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Likewise.

I was clearly not talking about you and your vast stable of non-shitty generators. I was talking about a generic user and his pal Lefty who may need to get through a troublesome time some day when they don't want to run down a list of settings to charge their batteries because the Blue & Orange...

Exactly. Dirty generators happen. Why worry? Run that dirty old cheap generator through a battery charger and enjoy crystal clean Blue & Orange AC power from the inverter. What happens when that $400 crummy open frame Harbor Freight generator pukes? Maybe the user has three backups or maybe...

My experience is that Victron inverters can get grumpy with dirty power from an open frame generator. I had to deploy software settings Victron describes in their generator FAQs which resulted in slower charging and potentially passing through power that's not ideal for sensitive electronics...

Onan has an AGS system that may be what you need. https://www.cummins.com/generators/rv-generators/wireless-rv-auto-generator-start-system Let us know what you learn and I'll add it to the AGS Information thread.

I'm not sure if it's been mentioned, but there can't be sources of ignition w/in 10' of a permanent propane tank. It seems the same might apply to a gas meter? Does anyone know if that's true?

This may not be a direct answer to your question. After years connecting generators to inverter/chargers to charge the batteries and supply the house with power I changed my setup to connect the generator to a dedicated battery charger (EG4 100 amp charger) to charge the batteries and bypass...

That's correct. This is easily solves the problem of broken pipe, etc. which is my biggest concern. I'll continue looking at other monitoring solutions suggested for lesser leaks.

Thanks. I'm not concerned about the pump. My issue is that if the pump runs continuously it will drain the batteries creating a low voltage condition that will shut off power to the fridge, freezer, wifi network, etc. The loss of food is the biggest issue. Loss of communication is a moderate...

That's what I need. If something breaks there needs to be manual intervention to start the pump and fix the problem.

BAM! It finally clicked for me. I already have a 30/50 switch like this in my system and all I need to do is replace it with one with the low pressure cutoff. My brain was trying to think of how I'd add the switch to the system. $30 and a proven decades old tech. Win-win. Thanks...

This crossed my mind while noodling this and is a simple solution. In my case, it would need to open the switch when pressure dropped below 5 - 10 psi. The system normally operates between 30 - 50 psi but if a pipe breaks the pressure tanks will empty and the pump will run continuously but the...

Does your 4 AWG fit w/out a ferrule? I know this can become an endless internet argument but I don't use ferrules with Victron connectors and I believe Victron supports both methods.

The forum software just pushed this thread to me as another possible solution. Thanks, forum software. https://diysolarforum.com/threads/water-pump-run-time-limiter.74322/

Thanks for the example of a solution. I have no functional knowledge of the Rasp Pi but it's interesting to me and something that I could get my arms around. I imagine that it could also log pump run time for general water consumption and also to flag increases that might indicate a slow leak or...

System specs: 1/2 hp two-wire 10 gpm well pump, well is 25' deep, pump is at 18', the house and Well-x-trol tanks are 40' above the pump. The pump cycles 2 - 4x a day on average and it takes the pump about 13 minutes to fill the two tanks. The system has been operational since 2006 and the pump...

Yes. This is the concept but it seems it could be done less expensively with an electric switch monitoring current to the pump.

Thanks. I need to look into this more but this is farther than I've gotten.

You've described the operation accurately. There are two Well-x-trol pressure tanks in this system. I don't know that running a faucet will cause the pump to run continuously but I know that a busted pipe will drain the tanks and run the pump continuously (ugh). My guess is that leaving a...

Hello, I have a 120VAC well pump triggered to start and stop by a pressure switch at the Well-X-Trol storage tanks. I want to add an auto shutoff of some kind that will stop the well pump if there's a continuous draw such as someone leaving a frost-free hydrant on or a line breaking so the well...

I use the Atkinson GSCM with a dual fuel open frame generator and Victron Cerbo to trigger it. It works pretty well. For more complex generators such as diesels that need glow plugs and a fuel pump triggered an AGS such as a Deep Sea will work well. More details here...

If a portable generator has a remote start (key fob) it has an automatic choke. The auto-choke function deploys for starting whether on propane or gasoline (at least with the Champion, Westinghouse and Genmax generators I've used). I'm not sure what you mean by "managed valve shut-off". They do...

I don't believe you've missed much. Two-wire auto start function is not a common feature in generators sold in the US, esp. in the portable category. AGS in the US typically requires an intermediary between the trigger and the generator. This is an AGS module. The need seems so obvious, right...

That's called deferred maintenance and encapsulates many of the decisions made by the PO. Keep up the good work of keeping your house up and running.

It's absolutely doable. Begin removing parts and pieces, tag or bag them so you recall where they go during reassembly, get down to the engine, remove it and disassemble it. Something like that. Patience and technique is needed for the parts that don't want to come apart. Some special tools are...

Rebuilding the diesel for my old John Deere tractor. I dropped the block, head, crank, etc. at the machinist yesterday so this is a slow period of the project. Hopefully it will be running by the end of April. It might be powerful enough to operate an air compressor for Dozier...might.

It appears that you are positioned to guide many of us! The battery project looks like it will keep you running for many years. I transitioned from 24v FLA to 48v LFP batteries a few years ago. It was an upheaval: new inverters, battery relocation to inside the house, lots of rewiring, etc. The...

Nice cabin! And an even nicer deck?;) It looks like an ideal arrangement. Quick answer: add some panels to significantly reduce generator run time this summer. Noise, refueling, moving the Delta, ugh. Longer term: design the system you need 3-5 years from now (more people? more consumption...

It's a remote start device that triggers the AGS which in-turn triggers the auto-choke, i.e. the user can start the generator using the remote control from their house. This AGS also takes the two-wire signal from an inverter to start the generator. It provides options for different start...

Agreed. There are NCVT devices that test for the presence of AC voltage but they don't measure it. And not DC. Will be happy to be proven wrong.

You're correct that a lot of clamp meters only measure AC current. That said, a number of clamp meters now measure both AC and DC current via a clamp. I use a UNI-T UT210D (great price at ~$60) and Fluke 365 (Fluke priced) and they both measure AC and DC amps via the clamp. I recommend both but...

Caveat: I'm a hobbyist with knowledge of general AGS functions, specific systems I work with and incomplete knowledge of most other systems. Okay, so you have this from RCinFLA which provides some info on the inverter outputs: It depends on the generator and the inverter. In the US most...

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Hello, Does anyone have great tips on getting the best price per pound for used lead-acid batteries? I have 12 Trojan L16 batteries that are 14 years old and at the end-of-life. Local (Spokane, WA) scrap yards are offering 10 - 14 cents per pound so they'd fetch about $193 (.14 x 1,380 lbs)...

Sheesh. I've been around the block a few times but apparently not the right block. I dug a hole under my generator to put a catch bucket under the drain plug and I still spilled oil. These oil extractors look like they make this routine maintenance even easier. My small engines and I thank you.