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Written by Administrator
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Saturday, 28 July 2007 19:51 |
Finding a Generator
Acting early is always better. The time to get the best deal on the best generator for your needs is to buy it when you don't need it. If you wait until the storm is barreling down on you or, even worse, after it has hit you, it will be a take what you can get situation. If you are trying to buy a generator in the face of an impending storm you are likely not to find one. Retailers, like Home Depot, Lowe's, Sam's and others, for whatever reason, will pull generators from the shelves all across the region prior to the storm. | Generator Accessories
It is not enough to have a generator, you also need sufficient fuel and the cords and plugs to attach it to your appliances. You may need the help of a qualified electrician for the connection.
| Capacitor Failure
The leading cause of generator failure is overloading. make sure you get a generator sufficient for the load you place on it. As a precaution make certain you have an extra capacitor or two and that you know how to replace them. This is the part that most commonly fails resulting in a loss fo power.
Diagnosing Capacitor Failure
To determine whether your capacitor has failed do the following. - Read the manual that came with your generator - many times the instructions can be of suprising assistance
- start the generator - it most be running to produce power
- make sure any breakers on the generator have not been tripped
- plug a lamp or other appliance into one of the generator outlets
If the light won't light, the generator is running and no breakers are tripped, it is likely you have blown a capacitor.
You can replace the capacitor, reduce the load on the generator, this means unplugging some of the appliances you have connected to it, and everything should be fine.
Locating the Capacitor
The owners manual may tell you where it is. If not, most capacitors for small generators are located inside the cover plate on the end of the generator opposite the motor.
The capacitor may be black and kidney shaped or it might be a silver cylinder. Either one will have 2 wires leading to it and may attach by individual clips or a modular plug. Don't worry, you can't hook it up backwards.
The most important thing is that you replace your blown capacitor with one of similar size (load size, not physical dimensions). You can check the specifications that should be printed on the capacitor for guidance. You can also consult your owners manual.
Replacement Tip
If your capacitor is connected with a modular plug and you have to replace it with one that has individual clips, do not cut the modular plug off the generator. Clip the modular plug off the blown capacitor and place clips on the 2 wires of the replacement capacitor. Clip it to the new capacitor and then attach to the modular plug on the generator.
Once everything is connected and put back together crank the generator and see if it is making power.
Remember, the capacitor blew because the generator was overloaded. You're going to have to unplug something or the capacitor will blow again. | | DO NOT connect your generator to your homes electrical panel unless you have first removed your home from the power grid. Your home generator, no matter how small, can energize the lines coming to your house and injure or kill someone working on the lines or anyone that comes in contact with them. | | |
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 17 September 2008 19:02 )
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