Troubles installing the generator and crossover system

Rained much of the first few days. I was able to install the crossover switch and the sub panel. The sub panel is just a box with breakers. It has 7 circuits and runs off a dual-40 amp breaker (should have gone 50.) The sub panel only had 4 circuits the way I wanted to wire it (I wanted a "Main breaker") I ended up buying a bunch of double breakers and adding wires through the BX cable. And a double 40A breaker for feed from main panel.

Next was installing the gas line. This is black iron pipe. Took several trips to the hardware store to get the fittings. Then ended up drilling right through a double 2x4 in the wall. No big deal except I hit a big nail and 2 trips to hardware store to get iron pipe cut to length.. Then 4' to the generator. The generator came with a 3' flexible hose. It has some odd fitting on it so another trip to the hardware store. No one had a clue what connector it was, ended up having to buy a $26 "Universal" flexible gas line. Then hooked up the power feed to the generator.

Ok, all set. Wait, generator has no battery. Another trip all over to find a Group 26R battery. Dropped it in only to find one of the leads is underneath the engine. Had to prop up one end of this 470lb thing to pull the wire out. Hooked it up. Ok, we're ready now (day 5). No lights on the panel. Oh, yea, it is missing a fuse in the front panel. One of those screw-in automotive type but the screw-in cap is missing. Tried several from my junk box, nothing fit.

Ok, need to replace the fuse holder. Only way to get inside the panel is to take off the lid. A bunch of bolts all impossible to get to. Screw it, grab one of my test leads and jumper over the fuse (12v fuse to panel). Light comes on. Switch control switch to "Manual" and it cranks, failed and retries. It tried for about 2 minutes before it got all the air out of the line (25' of gas line.) It sputtered and roared to life. A few seconds later my trouble light flickers off/on, Cool it switched over (of course it is dark and freezing.) Measure voltage: 121 ;).

Let it run a while and then switched it off. Then put it on "Auto". It started back up. Hmm. Check the power sense lines and one is dead. Check crossover box and one fuse is blown. All this stuff was new but beaten up. I had to tighten all the screws/connection in the panels. I figured one of the fuses broke from panel being dropped. These are auto glass bar fuses but twice as thick, but no glass. Oh, well wait till day 6 to find them.

Day 6: trip to hardware store, they don't have fuses that size. Then to homer D only to find some odd "Time Delay fuses" $1.49 each. Oh well they are just for the 240v power sense lines, I guess anything will do as long as it fits and is 5A. Then to Radio Shit and pick up a fuse holder and 15A AGC fuses.

Replace fuse holder, of course new one requires a slightly bigger hole. Put new one in. Then cut all power and put new fuse in crossover box. Power it up and the generator still does not see power sense. Again fuse is blown.

Ok, pull both fuses and start probing around. One wire is somehow grounded. Disconnect it from cross-over box and the box is fine. Measure at generator end of wire and dead-short. Remove wire generator shows ok. There is a junction box for the generator wires (like for an A/C unit.) Unplug wire from there, still shorted. So short is in the factory-supplied cable. This is flexible conduit and has 3, 8-gage wires and 4 small ones. Look at it closely and it has a big dent in it. Damn, that could have shorted the 240v lines and caused a nice arc welder.

Ok, this generator was dropped. Homer D customer ordered it and they dropped it unloading it. They refused it and it went back. Hence my cheap deal. Generator case is a bit skewed, but not bad. The must have dropped it on the cable. Damn, now I need to fish the wires out of the generator that run from the panel around the engine and out a right-angle connector in the back. All nicely wrapped in plastic sheath and lots of cable ties. Took 20 minutes to push/pull the 8GA wires through the connector.

The crossover box and sub-panel came pre-wired. Had big 1" BX flexible conduits coming out of it. The one for the generator is 30' long. Generator is right behind the wall; so had big coil of extra. I decided to eliminate the junction box and 6' BX cable from generator (where short is). Cut BX conduit to 5' longer then needed then remove 5' of the conduit. Feed it back in (another 20 minutes) and redo the internal wire harness. Connect up and now it is dark again , stores are closed and starting to rain. So put cover back on.

Day 7: Stopped by Lowes on way back to get fuses. Had the same one for $3.49, bastards. Dropped them in and everything works.

It works well, ran it 2 hours to break it in (needs 4.) My ceramic heater, 1500 watts was coming on/off an it handled it well, the UPS did not kick on. The Generator is regulated AC. It takes about 30-40 seconds to switch over as it starts the engine and gives 20-second warm up. It will automatically run engine once a week

Ok, now I am looking forward to power going out.

Back to generator page.

<Scott>