heimlich
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That's a big step and one I wanted to eventually take. I'll need to figure out how to get it into my house panel. That should load it up at least close to 5kW.
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New owner of MEP 802A
- Thread starter heimlich
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These guys are cheap load banks. Some models have a 3k/4k/5k load select switch
2Pbfeet
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I wish I had seen the selectable load models! That would have saved me some work. I bought a dented 10kW, and rewired it for 1650/3300/4950/6600/10,000W. Internally, the control boards seem to be laid out for possible 3 phase operation, but I did not find those models for sale. FWIW, the unit that I bought had some wires resting against sharp metal edges.
All the best,
2Pbfeet
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Your house is not a load bank. Go to a scrap yard and buy an old oven. There are about a million threads on how to make your own.
On top of your house not being a load bank, you'd probably find it's mostly a very ineffective load bank... unless you go out of your way with your stove/drier/water heater/heat pump (and the last one will probably be too much to start without a soft starter, unless you have a newer variable speed)
My 802 hooked up to 'normal' house loads (not the ones above) makes almost no difference... it pretty much doesn't care. It spikes when the well pump starts, and running the well pump puts the gauge at about 30%, but without one of the large 240v loads, it's not doing much of any work.
My 802 hooked up to 'normal' house loads (not the ones above) makes almost no difference... it pretty much doesn't care. It spikes when the well pump starts, and running the well pump puts the gauge at about 30%, but without one of the large 240v loads, it's not doing much of any work.
uniquify
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Last time I was at my local Menard's store, I noticed they had a modest selection of free used appliances in the backyard near the lumber. An oven could make an easy load bank, and free is a nice round number. 
heimlich
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I like to make due with what I have and not spend money on a load bank.
I've got three window AC units. Those will suck the electricity.
I am looking for some way to run a wire into the panel. I've got a 30 amp breaker for the range/oven. We don't use it. Can I take the 120/240 from the generator which puts out 26 amps to that breaker to feed into the panel. I have a main fuse from the grid I can turn off before I do that.
I've got three window AC units. Those will suck the electricity.
I am looking for some way to run a wire into the panel. I've got a 30 amp breaker for the range/oven. We don't use it. Can I take the 120/240 from the generator which puts out 26 amps to that breaker to feed into the panel. I have a main fuse from the grid I can turn off before I do that.
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If you have to ask those questions, you need to get a professional.
heimlich
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That's good advice. I'd like to learn to decide if I can do it on my own or not.
Professionals here are licensed. Most likely if everyone on this forum only used professionals most of it would not be done.
I remembered I knew a military electrician who came over and helped me with my 3-phase milling machine. I called him up and asked him if he knew about these units. He's going to stop by. Maybe he can help with how I should hook these up.
Professionals here are licensed. Most likely if everyone on this forum only used professionals most of it would not be done.
I remembered I knew a military electrician who came over and helped me with my 3-phase milling machine. I called him up and asked him if he knew about these units. He's going to stop by. Maybe he can help with how I should hook these up.
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2Pbfeet
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@heimlich Just FYI, purely resistive loads, such as stoves, and heaters, make better load banks than motor based loads, as the motors can impose some complexities on the power and power quality. (Reactive power, and harmonics)
All the best,
2Pbfeet
All the best,
2Pbfeet
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That's why the Army uses Resistive Load Banks. Another reason is because you can use the same load bank for 50-60 hertz, or 400 hertz.
Backfeeding a panel without a proper interlock is very illegal because one error and a lineman can be killed.
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Tell me about the batteries you found?
To hook into your panel, you want an interlock that makes it impossible for both grid power and genset power to be switched on at the same time.
$80 or so, and it could save you from negligent homicide charges....
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heimlich
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I don't know a lineman who doesn't assume the wires are hot. They have more to worry about all the solar generation feeding into the lines than me. At least I am doing the switching manually instead of automatically.
I was planning on turning off the main breaker on the panel first. Either that or I can just pull it out. How can electricity go to the grid if you do that?
I was planning on turning off the main breaker on the panel first. Either that or I can just pull it out. How can electricity go to the grid if you do that?
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heimlich
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I bought two of the lawn batteries from Costco. I think they were $39 each. Then I bought two sets of adapters that turns them into the round post kind. They worked perfectly. The 51R were $100. I figured I could buy two sets of the lawn batteries for the same price.
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450 CCA, or close enough?
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"If you do that" of course it won't. And if you, or someone else doesn't do that?
Sequence counts. If you disconnect from the grid before you connect to the generator, there's no way to get it wrong.
But it's possible that someone else who doesn't have such an awareness could be using your equipment. It's possible that you could get complacent and have both on at the same time. Is it possible that it's 0300 and you're sleepy and it's storming and the power is out, and you screw it up? Maybe and maybe not...
I try not to be an idiot, but let me tell you something stupid I did while tired and rushed : I was unhooking my pickup truck from a gooseneck trailer. I dropped the tailgate, released the chains, disconnected the cable, opened the latch, jacked to clear the ball, slammed the tailgate shut, jumped back in the truck, **and pulled forward destroying the tailgate with the gooseneck**.
Obviously I knew not to close the tailgate. That didn't stop it from happening.
Why not use equipment that physically won't allow generator and grid connection at the same time?
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I have twice been entertained by 3 phase power, when some ******** turned on a CB that I had turned off. Hung a sign on it too. I once took a 60 meter ride on a conveyor belt, because some ******** turned on a CB that I had turned off. It too had a sign. And lastly I once got chased by an over head crane, down one side of its tracks. about 15 inchs wide, and 25 meters in the air, by a ******** that turned on, the emergency off switch, that clearly stated, DO NOT TURN BACK ON. From that point on, we installed every emergency off switch with a lockable function. And only three of us had keys. If you can't lock it, I don't trust it.
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and it all happened right here!
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Lots of steel re-bar - sitting, waiting...