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Load bank
Been thinking how to load generator to clean out wet stacking and hopefully get rid of some of the smoke it puts out. Any one had any experience hooking onto a load bank? Seems to me very hard to get enough load just turning things on in the bus. Thanks. Mike
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21 Replies
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At Jeff’s they put 2 A/C’s on heat and 2 on A/C and then all the big amp hogs, dryer, water heaters grill, etc.
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I had the folks at marathon do this for us – they had a thing that was basically a whole bunch of space heater coils. So, I bought a gaggle of space heaters to try it because it sorta got a little better for a little while – but it’s back to smoking big time.
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If I understand correctly (which may be an terribly inaccurate assumption), the trick would be to load the generator to about 75% of max for a few hours. On a 20kw generator that would require pulling about 125 amps and I can’t get that to work out with everything I can throw at it using the bus alone. Supposedly I could load more using a load bank hooked into a buddy plug. Lowest voltage the load bank I have access to is 240v so it would take a pull of around 63 amps using that to load to 75%. I agree, a load bank is just a lot of heater coils. Another concern I have is if I pull 63 amps through the 50 amp buddy plug and its 6 AWG wire, things might get thrilling.
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When they did it for sure everything was toasty smelling!
At Marathon, the tech disconnected the generator from the bus and hooked up the load directly to the generator output. He also said that a 20k doesn’t really put out 20… he said it was more like 12.5. As far as that goes… not sure. But maybe that means you don’t need quite as much load as you think to do the job.
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I don’t know where the amount of load comes from, perhaps RV legend handed down over decades.
A typical coach has more than enough potential load to make a generator work. All AC units, either cooling or heating, but ideally 2 to make cold and two to make heat. That will be about 50+ amps. Then turn on the electric cook top and outdoor grille if you have it, that can easily add 20 to 30 amps. With doing just that you are at about 50% of a 20KW. Turn on all the interior lights and set the inverters to max current draw. Start with a cold HW heater and draw hot water to keep the water pump and HW heater working a little.
Turn on the microwave, throw some wet towels in the dryer and turn it on, and keep opening the refrigerator door so it keeps running. All told you should be well above 120 amps, but even if you are at 80 to 100 you have made sure the generator is working.
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Power (KW) = Voltage x Current. 20kw divided by 240 volts = 83 amps or 42 amps per 120volt leg. Load that Gen up !
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No. At 120V (which each leg is) total is going to be 166.
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The generator is a 240 volt generator with a center tap for 120 volt legs. So 20,000 divided by 240 is 83.33 amps. That is across L1 to L2. The most you can get on L1 or L2 to center tap or neutral as some call it is 1/2 of that or 41.67 amps
The neutral or center tap will only see the amp difference between L1 and L2 for 120 volt loads. If L1 has 20 amp load and L2 has a 15 amp load the neutral will only see a 5 amp load.
Hope this helps
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I have the same generator. It is 83 amps at 240, but 166 at 120 so I can load up to 83 amps per leg.
I have had as much as 70 amps per leg, and when I am running all ACs, using the grille, and drying clothes it is common to see in excess of 50 amps per leg.
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I wish The converters would come up with a load system that you could use to keep the generator loaded so that it wouldn’t smoke. A “switch you could flip” to add load and it would intelligently add load to you load to keep the generator running hot.
I found a Dewalt 220v garage heater at 10kw that I’m considering getting to regularly load up the generator. Ours has a smoking problem…
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Walt,
When is the last time you changed out the fuel pump.
Later
bv
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Good point by Bernie, I carry a spare pump because when they finally give it up, it’s usually at the worst time in the middle of a dry camping deal.
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My generator is not allowed to smoke until it is 21.
Jeff and Lindsay
91 Marathon XL -
Right Jon! But then it will probably only smoke when it drinks.
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Mike. Check and see if it has a Catalytic Converter on it, one of my Liberty’s had one and it became plugged up. It was trying to run hot smoke bad and ruined the turbo
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