Author Topic: Changfa saves the day  (Read 12118 times)

mjn

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 116
    • View Profile
    • My Changfa Generator Project
Changfa saves the day
« on: January 27, 2010, 11:29:06 PM »
Last week, my community in Northern California got hammered with 50 inches of wet sticky snow.  By the end of the storm, 9000 people were without power.   Pacific power had a huge job cleaning up the mess.  Nearly every power pole had some sort of problem.  The snow was so heavy that if the wires didn't break, the weight sheared off the cross arms.  Trees that had stood for hundreds of years collapsed (usually taking out a power line).

Fortunately, I was ready with the Changfa 195 and ST gen head.  I had the boys shovel out a trail to the generator shed that morning.  When the power went out, the Changfa fired right up and took over the job of running the lights and the pump in the well.

Previously, the Changfa was a noisy smelly beast that was merely tolerated by my wife.  All of a sudden, the ugly duckling became a sweet smelling shining beauty.   She invited all of her friends to come bask in the glory of electric lights and running water.

For many people, the power outage lasted for 5 or 6 days.  Our power was out for about 30 hours.  The Changfa ran for 22 hours and burned about 10 gallons of diesel.  This time of year, the veggie oil is all frozen, so I didn't try to thaw it out.

The sad epilogue to this outage is that in our small mountain town, there were 11 people admitted to the hospital for treatment of carbon monoxide poisoning from their gasoline powered generators.   Many people ran their generators in closed garages, or even a basement.  One man died even though his generator was away from his house, the CO was trapped between the walls of snow and flowed back into his house.

Changfa 195 7.5 kw ST.  WVO conversion http://martin.nile.googlepages.com/
Metro 6/1 DI Listeroid. Pumping water for fire control.
1933 Stover CT-1 hit and miss
1936 Farmall F-12 -- unrestored, still used to mow the field

dirtfarmer

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 1
    • View Profile
Re: Changfa saves the day
« Reply #1 on: January 28, 2010, 03:41:05 AM »
I know the feeling. Last year 750,000 Kentucky homes lost power during an ice storm, and many didn't get it back for a month.  We were lucky and got power in a week. Almost ALL power lines went down with almost ALL electric poles destroyed. Now I have a changfa and ST ready if it every happens again.

t19

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1437
  • Tanks and Lister... Heavy Metal
    • View Profile
Re: Changfa saves the day
« Reply #2 on: January 28, 2010, 04:17:17 AM »
It took only 1 power failure, lasted 3 days.... the generator... that  @#$#%#@ piece of metal .... became her hero

I went from Zero for buying it to Hero...


There is plenty of room for all of Gods creatures... right next to the mashed potatoes...

Veggiefuel

  • Energy Machines Ltd.
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 163
    • View Profile
    • Energy Machines Ltd.
Re: Changfa saves the day
« Reply #3 on: February 06, 2010, 03:12:11 AM »
mjn,

Good to hear that the beast did it's job.
Are you feeding a battery bank? or is the ST7 connected directly to a transfer switch ?

veggiefuel
GM90 engines, Changfa's, Voltmaster Generators, Pellet Mills - www.energymachines.ca

NoSpark

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 180
    • View Profile
Re: Changfa saves the day
« Reply #4 on: February 06, 2010, 03:50:54 AM »
Still waiting for my first power outage, at least one long enough to count. May I also mention mjn's website http://sites.google.com/site/martinnile/ it is a must read. I have learned a lot from you guys who have taken the time to document your experiences with these power plants. Thank you.
Anand Powerline 6/1 ST5

mjn

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 116
    • View Profile
    • My Changfa Generator Project
Re: Changfa saves the day
« Reply #5 on: February 26, 2010, 07:25:25 PM »
...
Are you feeding a battery bank? or is the ST7 connected directly to a transfer switch ?

The generator is connected via a transfer switch.  After starting the generator, I throw the switch which disconnects the house from the utility and connects it to the generator.   Other than careful power management when running the dryer, we can use any electric appliance we like.   The only thing I need to fix is that I have no indication of when utility power returns.  (We have to look out the windows to see if the neighbors have lights on.)

Still waiting for my first power outage, at least one long enough to count. May I also mention mjn's website http://sites.google.com/site/martinnile/ it is a must read. I have learned a lot from you guys who have taken the time to document your experiences with these power plants. Thank you.

Thanks for the the kind words.  My whole purpose in building the website was to give back some of what I had learned from others on the net.

--
Martin
Changfa 195 7.5 kw ST.  WVO conversion http://martin.nile.googlepages.com/
Metro 6/1 DI Listeroid. Pumping water for fire control.
1933 Stover CT-1 hit and miss
1936 Farmall F-12 -- unrestored, still used to mow the field

fabricator

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 391
  • Grand Haven MI
    • View Profile
Re: Changfa saves the day
« Reply #6 on: February 27, 2010, 02:03:34 AM »
It never fails, over the years every power outage I can remember we have had fatalities because somebody runs a generator on a garage or basement, the last one we had lasted a week for like 100k people, one family of three dies and two elderly people died from generators run inside a closed garage and an enclosed breeze way, it is hard to fathom.
BioDiesel Brewer

Doug

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3386
  • Why don't pictures ever work for me?
    • View Profile
    • Doug's Petteroid Stuff
Re: Changfa saves the day
« Reply #7 on: February 27, 2010, 04:08:08 AM »
Thats the nice thing about diesel no CO.

Just stinky and loud lol
It's a Good Life, If You Don't Weaken

t19

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1437
  • Tanks and Lister... Heavy Metal
    • View Profile
Re: Changfa saves the day
« Reply #8 on: February 27, 2010, 03:01:00 PM »
I have my Listeroid in my garage.  Once it starts I open the garage door, the two windows and the back door... lots of air movment, and I funnel the exhaust out of the garge... but I still leave everything open... just to be safe as the garage is attached.

Now the new house, has a huge garage and is already plumbed with exhuast holes through the walls to the outside... very nice

I am hocking the Garage up to my 7.5 KVA UPS so that in a power failure everything works out there.  I will be adding a 120 volt starter motor with some attachments to start up the listeroid at the push of a couple of buttons so the wife can do it while I am away.

The New Garage is heated with underfloor radiant, so my engine and fuel will be nice and warm on the coldest days.  Also I have been using a Caravan radiator but the guy left a 5ft old style house radiator in Cast iron that Im thinking about useing instead of the old Van Rad... it will mean more anti freeze, but who knows.
There is plenty of room for all of Gods creatures... right next to the mashed potatoes...

oliver90owner

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 861
    • View Profile
Re: Changfa saves the day
« Reply #9 on: February 28, 2010, 10:15:49 AM »
Thats the nice thing about diesel no CO.

Don't believe that!  Just that when you do get CO, you will choke on the black smoke before the CO gets you!

Regards, RAB

xyzer

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1058
    • View Profile
Re: Changfa saves the day
« Reply #10 on: February 28, 2010, 03:51:01 PM »
The only thing I need to fix is that I have no indication of when utility power returns.  (We have to look out the windows to see if the neighbors have lights on.)

I have the same issue and have no transfer switch. I was thinking of installing a low current draw light on the grid side of my disconnect that will glow when power is present......I have no neighbors to look at...:)
Vidhata 6/1 portable
Power Solutions portable 6/1
Z482 KUBOTA

cujet

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 957
  • Lister power rules!
    • View Profile
    • www.cujet.com
Re: Changfa saves the day
« Reply #11 on: February 10, 2011, 04:51:18 PM »
That's great! Sorry to hear about the guy who died due to CO. I can see how that can be a huge problem. At least the diesel exhaust stinks so badly, it might become intolerable before the CO gets ya.

I've not taken any steps to reduce CO. However, this thread has me thinking about a tall exhaust stack that routes the stinky diesel exhaust up and away from family.
People who count on their fingers should maintain a discreet silence

BigGreen

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 82
    • View Profile
    • Mach1Pony
Re: Changfa saves the day
« Reply #12 on: February 10, 2011, 07:05:13 PM »
Garage? We had a family in Houston run a gas genny in their living room to keep ppl from stealing it while they slept! Needless to say they never woke the next day :(

Pre Ike my wife hated BigGreen, saying it was a waste of my time and her money, post Ike she is asking for upgrades :) She wants to be able to push one button and just make it all happen...
Dave
More Power Ashwamegh 25/2 15kw