Generator maintenance
 

I visited today the Paris Boat Exhibition and asked a few questions
about diesel generators to produce home energy to a boat. This means a 4
kW set that would run about 12 hours a day.
When I ask about the periodic maintenance for generators, all vendors
give me figures in the 50 to 150 hour range. I am surprised of this low
figure, for it means that for some generators I would have to change the
oil every week or for the best, every other week. Do you think these
figures are real, or do vendors say so in comparison with the service
required for a car? I think the operation of a generator is less tiring
for the engine, because of its constant speed and less shocks and
variations in power. Any opinion on this?
Jean-Marc
France

Generator maintenance
 

On Sun, 10 Dec 2006 20:59:10 +0100, Jean-Marc Delaplace
wrote:

I visited today the Paris Boat Exhibition and asked a few questions
about diesel generators to produce home energy to a boat. This means a 4
kW set that would run about 12 hours a day.
When I ask about the periodic maintenance for generators, all vendors
give me figures in the 50 to 150 hour range. I am surprised of this low
figure, for it means that for some generators I would have to change the
oil every week or for the best, every other week. Do you think these
figures are real, or do vendors say so in comparison with the service
required for a car? I think the operation of a generator is less tiring
for the engine, because of its constant speed and less shocks and
variations in power. Any opinion on this?

My Kohler generator with a Yanmar diesel is rated at 250 hours between
oil changes although I generally change it more often than that. 12
hours a day is a lot of usage. You will also need to plan for water
pump impellers/gaskets, fuel filters, belts, etc. Since raw water
pumps seem to be a weak link and are somtimes hard to find, you might
want to carry a complete spare replacement. Mine failed at about 1400
hours.

Generator maintenance
 

That sounds a little often, but falls in line with a lot of
recommendations. Remember that lot of gensets on boats don't get 100
hours operation in a year! Running yours as much as you plan, you could
probably go longer, but I'd look into bypass filtration to really get
long life out of your oil change. Check out:
http://www.gulfcoastfilters.com/how_...tine_oil_c.htm
or
http://www.amsoil.com/StoreFront/bmk18.aspx

You can basically eliminate oil changes if you use synthetic oil and
bypass filtration. You do have to test it occasionally though, by
sending off a sample for analysis... maybe $20.

Generator maintenance
 

This sounds very interesting. Did you mount such a filter on your engine?

Keith a écrit :
That sounds a little often, but falls in line with a lot of
recommendations. Remember that lot of gensets on boats don't get 100
hours operation in a year! Running yours as much as you plan, you could
probably go longer, but I'd look into bypass filtration to really get
long life out of your oil change. Check out:
http://www.gulfcoastfilters.com/how_...tine_oil_c.htm
or
http://www.amsoil.com/StoreFront/bmk18.aspx

You can basically eliminate oil changes if you use synthetic oil and
bypass filtration. You do have to test it occasionally though, by
sending off a sample for analysis... maybe $20.

Generator maintenance
 

I don't use the oil bypass filtration, but I do have a Gulf Coast F-1
filter as the basis of my fuel polishing system. I don't run my
engine/genset enough to warrant bypass filtration, but with 700 gallons
of fuel capacity, I do need to polish occasionally. I'm very happy with
it.

Generator maintenance
 

Keith wrote:
I don't use the oil bypass filtration, but I do have a Gulf Coast F-1
filter as the basis of my fuel polishing system. I don't run my
engine/genset enough to warrant bypass filtration, but with 700 gallons
of fuel capacity, I do need to polish occasionally. I'm very happy with
it.

I have a Purifiner system that I have never hooked up. It uses special
filters that contain additives to replace those lost with age and it
also has a 12 VDC powered oil heater that heats the oil to a
temperature where the volatiles (water and fuel remnants) boil off. I
have no idea if it works or not but the advertising says you will never
change your oil again....hmmmm, that could mean that the engine will be
destroyed before the next change interval.......