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Air-Cooled Standby Generator - Cooling Methods
Posted on 5/14/22 at 4:54 pm
Posted on 5/14/22 at 4:54 pm
As hurricane season approaches, it got me thinking. I have a Honeywell 20kW standby genset and realize they get pretty hot, especially during peak hurricane season when the ambient temp is 90-100 degrees. I chose the air-cooled for less maintenance and cost compared to a liquid-cooled. I realize it’s a pros-and-cons choice.
Are there any alternate ways to significantly reduce the air temperature on the intake side to prevent any overheating condition? I realize the enclosure is designed to pass lots of air through it (and likely won’t have any issues) but I also realize the majority of the problems with air-cooled engines are from overheating. The suggested rest every 2nd day of 24/7 run time likely helps too but I want to make sure I’m doing everything to keep the motor cool enough (knowing it’s limitations and the maintenance needed with running around the clock).
Any suggestions appreciated. TIA
Are there any alternate ways to significantly reduce the air temperature on the intake side to prevent any overheating condition? I realize the enclosure is designed to pass lots of air through it (and likely won’t have any issues) but I also realize the majority of the problems with air-cooled engines are from overheating. The suggested rest every 2nd day of 24/7 run time likely helps too but I want to make sure I’m doing everything to keep the motor cool enough (knowing it’s limitations and the maintenance needed with running around the clock).
Any suggestions appreciated. TIA
6
Posted on 5/14/22 at 6:04 pm to bapple
dont overcomplicate it, just mount or place a simple 20" box fan on one end blowing through and over it. even blowing 90 degree air over it will keep it as cool as it needs to be.
just dont forget you need to replace the oil very often, at least once every 50 hrs which can be only 3 days or less depending how much you run it
just dont forget you need to replace the oil very often, at least once every 50 hrs which can be only 3 days or less depending how much you run it
Posted on 5/14/22 at 10:27 pm to keakar
quote:
dont overcomplicate it, just mount or place a simple 20" box fan on one end blowing through and over it.
Well the enclosure has quite a large fan pushing air through the enclosure. So it’s a question of slightly reducing the air temperature. But if adding a fan can give me that little boost maybe it would be worth it.
quote:
just dont forget you need to replace the oil very often, at least once every 50 hrs which can be only 3 days or less
I’m coming up on 20 run hours but I’ve got some backup filters, spark plugs, and oil ready to go. But I need to pick up an extra strepper motor from what I’ve read online.
Posted on 5/15/22 at 12:35 am to bapple
Turn it into a liquid cooled by putting a mist attachment on yoir hose..
Also keep it shaded if it is not.
Also keep it shaded if it is not.
Posted on 5/15/22 at 8:29 am to bapple
I would assume the unit has literature that will tell you what ambient temperatures it is designed to run in. I would not get overly concerned if you are within that range.
If it is designed for continuous use in the environmental conditions you have the I wouldn't do anything outside of the recommended maintenance items.
If it is designed for continuous use in the environmental conditions you have the I wouldn't do anything outside of the recommended maintenance items.
Posted on 5/15/22 at 9:12 am to bapple
quote:
Well the enclosure has quite a large fan pushing air through the enclosure. So it’s a question of slightly reducing the air temperature. But if adding a fan can give me that little boost maybe it would be worth it.
If it has a fan to circulate air, an additional fan likely won’t make a huge difference. You want to make sure the air can flow freely from fan to outlet.
If you want to lower the air temperature, consider adding a little water radiator in front or behind the fan. You can hook it up to your water hose and push cool water through the radiator to cool the inlet air. ETA: I’m assuming it’s a forced draft system vs induced draft.
It won’t be near as efficient as a water cooled unit. Even a mist system would be better from a temperature perspective, but you’d have some corrosion concerns to worry about.
This post was edited on 5/15/22 at 9:38 am
Posted on 5/15/22 at 9:21 am to mdomingue
quote:
Turn it into a liquid cooled by putting a mist attachment on yoir hose.. Also keep it shaded if it is not
Interesting suggestions. It’s definitely out in the open but it’s also not surrounded by fences or anything so plenty of adequate space for airflow.
quote:
If it is designed for continuous use in the environmental conditions you have the I wouldn't do anything outside of the recommended maintenance items.
Everything that I’ve read on forums says Honeywell/Generac generators were tested and designed for 77 degrees (I think that was the number). But the big complaint was using it on the gulf coast it obviously gets much hotter than that during hurricane season. So just thinking ahead of ways to cool it since it’ll likely exceed that ambient temperature.
Posted on 5/15/22 at 9:58 am to bapple
Everybody in my hood with the 20/22kW General units ran fine four days nonstop after Ida. That was coming up on my 100 hour interval so I was ready to shut it down and change oil and filter. Power came back so I saved my supplies and had the service company handle it during my annual maintenance service.
Don’t overcomplicate it.
Don’t overcomplicate it.
Posted on 5/15/22 at 10:09 am to bapple
More air flow, cold air flow, or water are you only options. I wouldn’t think it would be a good idea at all to add mist or water to them. But they are made to be outside so maybe it won’t hurt?
ETA: also shade as already mentioned. But you don’t want to restrict air flow, so don’t put a roof directly on top of it
ETA: also shade as already mentioned. But you don’t want to restrict air flow, so don’t put a roof directly on top of it
This post was edited on 5/15/22 at 10:15 am
Posted on 5/15/22 at 10:25 am to bapple
(no message)
This post was edited on 10/26/22 at 9:39 am
Posted on 5/15/22 at 11:24 am to bapple
Use a good synthetic oil, and let the generator run as designed. Any "mist" system you consider will (1) make negligible difference in our climate and (2) prematurely corrode shite inside the housing. If an additional fan makes you warm and fuzzy then go for it, but I think you are trying to reinvent the wheel.
Posted on 5/15/22 at 12:11 pm to dragginass
quote:
footballdude
This is exactly the kind of info I was looking for. Thanks for the explanation and links. Just that little bit of a safety net is what I am looking to have.
quote:
If an additional fan makes you warm and fuzzy then go for it, but I think you are trying to reinvent the wheel.
A coworker of mine got me thinking when he told me about his standby generator with Ida. He let it run for 3 days straight (maybe his first mistake) and turned it off for it to cool down. He said he was unable to start it back up because of a heat sensor detecting overheating. Maybe there’s more to the story that I’m not getting but he couldn’t get it running until a tech was able to come out and service it.
I’d like to know almost everything I can about my generator so when it’s needed I can service it if it decides to malfunction. I realize the chances of that are low but I feel having the extra knowledge can help if I have to do my own servicing.
Posted on 5/15/22 at 12:34 pm to bapple
quote:
He said he was unable to start it back up because of a heat sensor detecting overheating. Maybe there’s more to the story that I’m not getting but he couldn’t get it running until a tech was able to come out and service it.
Sounds like a bad sensor....or another issue. If the engine overheated while running, and the sensor shut it down, that's one thing....but failing to start back up after it cooled off is another.
The other possibility is he never let it cool down. Initially after a shutdown everything will heat "soak" because there is no cooling air moving. In that case it's plausible he couldn't get a restart.
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