Generator standby heater

[Roy Suomi]

I bought a little used Generac # 052420, 13K home genny. I want to warm up the "oil pan" so it starts oiling as soon as it starts. It's got a 992 twin engine. I used a silicone heater pad against the bottom mounting plate under the engine and almost got a year out of the 100 watt heating pad. I have it hooked up to a Inkbird 308 thermostatic heater thermostat. It worked well for almost a year , then quit heating. I set it for 45 degree turn on and 55 degree shut off. Found the pad burned out. Replaced it with another similar and noticed a light whisp of smoke emanating from the heat pad area. I'm not crazy about this happening. Anyone got any ideas for heating my engine up? There's not enough room for a magnetic heater under the bottom engine plate. Thanks for any constructive input. Roy " The Deere dozer guy"

 

[Loosehandle]

I bought a little used Generac # 052420, 13K home genny. I want to warm up the "oil pan" so it starts oiling as soon as it starts. It's got a 992 twin engine. I used a silicone heater pad against the bottom mounting plate under the engine and almost got a year out of the 100 watt heating pad. I have it hooked up to a Inkbird 308 thermostatic heater thermostat. It worked well for almost a year , then quit heating. I set it for 45 degree turn on and 55 degree shut off. Found the pad burned out. Replaced it with another similar and noticed a light whisp of smoke emanating from the heat pad area. I'm not crazy about this happening. Anyone got any ideas for heating my engine up? There's not enough room for a magnetic heater under the bottom engine plate. Thanks for any constructive input. Roy " The Deere dozer guy"

I'd use a regular light bulb if they were still common

 

[Janicholson]

Sometimes new pad heaters need to somke off production oils. Give it an hour to see if it stops. (do watch it while that happens) Jim

 

[wore out]

I bought a little used Generac # 052420, 13K home genny. I want to warm up the "oil pan" so it starts oiling as soon as it starts. It's got a 992 twin engine. I used a silicone heater pad against the bottom mounting plate under the engine and almost got a year out of the 100 watt heating pad. I have it hooked up to a Inkbird 308 thermostatic heater thermostat. It worked well for almost a year , then quit heating. I set it for 45 degree turn on and 55 degree shut off. Found the pad burned out. Replaced it with another similar and noticed a light whisp of smoke emanating from the heat pad area. I'm not crazy about this happening. Anyone got any ideas for heating my engine up? There's not enough room for a magnetic heater under the bottom engine plate. Thanks for any constructive input. Roy " The Deere dozer guy"

What "brand" were the heaters? Zerostart has quite a variety of silicone pad heaters in their catalog which I would EXPECT to be safe and reliable.

GOOGLE "Zerostart catalog".

 

[stdsch40]

Why not try some synthetic oil in it? Like 0w30 or what ever equivalent the manufacturer says. I live in a very very cold area and found oil pan heaters to pretty much useless. Old style light bulbs work too.

 

[Goose]

Have you checked with your Generac dealer? My Generac 18kw generator has a built in heater that keeps the battery and engine compartment warm in cold weather.

 

[DoubleO7]

B & S does make a warmer that screws into the oil pan in place of the drain plug.
Kinda pricey tho

 

[caterpillar guy]

I never used one and thought they would be pretty useless. Is a dipstick heater You just put it down the dip stick hole like the dipstick. A good block heater is more good for what you want .It will warm the coolant and as the oil flows down over the engine inside it warms the oil as it wamrs up more and as the oil flows it warms up. This is the most common method for heating engines and the oil in cold climates.

 

[Brownie450]

Might see if you can find a heater such as we used under
the hog waterers. They were around 150 Watts & had a
thermostat that could be adjusted for temp. They had a
horseshoe shaped element & a short 120 Volt plug / cord.
We just used bricks under them to get them closer up to
the trough that held the water. No danger of fire.
Jim

 

[wore out]

I never used one and thought they would be pretty useless. Is a dipstick heater You just put it down the dip stick hole like the dipstick. A good block heater is more good for what you want .It will warm the coolant and as the oil flows down over the engine inside it warms the oil as it wamrs up more and as the oil flows it warms up. This is the most common method for heating engines and the oil in cold climates.

''A good block heater is more good"


I'm not 100% sure, but I think he has an air cooled engine.

 

[Jim.ME]

''A good block heater is more good"


I'm not 100% sure, but I think he has an air cooled engine.

x 2 on it is air cooled and that is why Roy isn't using a coolant heater.

 

[Roy Suomi]

Have you checked with your Generac dealer? My Generac 18kw generator has a built in heater that keeps the battery and engine compartment warm in cold weather.

I looked into their heater. Seems that they only heat the oil filter and battery, not the crankcase. Real pricey too.

 

[Roy Suomi]

''A good block heater is more good"


I'm not 100% sure, but I think he has an air cooled engine.

Yep, Twin air cooled

 

[Roy Suomi]

x 2 on it is air cooled and that is why Roy isn't using a coolant heater.

Yep, Twin air cooled. I've got this thing about a stone cold engine starting at wide open throttle. I'd like to see a little heat in that crankcase even though I'm using 5W30 synthetic

 

[Russ from MN]

I'd use a regular light bulb if they were still common

A regular incandescent lightbulb will only last about 1000 hours, or 42 days, if on continuous.

 

[caterpillar guy]

With an air cooled engine I guess a small heater would work like a slamander heater in times of checking or one of those small radiant heaters with no electric needed just a match. Could get pricey to run one on a regular basis of daily for update checks and all. Just to start when power is out would work pretty good let set inside compartment for a bit and start. Big problem would be getting the heat in under the engine where it would do the most good. I suppose one could also use a blow torch of smaller size to blow heat on the side of the oil pan to warm it up. Other wise the only thing I know of would be a hole dug under the oil pan about 6 or so feet deep with a culvert pipe in the hole and back filled around the pipe .Letting earth air drift up like they do with water tanks to keep them from freezing over in winter. Would be about 40 degrees or so. Warmer than freezing cold. With the engine setting close over it it should work well. No juice needed nor fire risks either. could probably either cut a round hole in the pad it is on or pour one around the pipe when done for it.

 

[showcrop]

The oil manufacturing company would probably take offense at your lack of confidence in their oil. Most standby units start and run automatically every week. Does yours not do this?

 

[old-9]

A regular incandescent lightbulb will only last about 1000 hours, or 42 days, if on continuous.

Try traffic signal lamps, 8000 hour life. costly though. joe old sparkey.

https://www.amazon.com/Sylvania-12817-116A21-Traffic-Signal/dp/B000V5YGOU/ref=asc_df_B000V5YGOU?tag=bingshoppinga-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=80401840125302&hvnetw=o&hvqmt=e&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-4584001418874875&psc=1

 

[Dean]

The oil manufacturing company would probably take offense at your lack of confidence in their oil. Most standby units start and run automatically every week. Does yours not do this?

My Kohler 20 KW unit air cooled unit was factory programmed to exercise every week. It used 5W30 full synthetic oil.

Exercise could be programmed to every other week but no less frequently. I changed mine to every other week and changed the exercise duration from 20 minutes to 15 minutes.

Exercise cycles reduce the likelihood of warranty claims due to no start issues and also serve to keep oil on moving parts.

New house will have 30 KW, 4-pole (1,800 RPM) generator with 4-cylinder, turbocharged, liquid cooled engine. No need for 30 KW but units are derated due to both ambient temperature and altitude. Turbocharged unit is derated very little at MT altitude whereas 26 KW air cooled unit is derated to around 14 KW.

Not sure, but expect that unit specifies 0W30 full syn oil. It will have both block and crankcase heaters.

Yes, whole-house back-up generators start and immediately accelerate to rated speed upon power interruption. This is a lot to ask of 2-pole generators with 3,600 RPM engines, especially in MT winters.

 

[DoubleO7]

How about this heater, on 3/4" thick, self regulating.
Flat Heater

Or what about using good old fashioned heat tape for pipes? Wrap it around the oil pan as many times as you can without overlapping.
Run the extra under the pan in a coil or back and forth wired down to a hunk of hardware cloth.

Like these: 6ft = $22
Pipe Tape