts are to get several of those electric wire heater jobs and use those for heat when I use the generator...and replace the wire heater in my dryer!! I don't use high heat ever so I assume it's not getting very hot...it is an old dryer! So my question is, have any of you used those heaters, I have seen them hooked up for load testing on here before, but not sure if there is a brand or size or whatever anyone has used in the past. I have a pellet stove, so I can put a heater on top of it to warm up my living room just a little nervous for those in bedrooms...I looked at the oil filled ones but they don't list how many volts they use but would prefer those in bedrooms. I guess which is bad that I am assuming my load meter is accurate ,,,it does move but only a good bit when the furnace kicks on...I can't tell if it moves with the dryer or stove...stove is electric too. So i guess this is a 2 part question on load accuracy and heater suggestions!
Thanks in advance!
Rich

 

[dav5]

Ok here's the good news...got the switch wired up to the genset yesterday and it worked perfect...the switch was expensive but no more than an automatic one out there but I am very happy with the working result. My slight problem, which could turn into something bad, is load...my winter load is very small...so much so that if I turn on my stove and dryer it barely registers on the load meter...the one thing that gets it to about 30 percent is my oil furnace only when it first fires up with the auto spark to get it going then it shuts off and the load goes away again....so my thoughts are to get several of those electric wire heater jobs and use those for heat when I use the generator...and replace the wire heater in my dryer!! I don't use high heat ever so I assume it's not getting very hot...it is an old dryer! So my question is, have any of you used those heaters, I have seen them hooked up for load testing on here before, but not sure if there is a brand or size or whatever anyone has used in the past. I have a pellet stove, so I can put a heater on top of it to warm up my living room just a little nervous for those in bedrooms...I looked at the oil filled ones but they don't list how many volts they use but would prefer those in bedrooms. I guess which is bad that I am assuming my load meter is accurate ,,,it does move but only a good bit when the furnace kicks on...I can't tell if it moves with the dryer or stove...stove is electric too. So i guess this is a 2 part question on load accuracy and heater suggestions!
Thanks in advance!
Rich

If your stove and dryer isn't making it register you need to check the actual load with a meter.

 

[Zed254]

I agree with Dav5: you need to calibrate your Percent Rated Current Meter with your multi-meter.

I just visited my 802 that I have stored on some rural property I own. Each of the orange space heaters pulls 12.5 amps. My % Rated Current Meter was showing 45%. I have this machine set to 120 volts/single phase, so it is producing 52 amps. This calculates out to 48%. Next time I will take 3 space heaters with me.

I have 2 electric stoves I use for generator testing. One has a 'warming' drawer and will pull 133% power on my 803. The other does not have the extra warming drawer burner and will only pull 75% on the 803. This is with the oven and all 4 eyes full on hot.

My electric dryer pulls 23 amps. If your appliances were full on hot I suspect you were pulling close to 100% of your 803's rated current.

 

[Light in the Dark]

Nice install WWRD99

 

[WWRD99]

I agree with Dav5: you need to calibrate your Percent Rated Current Meter with your multi-meter.

I just visited my 802 that I have stored on some rural property I own. Each of the orange space heaters pulls 12.5 amps. My % Rated Current Meter was showing 45%. I have this machine set to 120 volts/single phase, so it is producing 52 amps. This calculates out to 48%. Next time I will take 3 space heaters with me.

I have 2 electric stoves I use for generator testing. One has a 'warming' drawer and will pull 133% power on my 803. The other does not have the extra warming drawer burner and will only pull 75% on the 803. This is with the oven and all 4 eyes full on hot.

My electric dryer pulls 23 amps. If your appliances were full on hot I suspect you were pulling close to 100% of your 803's rated current.

You know I didn't turn on the stove top burners...I have no idea why...I guess I was so excited to get the set hooked up I just didn't think to...I ordered all new stuff for the dryer so it puts out heat...I measured the temp after running on high and it barley read 100...so I think I will install those parts that should be here tomorrow and give it another try...with all the stove on this time...I ordered 3 1500 watt space heaters that I can use as well but won't be here till Tuesday! Always something crazy goin on here as usual! I will look up if there is a way to adjust the load meter to what the load actually is...I have an amp meter unless it goes by watts only! There is math that would need to be done then. The other day when I was running on the genset power the engine never sounded like it had any load on it at all....never once really sounded like it had a load even when it hit the 30 percent or so....plus the black goo started ooozing out at the exhaust manifold at the muffler so I shut it off once I saw that. It's gonna need a good burp for sure. Untill next time!!
Thanks a ton for the thoughts!

 

[Zed254]

KennyO posted about meter calibration here: https://www.steelsoldiers.com/threads/mep-meter-calibration.171920/

These meters are nowhere near as accurate as your multi-meter, but will give you an idea of what the machine is doing once they are dialed in. The 1500 watt heaters sound like mine (1500watts/120volts=12.5amps). Black goo in the exhaust sounds like wet stacking - read up on it. If wet stacked you won't be able to just jump to 52 amps with your machine. You will need to ease up the power slowly to allow the excess fuel in the exhaust system to be burned off. Watch for red hot embers shooting from exhaust stack.

 

[WWRD99]

KennyO posted about meter calibration here: https://www.steelsoldiers.com/threads/mep-meter-calibration.171920/

These meters are nowhere near as accurate as your multi-meter, but will give you an idea of what the machine is doing once they are dialed in. The 1500 watt heaters sound like mine (1500watts/120volts=12.5amps). Black goo in the exhaust sounds like wet stacking - read up on it. If wet stacked you won't be able to just jump to 52 amps with your machine. You will need to ease up the power slowly to allow the excess fuel in the exhaust system to be burned off. Watch for red hot embers shooting from exhaust stack.

Absolutely on the wet stack....I'd bet it's got some coak clogg going on...that's why I didn't run it long with my half turned on stove and burned out dryer! Dryer has a new coil and heat control sensors in it now so I'll give this set another try tomorrow with the entire stove on...my DVOM has been replaced now as well as the ol fancy fluke 88 flew the coop and decided to not work anymore! I look forward to checking the actual output vs gauge readings...plus hearing a load on the engine would be nice too.
Thanks for the cal thread ref!
Rich.

 

[WWRD99]

So I got things working today to load this set up and get the goo out! I turned the stove on to 450 and one top big burner on high as well...with that and 2 of the small 1500 watt heaters on high get me to about 65% on the gauge...the 2 small heaters got me to about 25% alone...but that still has everything in the house on too...so the stove top on with the stove on brought the load up another 40%...my first pic shows the goo...when I first started this I had the 2 heaters on for about 20 minutes then added the stove...it was bubbling goo between the muffler and manifold joint plus a good bit of dee smoke for about another 20 minutes with all the loads...so almost an hour in at around 65% it has pretty much stopped smoking and is no longer bubbling at the joint...with all this happiness going on I'm hoping that the majority of the goo is gone...the set has 175 hours on it...5 or 6 was from me getting it running right...any chance I should remove the manifold and get it dipped to clean it out or go for 100 plus% and see how it handles it? My dryer works great now too since I replaced the coil and heating sensors.
Thanks again!
Rich.

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[Guyfang]

You need to load this baby up. Run it at closer to 75-80%, (or higher) until carbon starts to come out of the exhaust. It will look like tiny coal stones. 2-4 hours min. I used to do at least 6 hours, when it looked like yours. From then on, just keep the load up over 75% and your set will be happy.

 

[WWRD99]

So did a bunch of little but important things today...I found my sending unit sitting at around 11.5 ohms no matter where the plunger was which is a full tank...I've learned through gas cars they do the same thing over time...get a nice little coat of something on the resistor side of the slide...you can see the moon path on the sender that gets glazed in...I use a very old piece of 300 wet sandpaper to go over the entire thing...going with the lines though or it'll get torn up...once I did this I got a constant fall from around 250 to 20 full on the swing...so that's good now, unfortunately I forgot to check which wire was sending and power and lost the 50/50 tossup n let the smoke out of the fuel gauge...some things are better left unsaid...
I got the aux fuel hooked up today with a nice line a had made up at my local hydraulic shop...charged 50 for all the fittings and pressed together...I had the 3/8 coated steel line so I just bent that up with a few double flares and it's filling up the fuel tank now! I didn't know about the fuel filler kneck popping out...that's a nice thing with the crappy portable fuel tanks of today...I found I have a different frequency relay than the others...I'm assuming it's been replaced.

So I guess the question I have is with the fuel gauge smoked will the aux pump only fill the tank so much then stop? I see it has it's own gauge below it in the tank...I assume it'll only pump so much to keep the tank full enough...I noticed it did fill the tank a few inches after running it with the new fuel line...
other point is since my storage tanks are higher than the gen tank do I even need to use the aux pump to fill the tank or will fuel not pass through the pump if not turned on?
Thanks a bunch!
Rich.

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[Light in the Dark]

That first relay is different than the others, nothing to worry about. It is correct.

Glad you got a local shop to fab up a line.

The fuel gauge has nothing to do with the operation of the aux fuel circuit. Its there for operator reference only. Some nitwit has the fuel gauges for sale in the classifieds if you ever want to replace it: https://www.steelsoldiers.com/threa...3-beede-945331-6625-01-366-0193-50-ea.199406/

The device to the left of the rigid aux fuel line is what tells the aux pump to turn on and off (and it will only work if you leave the start switch at the 12 o clock position for prime aux + run).

 

[kloppk]

To my knowledge there were two different manufacturers of the Frequency Switch S14. The internals look slightly different but do the same function.

The Aux Fuel Pump operation does not rely on the fuel level sender for the fuel gauge. It is controlled by a separate float switch in the fuel tank.

 

[m32825]

>since my storage tanks are higher than the gen tank...

Depends on what aux fuel pump you've got and the height differential. I found that my setup would siphon after turning the pump off, resulting in overflow. I supervise aux fueling and break the hose connection at the high point when done.

 

[WWRD99]

>since my storage tanks are higher than the gen tank...

Depends on what aux fuel pump you've got and the height differential. I found that my setup would siphon after turning the pump off, resulting in overflow. I supervise aux fueling and break the hose connection at the high point when done.

I have no idea which pump is in there but it does work but haven't run it long enough to see if it will over fill....I am hoping the level sensor for it works and shuts down properly!! I have 2 300 gallon tanks hooked up to it now with a shut off valve on each tank...the top of the tanks are several feet higher than the gen tanks so there is plenty of pressure to gravity feed or overfill if there isn't a auto shutoff valve...I guess I'll have to run it a good bit tonight and see what it does!

 

[WWRD99]

To my knowledge there were two different manufacturers of the Frequency Switch S14. The internals look slightly different but do the same function.

The Aux Fuel Pump operation does not rely on the fuel level sender for the fuel gauge. It is controlled by a separate float switch in the fuel tank.

Ok I know it works just thought it stood out being a different look of the others...I think this is the part you make now? I gotta get on the ball and get that ordered from you!! First email was back in July I think!
Thanks!!