How NOT to use electric generator [Mistake!]

[@NaysayersWillNaysay]

Small addition, the start and run modes you mentioned are for the carburetor. It feeds the air/fuel mixture to the engine. The "start" mode as you called it is the choked mode in which the air is cut to richen up the fuel mixture for cold starting. If you were to run it for an extended period of time while it is choked, the richer mixture would eventually dirty your spark plug with carbon. Once it has started (or attempted to start) you switch it to run in order to lean out the mixture (add more air) for proper combustion with less carbon. Also be sure to keep the oil level set correct. Too much oil can be as bad as too little. Just keep the level right and change it as indicated in the manual.

[@otgcanada]

Yup , I could not have said it better myself . You hit all the key points .

[@ProgrammerOffgrid]

Aha, makes sense now. Thanks!

[@WilliamBay]

You look like your'e starring in a 1970s Italian movie. I love it. Can't wait to visit you.

[@ProgrammerOffgrid]

Thanks🌷 Come visit! You'll love the road curves here :)

[@teardowndan5364]

How soon you switch from the "start" (choke) to "run" (no choke) mode depends on how cold it is. Under cold conditions, you may need to run with the choke at least partially on for a few minutes before it'll run properly without it. When I start my mother's 8kW generator in winter at -20C, I usually have to progressively open the choke over 20-30 seconds before it'll run steady without it.

[@otgcanada]

Yup , I have to do the same thing . I usually get mine stable under 10 seconds at -20C .

[@ProgrammerOffgrid]

How interesting! Maybe the opposite is also true, that in warm spanish climate I have less time to switch.

[@teardowndan5364]

@@ProgrammerOffgrid If I need to start the same generator in summer, I have about five seconds to take the choke at least half-way off before it'll stall from running excessively rich. Then it usually need about 3-5 seconds at half-choke before it'll run normally without it and I can turn the output breakers on. Many small engines with chokes that I have used over the years have a detent or marking hinting that partial choke may be necessary during warm-up.

[@otgcanada]

Exactly .

[@johnsmith-wd5sq]

You are just a Doll! Simply Beautiful! Just a Tip, If you are going to let your Petrol sit for more than 30 days you need to add a fuel stabilizer to it or put the fuel in in your cars tank before you head out and get fresh fuel when you return to the house!

[@ProgrammerOffgrid]

Thanks! Add stabilizer to the fuel if sits in canister for longer right?

[@johnsmith-wd5sq]

@@ProgrammerOffgrid Yes, Or you can just pour it in your car if you are going to be away in the car for a bit. Fresh fuel will start the generator much easier than fuel that has been sitting!

[@otgcanada]

@@ProgrammerOffgrid Yes , I due both because my generators can sit for months without being run . Every 3 or 4 months even when I don`t need them I will start and run them for a good 5 minutes each . Since I went with a lithium iron phosphate battery bank ( 8 x 200 amp ) batteries . I no longer need to run my generators any more . I also have a secondary battery bank of another ( 2 x 200 amp ) Lithium iron phosphate on there own separate pure sine wave inverters . I can go for weeks with no sun and still not have to run any generators .

[@chrislanejones]

Great video Sabrina, I am glad you were able to figure out your generator.

[@ProgrammerOffgrid]

Thanks, Chris! 🌷 WP is so much easier for me.

[@jb510]

Well done! Casita looks like it is really coming along! IDK about in Spain, but here we can get dual fuel generators that can run off propane/lpg. So much cleaner and easier than liquid petrol. It’s just hard to find generators that are both dual fuel AND inverters, but gosh it’s nice. FYI, “start mode” usually also acts as a choke, to restrict the air flow to the cylinders, that makes it easier to start, but once it’s running starves it of air, hence the fouled spark plug. Conversely, I live at 1800m and it’s near impossible to start choked since the air is thinner, so I regularly start in run mode.

[@ProgrammerOffgrid]

Wow, 1800m! I was thinking my 700 is high ;) Thank you, Jon!

[@jb510]

@@ProgrammerOffgrid ha. I’m headed to Bhutan this week. 3000m! And I was looking, highest I’ve ever been was over 5000m in Tibet. Fun!

[@MikeGrayM70]

Some generators have an on/off valve between the fuel tank and the carburetor. If you can turn that off, and run the generator until the carburetor is empty, you can leave the fuel in the tank for storage. Also, I've never left any gasoline engine without oil. Your tips for starting the generator are perfect! And it's good to know basics like how to change the oil and clean the spark plug. You may be inexperience at this stuff, but you're obviously very smart and you learn new things quickly. I'm looking forward to seeing how your beautiful old house turns out. :)

[@ProgrammerOffgrid]

thanks! this one has! I did not know thta, thank you!

[@SeanSmith4550]

Good on ya mate, we had to learn it the same way, bloody pain in the arse until it makes sense. Keep up the great work :)

[@ProgrammerOffgrid]

until it makes sense

[@rctoys2024]

как обычно, сначала юзаем, потом читаем инструкцию))

[@DevilbyMoonlight]

The best lessons come from some disaster or another... thats when you really learn.... but a single point of failure is never a good thing, a spare is always wise.

[@ProgrammerOffgrid]

Si :)

[@rctoys2024]

ещё можно для нагрева воды установить гелиосистемы или солнечные нагреватели с накопителем которые работают как летом так и зимой

[@campbellmorrison8540]

I have made so many mistakes in my life that is quite nice to learn from somebody else :) I have a beach house and only use it every month or so, I don't have a generator but have a lawn mower with the exact same type of motor and I suggest the following from my experience. Buy a spare plug so you can get it started quickly when the plug does foul up and clean the old one at your leisure. Petrol only lasts about 2 months so when you go to your house always take new petrol, if you cant get it to start with the old petrol replace it with some new stuff, once you have run a tank of new petrol you can probably use up your old petrol but it may foul the plug. You don't need to remove the oil its fine for months but do replace it regularly maybe every 100 running hrs. or so but check the book. If you were leaving the generator for a year I would definitely dump the petrol but would still leave the oil but probably replace it before I started it. Finally I recommend getting a can of motor start, its spray can with ether in to that you can spray into the carburetor filter to get old petrol going. All the best I'm in NZ and totally support Ukraine

[@ProgrammerOffgrid]

Did you want to say " that is quite nice to see someone else making mistakes"? 😁 Spare plug idea is beautiful! Didn't occur to me, thanks! Can of motor start, too, is new to me. Thank you for your support! Sending my love to NZ 🌷

[@a133m210]

pretty good video! I'm also using a similar genny (and a small solar set up, 680w). You can keep spare spark plugs handy as well. I now change the spark plug every time the service light comes on in case the gap has changed, the new ones are relatively cheap (±$5). I wash dry and regrease the air filter each time as well. Also for adding petrol you should get either the 'no-spill can' (company in the US costs about £30/$35 here in England) or the 'never-stop autostop can' (Swedish company), the first one has a button to vent/pour and it really lives up to its name. the second one has the air vent inside the opening of the spout- when you start pouring its a bit slow but then it speeds up, when the level of petrol reaches the level of the spout it no longer has air and it stops pouring out the fuel. Either way its almost impossible to spill the petrol. the swedish one is much cheaper here in europe (£13/$15 approx in England for the 10L can).

[@ProgrammerOffgrid]

Ah! thanks for recommendation! I bough two regular ones with these petrol cans at the gas station, and they were no good.

[@kurdtpage]

Would love to see a video of the battery/inverter setup. Also the solar panel install

[@ProgrammerOffgrid]

thanks! I will make soon. Now looking back I don't think it's that hard, but before I did it, it was a quite puzzling.

[@00Sleepy]

Nice to cu going Solar 🙂

[@ProgrammerOffgrid]

Thanks! Will make a video soon, about the system. It was all very new to me, super convinient.

[@John-wb5qb]

Good job ❤

[@RobertHutton]

At 9:50 when you're pouring petrol from a full jerrycan, try turning the jerrycan around so that the nozzle is at the top (above the handle). This makes it so that when the petrol comes out of the nozzle it will be at a steeper angle making the petrol not drip down the side so much.

[@ProgrammerOffgrid]

thanks! I really didn't have much luck with poring it properly. Another person recommended "no-spill can" I think I'm going to try it out.

[@mingiasi]

Do not overdo the engine oil. it needs to be at proper level. if you swamp it it will smoke, foul the plug etc.

[@ProgrammerOffgrid]

Right!

[@PsRohrbaugh]

You can put solar panels on the ground. They need a stand, but in many ways it's better than putting them on the roof.

[@ProgrammerOffgrid]

Thanks! That's what I did later. I was really reluctant to that idea, wanted to make it right you know and put on the roof where they belong, but I gave up at some point and just bought them and put them in the ground. And the life became so much better! That's gonna be in the next videos, I edit slower than I do things :)

[@PsRohrbaugh]

@@ProgrammerOffgrid glad to hear! I am an engineer and would be glad to help if you have any questions. Also do you have a Patreon or something?

[@ProgrammerOffgrid]

thanks! No, I don't. I'm considering to make Members group where I'll share the actual news, because the events in my videos about 6 months old, I do things faster than I edit videos :)

[@PsRohrbaugh]

@@ProgrammerOffgrid cool idea! Just know there are people out there like me who would be glad to spend a couple minutes helping you with any questions, and sending you a few dollars a month (it adds up). The only reason I haven't done more with my own property is that I'm caring for my grandparents (well, grandfather now - grandmother died last month).

[@Thomas-wn7cl]

See if they sell "non ethanol petrol" near you. Sometimes in rural areas, they have it because old farm equipment runs better on non ethanol fuel. Non ethanol will last longer, and it will not fowl your carburetor as quickly. It is all I use on my small engine machines now and break down less often. Also, if you are going to let the generator sit for a time, turn it off by cutting off the fuel line, which will mostly empty the carburetor. Sometimes the bowl on the bottom of the carburetor will have a small nut on it, which will allow you to empty out the last bit of fuel from the carburetor. This will make the carburetor last longer before needing to be cleaned or rebuilt.

[@ProgrammerOffgrid]

Thanks! How interesting -- non ethanol petrol! Will take a look in cooperative gas station!

[@BadChad-tn3ii]

You can feel the compression stroke, on some. Pull it over slowly until it has the most resistance (because valves are closed). You want to start from just before the largest resistance/compression. Depending on the engine running with some choke during warmup will not foul plugs.

[@ProgrammerOffgrid]

Right!

[@ruben_balea]

There's *no need to drain the oil from the engine* even if you won't use it for a whole year* as long as you keep the generator upright. On the other hand it's true that the gasoline can get bad in just two or three months, it doesn't happen suddenly, it gradually loses its ability to ignite and burn. Purchase a spare spark plug before you need it, they do wear with use. It has to be the correct type, your generator can use TORCH E6RTC or NGK BPR6HS or BOSCH WR7BC (I've double checked that I typed the correct codes) ⚠Before installing it be sure it has the same exact code, never assume that the seller has sent you the correct one or that the spark plug inside the box is the same model the box label says, with spark plugs a single different character or digit can mean a totally different spark plug that can even damage the engine. *You need to drain every fluid if you want to ship it, but if you will leave it at home the oil won't go bad so fast, it's like the oil in your car, you won't drain it if for some reason you're not going to drive it for a few months.

[@ProgrammerOffgrid]

"never assume that the seller has sent you the correct one or that the spark plug inside the box is the same model the box label says" 😂 Thanks a million!

[@PsRohrbaugh]

The advantage of an inverter generator is fuel savings. In Europe, electricity is 50 hz. A regular generator must spin at exactly 3,000 RPM to maintain this. So if you are only running a few things, a lot of gas / petrol is being wasted. By adding the inverter, the engine can slow down and save fuel. It will no longer produce 50 hz, but the inverter can change the electricity into the correct frequency. It also allows for more maximum power, because the engine can run faster than 3000 RPM. In this case, the inverter lowers the frequency down to 50 hz. Of course, inverters lose some power during this conversation, so if you always have the same power draw, getting a traditional generator that is just the right size will actually be more efficient. However this is a very rare situation!

[@billykulim5202]

wait until the motherboard for inverter have problem you will have headache, i'm more fond of conventional one. more easy to fix, although its loud and not fuel efficiency like the inverter generator

[@rctoys2024]

а не проще было зразу купить солнечные панели и аккумуляторы? можно было панели просто на земле разложить и использовать, не обязательно на крышу, места то хватает на участке

[@PsRohrbaugh]

Do not use water to put out any oil fire! Petrol floats on water and water will spread the fire! Use sand for petroleum fires!

[@ProgrammerOffgrid]

Thanks!!! I did not know that!

[@ProgrammerOffgrid]

Well, luckily, I didn't have to check, but it's good to know! Thanks!

[@PsRohrbaugh]

@@ProgrammerOffgrid commercial "fire extinguishers" are the best - they contain a dry powder which is good for many types of fires. But if you are working with what's in nature, sand / dirt is the way to go. Also, if you have enough water (a fire hose) you can overwhelm the burning petroleum and put out the fire. But a small amount of water in a bucket will just make it worse. This also applies to cooking. If your pan catches on fire, put the lid on or take it outside or use sand. Water will cause an explosion (the water will instantly boil from the heat and spray burning oil everywhere).

[@Electronzap]

Nice story. Stuff should come with instructions written on them. People aren't born knowing how things work.

[@ProgrammerOffgrid]

You know, after you do it for the first time it seems kinda obvious. But before that, yeah, it's really tricky. Cheers!

[@rctoys2024]

если крыша ушатана, пробуй найти solar roof from Elon or maybe have other company in Spain

[@otgcanada]

People that put there panels on the roof yet live at a high latitude wear you get a lot of snow put them there because they have nowhere else to put them . Not only that but these people are running grid tie system that put power back into the grid . If the panels get buried with snow it does not mater because they are still on the grid . Very few OFF GRID people that live at these high latitudes put there panels on a roof .

[@ProgrammerOffgrid]

Such a different life in Canada from what is here!

[@otgcanada]

There is no way that I would put anything on a clay tile roof . You can go with ground mounted rack , pedestal mounted or nothing like a well positioned shed that is built specifically for your panels , generator and fuel . I wish you a lot of luck with your endeavors .