Today it feels like early fall. The sky keeps going from blue with puffy white clouds to overcast.
It's going from breezy to real gusts of wind.
And, we have a frost (?!) warning for tonight. Then, the nights will be in the low to mid 40's for several nights.
I'm sorry to sound as if I'm over-complicating the following.
Here's what the problem is, according to Ds, with our generator/batteries.
Apparently, when you run on only one (electrical) leg, you can only use part of your output. So, let's say that this generator is 7,000 watts. Because it's going through an inverter in the house and charging the batteries, we only get to use a maximum of 2,800 watts, taking into consideration surges. For example, let's say that your 'fridge uses 50 watts. It does, when it's running, but when it cycles and starts up, it uses a lot more for that short time.
So, I can't count 2,800 watts for everything. I have to count for less so that the surges are taken into consideration.
Something went awry, and we were popping the circuit breaker on the generator because we were apparently running at 2,750 watts. Why that changed, we don't know. Ds came over and ran some tests, then made some setting changes on the inverter.
To use the stove to cook, I was having to turn off the inverter and cook, which was not charging the batteries, so I was using double or more of the gas overnight.
Ds said that what we need to do is run both legs from the generator, not one, which would allow one to charge the batteries (charging is 'expensive' wattage-wise, 1,400 watts.) the other to use in the house for a stove, lights, T.V. ice box, and freezer.
There's a part which can do that. It splits everything into 2 legs. But, it's around $800. not counting peripheral parts.
However, you can get an external battery charger. You have to replace my 30' of 120 cord with 30' of 240 cord. That's around $4. a foot.
Then, when the generator line comes into the house and into the panel, it splits from 240 to two 120's. One goes into the external battery charger, the other into the house.
The external battery charger is around $300. with a small regulator which is $22. Plus, the 30' of 240 cord, of course.
So, overall, I could do it that way for about 1/2 the cost of the other idea. Not that I can do it right now, but that's the goal at this point.
As long as things continue to run, and the batteries continue to give me extra time off of the generator, albeit not as much as I was getting, I can save for a couple of months.
Just one big lottery...lol!
Boy, are my hummingbirds having fun! They are flying about, eating like little piglets, and landing on the chain and top of the feeder. I sometimes think that the females look at my large ant trap at the top, which is empty currently, as a potential nesting place!
Well, I've not been able to do hardly any cooking, so I have a pot of broth on. I can do a lot with that. It's time to check on it.
Wish me luck with the electrical issue.
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