you could of used sensibo instead of using a different thermostat. Obviously doesnt make a difference now but in the future it is pretty neat tech.

the mr cool ducted system looks very cool.

Preditor low output: Could be the fuel you used. Did you use a high octane fuel, or regular gas? Also might have issues using gasoline with Ethanol. Preditor recommends a premium, high octane fuel. Another consideration is your altitude, as all engines lose power when above sea level.

Why did you choose the hyperHeat over the Universal unit? Also are you concerned that the air handler and ducting is located in the unconditioned space?

Been watching y'all's videos for some time, your wife is a rare catch she can do things lots of men can't! Like the excited nature of this video. As a traveling horse rider I use and have been around lots of different generators. For a large run everything with a generator I prefer the WinCo (only American made on the market) very dependable. My horse trailer with full living quarters has central heat and air also has a separate gas heater . I have a solar system that normally powers everything but air conditioner 13,500 BTU I run a predator 3500 inverter generator. It handles it is great is super quiet and very fuel efficient. I currently have one unit that has over 4500 hours on it and only had one issue. At around 3,800 hours the ignition module died but was easily replaced. Around 90 percent of the people traveling the areas that I do are also running the Predators. Dollar for dollar they are extremely hard to beat and have proven to be very reliable . I do have a couple of Onan RV gensets they are good but don't seem to hold up against the Predator even though Onan is a division of Cummins! As you stated the Predator can be used in other applications and I think you will be very well pleased with that investment!

Good point. Pretty sure the Kohler has an altitude switch at least the ones I have seen do. Doubt the Predator does and the California compliant carburetor would prevent adjustment of the needles.

Thanks for that information. Quite likely the debacle about the 8000 W had something to do with elevation.

Keep in mind that Some cars have turbochargers or even superchargers

Next video. Turbo charging a Predator generator.

Yup. It’s stated as 4% per 1000ft in the kohler manual. The predators are just wildly overrated. They are using a 10hp single which in my experience will never make 10000 watts. All the commercial 10k gensets I work on use at least a twin.

Well said!!

Thank you for your service sir.

@@catgynt9148 best job I ever had. You'd go home at the end of shift knowing you helped somebody. Whether it be a house fire, car accident, medical call, or just helping a homeowner pump out their basement after a flood or broken pipe.

*- Yes, agreed.* *- As a carpenter's union steward, you can imagine my response. All the construction guys I know would see that as way too stupid to risk their future on.*

Same thing and broke my heel into 3 pieces! I hate ladders!

@@criticalevent a lot was my own fault for breaking the rule of always having someone "footing" the ladder preventing it from kicking out like that. Still kick myself for being too impatient to get someone to foot the ladder.

It's called filler content

Yep. Just ditch that stupid gubbamint gas can.

Is this also the answer to why certain loads would trip the protections in the F-150 Lightning because it hated 2 appliances in the house.

I was actually surprised the Lightning took power from the generator without tripping a protection.

"curling iron" : I highly doubt that there would be a problem with a curling iron on a high THD generator. They are basically just a resistive heating element with no microprocessor control. Appliances with microprocessor controls, such as a Fridge, Washing Machine, heating system, etc, will be the ones that have issues with 'dirty' power.

If it's just setup to charge the solar batteries, it won't have any effect on household appliances.

Failing to read comments prior to posting my comment above, you have somewhat answered part of my discussion here. I will be looking at THD in the future. Thank you!!

Hey shipmate, I too am an ET (nuc) sub veteran and I sold them the old MEP 804. I rewired it from 3 phase to two so it produced full 15kw at 240 volts. The big thing I noticed was the fuel usage as well as longevity. My MEP 802 used .5 gal/hr while his uses 2 gal/hr and my mep actually puts out 6.5 kw continuous for approx 20k hours overhaul cycle. I would have kept the old reliable also. ETCM(SS) Ret John

Than you for your service sir! While I agree with the idea of using the Diesel and I know Riley is fully capable of making it work, I think its worth pointing out for those that don’t realize, automating the Diesel would be much more complex and expensive project because it isn’t self regulating. So in addition to run and start you also have to worry about closing the breaker, voltage and engine RPM control. Again I’m sure you know that and Riley is capable, it’s just more time and $$.

That old 804 certainly couldn't be automated, but the newer 802/3/4/5 are capable of automation and a you tuber made an app and hardware to do so, check it out. Snook, Florida. Nevada, Ohio, Michigan. KG7VBM

Any info on a remote start for a diesel gen?

kurt klopp on youtube

That's a LOT of hours! Cool!

@@AmbitionStrikesThe champion whole house generators come with a 10 year , 10,000 hour warranty.

Yeah the real important measurement is how many hours the generator will last.

What fuel are you running on it?

I have a Cat 11kw 3 cylinder diesel cost $16000(nz about $10,000US) oil pump shaft snapped at 930 hrs

Not according to the specs

@@mrmotofy yep according to the specs it is rated for 50% load for 12 hours with gas. Which means 6 hours at 100% load. And the oils needs changed every 100 hours or about 4 days. The smaller units are even less. Most people think that these generators can just be run endlessly and they most certainly cannot.

We have a world of info available...he doesn't just pull it out of his head without researchi and learning

One more thing... we tried using an EG4 Chargeverter as a way to feed power from the 'dirty' Champion generator into our DC bus to charge our batteries. We found that to be a good way to clean up the power as the EG4 Chargeverter accepts 240 or 120vac power sources and tolerates 'dirty' power. Have the Chargeverter lets us use any of our generators to feed the batteries, even our small Predators. (You can't have too many backup options when you're depending on yourself to generate all your power needs).

Wow! That is an amazing compliment. Thanks! And thanks for supporting me in getting to do the things that I love to do! I actually bough an oscilloscope to check the sin waves, but of course it didn't arrive in a timely manner. I suspect the Kohler would be a lot "cleaner".

I have to agree with Donald!

I have multiple vids on of how to very cheaply view sine wave on generators etc

Agreed, but a lot of that is just that we don't buy Chinese products because we like them for any reason other than price. SO they always get us the cheapest which is why they are not great. China DOES make good stuff too, just not when they are made to be cheap. I have a Honda, for 10 years, and it ALWAYS starts. I'm off grid, use it often when rain for a few days or am working in the shop on rainy days. Starts ALWAYS.

i live in california, and hondas are being replaced by predators everywere....

You sure? All gas generator are banned in CA you have to go across State line to buy it.

@@aplaceholderbplaceholder9524 that’s not accurate. Honda pulled out of the market over the last 2 years. But gas generators are not banned until 2028. You can still buy them inside the state.

@@aplaceholderbplaceholder9524California ruins everything for the rest of the world.

right, because the usage is too high and a smaller tank will ice up and lose pressure fast, resulting in not enough gas to run it anymore. also in very cold weather you'll want a far larger tank to combat the icing up conditions and maintain enough gas output. in reality you'd want #250lbs or greater tank(rated in gallons by then)

We are not talented like you. This affects our choices. I have a 230 volt water pump that draws 9 amps with inrush of 27 amps, so a test wiuld be which unit could start up the pump while running around 1000 watts of other stuff.

Got a Predator replacement engine for my lawn mower. It lasted one cutting on my 1/3 acre yard before it started blowing blue smoke out the exhaust. I had gotten the warranty so on second motor did a proper break-in with straight 30w and zinc addative to oil. Did one cutting and dumped oil which was BLACK. Fresh oil and two more cuttings. Fresh oil and still going strong a year later.

​@@patricktobin1388We have a two year warranty basically on anything here in Europe, so it's difficult to understand you can buy product and if it fails after 90 days you're left on your own. So for non-critical applications I don't hesitate to buy cheap. I bought a cheap brand, basically a dressed Chinese generator about 8 years ago and it still works fine, being used twice a day on my little ranch. I even have a new one from a good European brand, but it's sitting in a box, waiting for the old one to die...

That's great to hear!

Very true! We are at 2,000’.

Theoretically 8% loss from altitude. .and 10% on top of that for switching to LP....@@AmbitionStrikes

That's a good point. Do you happen to know how diesel autostarts are managed in cold weather? Is the block heated all the time, or is ether used, or something else?

@@alskjflaksjdflakjdf Lots of good questions, but my experience with them was when I was much younger, and told to look, but dont touch!! I believe they have a MEP 804 (15KW) diesel..... Other models include MEP 802 @ 5KW, 803 @10 KW, 805 @ 20KW and I think 806 and 807 at 30 and 60kw??? (dont hold me to it) There are guys that are here on you tube that rebuild, resale, and convert them. ...... Try a search on "MEP 804" at see what pops up! Good Luck

From the videos I've seen, It seems they need to manually adjust the rpm of the generator to get 60Hz. Still, I'm sure it's possible to make a system that does that automatically.

@@henrikaleksandernilsen6388It depend on the model of MEP. The old ones were mechanically controlled. We just left them at 60.5 - 61.0 hertz unloaded, and adjusted as we needed to. Then came electronic governors, that did most all of that for us.

Sounds like you are well set for anything!!!

Does your Kohler have a turbo to compensate for the 4% loss per 1000ft of altitude.....plus the 10% loss for LP on top of that? Mind you 14%, (1000ft) 18%, (2000ft) 22% , (3000ft) 26% (4000ft) 30% (5000ft) loss from rated output at sea level (20kw) (continuous or peak starting?) still leaves plenty......????

@@JohnSmith-yv6eq That would be an honest 20 kW continuous at sea level, less of course as you mentioned when de rated. No turbo on a two cylinder gas burner. You have max output on LP. De-rate for natural gas approximately 10%.

They already have an EG4 Chargeverter. If they used it to charge their batteries directly, the sloppy A/C output of the Predator wouldn’t matter.

@@andysontag5336 Not sure how he’ll use it since he’s going to use the Victron “dry contacts” to start it, but yeah the chargeverter will be more likely to take it, but up to a point. Some of those outputs are so bad I refuse to call them a sine wave.

The victrons are specifically designed to work with non inverter generators, and have lots of controls to deal with low quality incoming power. They will be just fine on pretty much anything that can make juice, and will detect and protect themself in situations where the power is so bad it could damage something.

@@mutt2jeff That may be true but you also have to factor if they feed through the inverter to the house as well, not just charging the batteries. Inverter type heat pumps and many appliances will not survive long on a bad sine wave. But they need to have a look at it with an inexpensive O scope to be sure before it’s condemned to chargeverter only.

As I understand it generators are Pure Sine so clean and fine

Should just keep running the engine about once a month with Stabil in the fuel to keep the carb from developing varnish! That should also work. with Propane. I don't think you would see the Carburetor varnishing up and making the float stick or plugging up the fuel passages in the carb...

My thoughts, too.😅

Then it's time to call an electrician.

That's an excellent return - what make/brand and model is it? If they still make it, and have held to the quality standards, it may be of interest to some.

It's a Briggs & Stratton Elite Series 5500 (8500 starting). Ours was not made in China (that started after 2007), but I don't know about the new ones Saw a similar 5500 elite, but only 6500 w startup. Runs about $900. Depending on the needs, I might go for the 11,000 w models. More fuel consumption, more output.

I have often wondered about the big Honda generators with the heavy insulation and mufflers on them. I have seen them at fairs and car boot sales, and they seem to run 12-14 hours a day, up to three days a week, I suppose that they are diesel running on red. I wonder how long they last? They are audible but not in a bad way.

OK. Gensets SHALL NOT be wired to a permanent source of power without a properly installed transfer switch. Source: National Electrical Code.

@crankychris2 our electric provider installed a device between the meter and the main electrical panel. We know when the power is restored when we hear the generator return to idle. Cost about $300 - installed.

We're at 2200ft of elevation so that could make us lose a little. However I would think the cold temps would off-set it. Very good points though!

if you heard, the Predator has absolutely no service options. If you need service because you are no mechanic, you get lost. Valve clearances? I would buy an inverter generator wich has a clean energy rate

Until one stops with a crunch, as they are known to do. You do get what you pay for.

​@@markmitchell457 Keep the valves adjusted (EASY to do). Change the oil, oil filter, and air filter and it shouldn't be a problem... It should last quite a while. I have seen tests and reviews of the predator engines, and they seem pretty well built. Like any other engine, you just need to take care of them.

Here's a link! amzn.to/3TXAjCj

I might be able to help if you have a more specific question(s), but if you get in too deep a comment sections isn't the place to start learning about ladder logic (relay) control design. The type he has is din rail mounted, used with a wide variety of options for industrial controls, which tend to be expensive (what's $200 to a manufacturing plant?). The more affordable types are usually socked mounted, fitting into the same or similar socket as nor ice cube relays. You can get UL listed to meet US code, or can buy an unrated equivalent Chinese model which works the same but has no UL or other code approval. There's lots of operation options, below is a common generic description for the 2 most common types. For most applications, a "delay on" relay is sufficient. There is usually a dial or switches on the top to set the time delay. When the coil is activated (power to the relay input), there is a time delay before a normally open contact closes, whereas with a typical relay the contact closes instantly. The other common type is delay off, which are more expensive and consume more power. When the coil is activated, the contact closes like with a typical relay. When the coil is deactivated, the contact remains closed until the timer expires, then the contact opens. This requires an additional power connection to hold the contact closed until the timer expires. He probably could have used a typical DPDT (double pole double throw) relay across the switch instead of hacking his remote. On the generator I plan to use, there are other connections on the switch, but thy are just used for light indicators. He probably could have used 2 delay on and 1 normal relay which could have saved him a decent amount of money. From these, you can build some complicated controls. For example, in my planned setup: 1. Monitor PUCo (public utilities power) to activate when the power goes out. 2. Delay before trying to start because I don't want to start for a few second power outage. 3. Simulate depressing the switch twice (how mine starts). The generator will try to start on its own 3 times. 4a. If there is power at the generator output for a period of time, it is considered running, go to step 10. 4b. If there is no power after a timeout, repeat 3 again. 5. Repeat step 4b 5 times or so, after which quit trying to start. If it doesn't start in 15 tries, it isn't likely to start, to continue trying would just run down the battery and wear out the starter motor. 6. After starting, wait a period of time for the motor to warm up. 7. After motor warms up, activate a larger 50+amp contacts relay to send power from the generator to the automatic transfer switch, and begin running of the generator. 8. When PUCo comes back on, if not running, quit trying to start. 9. If the generator is running, wait a timeout to ensure the PUCo power didn't return for just a couple of seconds. 10. The automatic transfer switch will not be pulling power from the generator. Continue to allow the generator to run for a timeout period to coil down. 11. Simulate depressing the switch once (how my model is turned off). 12. Monitor the generator output power, if the generator fails to stop after a timeout, repeat 12 indefinitely until the generator stops. I will be pulling gasoline from larger transfer tanks. If I can't use gravity feed by code, will need to add a small fuel pump to start before depressing the switch in step 4, stop when I call for the generator to stop in step 12. This requires: 6 delay on relays 3 normal relay 1 normal 50+ amp contact relay (to turn generator power on and off to transfer switch). trickle charger for generator battery 4 pin wire harness so I can disconnect from the generator (relay to simulate pushing the button mounted on the generator, tapping into the generator battery for part of the control circuit). Relays are 12Vdc and 120Vac. Automatic transfer switch fed by generator and PUCo distribution panel. PUCo distribution panel Generator distribution panel fed by automatic transfer switch and PUCo distribution panel. Power is from 3 sources: generator battery, backup generator distribution panel (after automatic transfer switch), directly from the generator output, and PUCo (signal to tell if PUCo power is on or off). In a few places I will have 2 power sources entering the same control cabinet, I haven't looked up the beat way to handle by code (I think sign on panel door and segregation in a 1 or 2 gang box will work). The above doesn't include some status indicators: battery level indicator low battery alarm fuel level indicator low fuel alarm generator running generator fail to stop

Am I hearing 'second channel' with the in-depth or behind-the-scenes? (As if Courtney's not busy enough?)

Or a third one as another backup. Lol

Poor comparison as no mention is made of the two other major Generator manufacturers Cummins/Onan and Caterpillar who both manufacture units form small household to multi megawatt units.

There was a UKposts here in Oklahoma that does the off grid and he used the same generator that you bought (predator) he replaced it multiple times and Harbor Frieght stopped letting him trade it in. Now he did use it for long periods of time.

Any evidence?

Are you forced to watch?

@@DonnieDarko727 are you forced to comment Donnie dorko?

@@ronhicks8271 evading the question. You lose

​@@DonnieDarko727 ... Don't be a troll

I mean partly, but it was pretty informative as well.. I think it was a happy medium

I let my predator set for over a year with little fuel in it. It wouldn't start. The fuel had dried up and plugged the system. It took a while but I was able to get it cleaned up. Lesson learned. DON'T LET TODAY'S FUEL GET OLD IN YOUR EQUIPMENT. The alcohol is not your friend.

They are off grid. What do you expect?

If you don’t like the content then don’t watch it dude. No one is forcing you to watch.

​@@tomdy69 What he said ...

What if they called it how you can live off grid from mostly sunshine.

Found the snowflake

Generac, ouch. I feel bad for you.