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RE: Generac shutdown issues, help!
Got a quick pic today, ran another 4 hours in the sunshine with no hiccups.
https://i.imgur.com/OmnYFEph.jpeg
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BrisketBiscuit
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05/26/23 04:06pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Generac shutdown issues, help!
I was wondering about air flow. Recommend 2 or 3 of the large fans on one end, no other openings on that end. large single opening on the other end and no fans. Exhaust straight up through the top and Gen-Turi to cool it.
Also have you weighed the trailer? Looks like a lot of weight on the hitch.
What hitch? The tongue is sitting on a block of wood, do you have scale-o-vision? :B but yeah, it is quite heavy. Luckily, our tow rig has the suspension and brake controls for it, though it definitely could use a few more ponies... When we can afford it.
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BrisketBiscuit
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05/25/23 07:10pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Generac shutdown issues, help!
The fans are wrong, blow cool air in low, remove heat up high, you are pulling the cooling air flow down under the generator and out, trapping Heat inside, also the exhaust going down is just going to rise, some of it will even get pulled back into the covering box, optimal airflow is not being met with your current design, the carburetor might be too warm, causing a vapor lock, or the generator Head getting to hot and causing the engine shut down, sound reducing boxes can work when the correct design is implemented, sound mat is a good material , foam is not, egg crate or pin cushion foam reduces air flow and holds heat, many food vendors use inverter style generators on their trailers instead of open frame generators, inverter style are enclosed are quieter when running at lessor loads, if Honda or Yamaha is outside of your budget , champion and harbor freight have inverter models that are less expensive, you obviously need electrical power so it might be wise to look into replacing the generator , if not feasible, then redesign your box put the air intake in the bottom of the box with a fan blowing in, put exhaust fans on each end of the box , this will remove more heat than a single exhaust fan mounted too low trying to pull air thru and around the generator
If you look at the box design, I did originally have the intake opening at the bottom and exhaust at the top, but I severely underestimated the airflow requirements. The big puller fan was added after the fact, and I moved the small fans up so I could reach the choke and the control panel at the same time :S
I've definitely looked at inverter generators, but with the business just getting started, it's not remotely within budget right now, so we've gotta make this work. I'm hoping to install a 48v solar system in the future, so the massive old generator can be swapped for a smaller, quieter unit.
Also, what did punctuation ever do to you to deserve that kind of butchery? :E Still appreciate the input, but that was hard to read! Haha
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BrisketBiscuit
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05/25/23 06:57pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Generac shutdown issues, help!
Thanks all for the responses. I think the issue was insufficient airflow at the intake end. It was pretty open and had the small fans, but the built-in blower wasn't flowing nearly as much as without the box. I cut out everything below the slot at the top of those fans and braced it back up with some scrap perf/slot angle. I attached a couple pieces of acoustic foam to it like curtains (so I can still reach the choke/fuel valve), and drilled a few ~2" holes on the back face. Along with changing the exhaust pipe to point up, it seems to be happy now. Ran for ~4 hours last night with no problems, hopefully it will be the same in warmer weather.
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BrisketBiscuit
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05/25/23 06:48pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Generac shutdown issues, help!
I don't know if the generator error light is coming on, because I stupidly didn't cut the access panel wide enough for it to be visible (I actually didn't even know the light was there, the plastic on the control panel is really yellowed and makes it hard to see). I'll check next time it happens.
Based on what I can feel by reaching inside, the big puller fan seems to keep the air temp around the unit as low or lower than it is without the box, so I didn't think that would be an issue, unless there's some particular part that's heating up more that is causing the shutdown.
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BrisketBiscuit
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05/23/23 12:05pm |
Tech Issues
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Generac shutdown issues, help!
First post, just a quick introduction, my brother and I have a food truck called Brisket Biscuit, so not technically an RV, but I'm hoping I can get some help for a few technical issues here. We bought our trailer pre-equipped, with fridge, freezer, hood vent, water heater, water pump, warming lamp, and ceiling a/c being the main electrical draws. The generator mounted to the front of the trailer is a Generac Gp8000e, rated at 8kW continuous and 10kW surge, going through a PD4560 distribution box via a 2m 10ga 4-prong extension cord. We haven't had any issues with the unit except for the noise level, so I built an enclosure (described below). With the enclosure in place, the generator shuts down after just a few minutes, even with minimal load. Even with only the hood vent (2400W) and some led lights, it'll run for a little bit then shut down. It isn't any hotter than without the box thanks to the beefy fan, and it starts right back up, so I can't figure out what's causing the shutdown.
The enclosure is 1/2" MDF with 2mm butyl/foil sound mat inside, then 1.5" acoustic foam panels inside that on the top and long sides. The ends are pretty open, with 3x 120mm fans pushing in the intake end and a 10" radiator fan (~800cfm) pulling out the exhaust end. The exhaust itself is extended outside the box, so fumes shouldn't be an issue, though I'm not sure. The pipe turns 180 degrees and is attached to the side of the box pointing toward the intake end, but I don't think that's the issue. There are also openings for accessing the control panel and fuel filler that I keep open when running.
My next step is to change the routing of the exhaust pipe so it points down, but if that isn't the issue, does anyone have any suggestions? This thing is loud and I'm afraid it's hurting our business, and the box makes it significantly quieter, but that doesn't matter if it won't stay running.
https://i.imgur.com/gVZsi6Ph.jpeg
https://i.imgur.com/h4xiZEmh.jpeg
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BrisketBiscuit
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05/23/23 11:22am |
Tech Issues
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