Funny thing I’d be talking about generators the other day. This morning shortly after six I was awakened by my (two) APC UPS units beeping rudely, which they do when the power goes out. So I turned off the APC units. Not long after that, I heard a strange a deep “POP” sound some distance to the north. So I went out on the front porch, and next I heard the POP again and there was a flash of light. This happened a few times, then stopped. I called DTE (the power company) and went through their automatic voice mail to report the outage, and the official bot told me in a reassuring voice that based on the conditions, I could expect my power to be restored between 12:30 and 2:30 today. Ugh. So back to bed, and now I am temporarily online with my laptop and the APC UPS, which beeps incessantly (as if I didn’t know the power was out) and there is no way to turn off the beeping.
I have a working generator (the earlier post is about building a second, “free” one), but I am low on gas, and I don’t know whether the gas stations have power, so my plan is to wait a few hours, then think about getting set up for a longer outage.
One problem with generators is that gasoline is a pain in the ass. I have had this generator for years and used it twice. So the gas gets sour, and has to be changed, and the thing has to be regularly started up, the little fuel bowl emptied and cleaned, which means I end up with both useful gasoline and useless gasoline (both of which are annoying, smelly, and hazardous). Still, at times like this, I’m happy to have a generator, although propane seems to have advantages.
Sheesh. I’ve already used up 20% of the APC on this post, and although my laptop says I have two hours and change, I don’t trust that meter.
MORE: I just checked local Ann Arbor news, and the power outage was caused by a blown transformer. At least one school is closed.
AND MORE: Right after I finished this post, the power was restored. (Ah, the power of blogging!)
Comments
7 responses to “Low power post”
Do you use fuel stabilizer in the gas? That helps it last longer.
Good advice! The problem is that the bowl under the carburetor has to be emptied every few months, and if you forget there can be hell to pay. Gas is not kind when it sits.
In the Navy we used to run our DGs once a month for 30 minutes. It was part of Preventive Maintenance (PM).
There are kits to convert gasoline generators to propane. Last time I checked the prices didn’t look too bad.
ERIC,
IN ADDITION TO ADDING A GAS STABILIZER TO YOUR GAS YOU WILL
FIND IT HELPFUL TO SHUT OFF THE
GAS AT THE TANK, THEN RUN THE
ENGINE TILL THE FLOATBOWL IS
EMPTY. NO GAS IN BOWL=NO VARNISH
FORMATION.
I ALWAYS DO THIS WITH MY
GENERATOR AND SMALL OUTBOARDS.
WILL
Stabil in an old engine may screw things up by dissolving old varnish which then lodges in some critical part. Or you may luck out.
I never had any problem with a new engine though.
One plan for old gas is give it to a neighbor who uses more than you do.
Or use it to clean your bicycle chain.
From the APC site:
5.)Disabling UPS audible alarm tones.
Meaning: When using the PowerChute Personal Edition software, the UPS audible alarm tones can be disabled.
Step 1:
Connect the UPS’s RJ45 to USB communications cable between the UPS and the computer. Ensure the USB cable is inserted directly into one of the host computer’s native USB ports. Do not use a hub or after market USB cards to establish communications.
Step 2:
Once the computer has detected the “New Hardware Device”, install the PowerChute Personal Edition software onto a currently supported operating system.
Step 3:
Once the software has been properly installed, the UPS’s audible alarms can be disabled by accessing the “Notifications Configuration” section found under the “Configurations” Tab and altering the “Battery Back-UPS Alarm” section. Here the alarms can be enabled for all events, disabled for all events, disabled during specific UPS conditions or during customer specified time periods.
If you don’t (or can’t) install the software, sorry…the beeps are there.