Generac start-up time.

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ceb58

ceb58

Senior Member
Location
Raeford, NC
wirebender said:
Does anyone know if a 25KW Generac generator can be adjusted to start within 10 seconds of power failure?
Click to expand...

You should be able to reset the program in the control panel. There will be four settings. start from utility fail, trans to emg. power, restore to utility power and cool down time.
 
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charlietuna

Senior Member
From my experience with their transfer switches, they require more than ten seconds to sense a loss of power - start - come up to speed and voltage and transfer! Seems to me they require about 30 seconds-minimum...
 
wirebender

wirebender

Senior Member
Location
North Central Texas
Don't want to use it as emergency, but the state is trying to tell this retirement home that it needs to kick on in 10 seconds.
It is not required because it is an optional standby system but it was a new inspector and the owner just wants to know if it can be done to avoid future arguments.
All life safety stuff is taken care of with battery backup.
 
ceb58

ceb58

Senior Member
Location
Raeford, NC
wirebender said:
Don't want to use it as emergency, but the state is trying to tell this retirement home that it needs to kick on in 10 seconds.
It is not required because it is an optional standby system but it was a new inspector and the owner just wants to know if it can be done to avoid future arguments.
All life safety stuff is taken care of with battery backup.
Click to expand...

If the gen. is classified as emergency system then the inspector is correct 700.12. If the gen. is classified as a legally requried system then the time would be with in 60 seconds 701.11. With both having a 15 min. delay for transfer back to utility after normal power is restored. The key to the whole thing is finding out how the AHJ is listing this system. The generac's I deal with the settings for start and transfer are in seconds with the re-transfer and cool down in minuets. All of mine are deemed legally requried I crank after 15 sec then transfer after 30 sec. That gives me 45 sec. of run time for the gen. to level out before it goes under load.
 
electricalperson

electricalperson

Senior Member
Location
massachusetts
i think that inspector needs to read the code a little better. just because its at a retirement home doesnt mean it needs to be an emergency power source.
is this place a retirement home just for old people that can take care of themselves with a little help or is there nurses taking care of the people in long term nursing home care?
 
ceb58

ceb58

Senior Member
Location
Raeford, NC
jrannis said:
I have started to see inspectors trying to pull this too. I think they all went to a seminar and got edujamacated.
Ask them to read it out loud!!
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Again, he must find out how the AHJ classifies this generator. It could be the inspector is correct.
 
mivey

mivey

Senior Member
I once had a generator rep tell me that their 5 MW gas turbine would pick up additional load "instantly".:roll: It takes less than 10 minutes from zero to full load on a fast ramp-up if the oil is pre-heated and circulating.
 
wirebender

wirebender

Senior Member
Location
North Central Texas
This is an optional standby system.
Not emergency.
Not legally required standby.

If they were to turn the generator off it would make absolutely no difference in the emergency system, life-safety or critical branch either one.

There are no emergency system components on this generator.

I am not looking for ways to argue my case or the inspector's case either. I have no problem convincing them that this generator is not required to do the things they occasionally say it needs to do.

The problem is the owner is tired of having to go through this every time a different inspector shows up who doesn't understand.

So he wants to know if the generator can be reset to turn the lights on in 10 seconds. It currently takes about 20 seconds.

I can get no answers from Generac because we are not dealers. All they will say is it will void the warranty.

The owner does not care if it voids the warranty. He just wants to not have to argue with the state two or three times a year.

Thanks for the help, everyone.
 
ceb58

ceb58

Senior Member
Location
Raeford, NC
wirebender said:
This is an optional standby system.
Not emergency.
Not legally required standby.

If they were to turn the generator off it would make absolutely no difference in the emergency system, life-safety or critical branch either one.

There are no emergency system components on this generator.

I am not looking for ways to argue my case or the inspector's case either. I have no problem convincing them that this generator is not required to do the things they occasionally say it needs to do.

The problem is the owner is tired of having to go through this every time a different inspector shows up who doesn't understand.

So he wants to know if the generator can be reset to turn the lights on in 10 seconds. It currently takes about 20 seconds.

I can get no answers from Generac because we are not dealers. All they will say is it will void the warranty.

The owner does not care if it voids the warranty. He just wants to not have to argue with the state two or three times a year.

Thanks for the help, everyone.
Click to expand...

Then you should be able to reprogram the setting and go from there. If you need it pm me and I can give you programing info.
 
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charlietuna

Senior Member
"MOST" generator controls require at least 5 seconds of voltage below their setpoint just to prevent false start ups every time there is a power bump. Considering you then expect an engine to crank--come up to speed and voltage and transfer---- thats not going to happen. When power is that critical--for a transfer this quick you would need a motor/generator on a battery float where the motor generator automatically flips to reverse it's function.
 
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Cold Fusion

Senior Member
Location
way north
I rarely have anything to do with small generators, so my opinion isn't anything I'd worry about.

So consider this a curiousity question:
I suspect it is very difficult to get a recip gen to:
1. sense voltage drop.
2. start
3. come up to operating speed
4. transfer and take the load
all in ten seconds.

Let us know if you ever get this to work reliabily. As in, been off a week, start from cold- no exercise at all. Test by opening the main - not pressing the test button.

cf
 
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Ed Carr

Senior Member
Location
way upstate NY
Wirebender, I am a Guardian dealer with a fair # of installed generators.
I see no way of this happening with a standard 25k and what I am
assuming a standard RTS transfer switch. Just my 2 pennies worth.

Ed
 
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