[Magick Man]

Thawing out here, slowly but surely. We ended up with 3/4" of ice. :eek: We're still without utility power and running off the generator, but that's not unusual. Our electric company is rated one of the worst in the country, and they couldn't care less because they have us by the curlies. I've thought about just switching over completely to a full-time generator and telling them to bite me. Our short-term gen runs off natural gas and does a great job, you can't even tell it's running unless you get within 15', it sounds like a car idling and provides all the power we typically need (38kW). Going to a dedicated solution, I'd feel more comfortable with a real multiphase, 60kW+ power plant. Because, the larger the motor, the less strain on it, and the more efficient it is (in theory).

Of course, that would make us completely dependent upon the price set by the gas company, which can be a little erratic. However, we've never *knock on wood* had a gas interruption, because it's a better shielded and more robust service (since it's completely under ground). I'm willing to pay a little more for the peace of mind and greater reliability. Maybe I'm being nutty, but this makes sense to me.

I've been told that I've been OCD over cars, this from a friend, not my wife. It appears that I talk about little else and some have found it irritating, so I'm going to drop it for a while. Sorry if I've been annoying. So, I've decided to talk about another passion of mine, pipe smoking, and I'll start that off with some affordable favorites that I've enjoyed. You may not have heard of them, but Medico has been making pipes for quite some time, and they're cheap (starting <$20). Are they any good? Surprisingly, yes, they aren't bad at all. Sure, they don't dissipate heat as well, and they aren't as durable, plus there are no fancy silver inlays, but if you're looking for a solid starter pipe, you can't do much better (and can do a lot worse). I've not gotten a bad Medico yet, so dive in and try them out, they're a sound bargain. The following are a few I've personally bought:

Medico "Lancer" - smallish bowl, decent draw, nice style, easy to clean. $19US.



Medico "Windsor" - medium bowl, good draw, attractive, easy to clean. $22US.



Medico "Varsity" - large bowl, very good draw, clean look, fairly easy to maintain. $30US.



Of course, you'll need a pipe cleaning tool (<$5), some basic pipe cleaners, tobacco (of course), and a protective pouch if you want to carry it around, but it can be an inexpensive and rewarding hobby... especially if you're a cigarette smoker and looking for a much less harmful alternative. As far as tobacco goes, start mild with a nice Cavendish blend (lower heat, less bite), maybe with a light vanilla flavoring. Then branch out from there and explore and sample other varieties. My best advice in this area is to find a local tobacconist and try whatever catches your eye, often they'll let you do that for free. You won't know for sure until you've puffed a type for yourself.

I'll add more later, discussing mid-range pipes (which are IMO the sweet spot in terms of value) and pipe care, so stay tuned.

 

[333jeffery]

^The only generators built for that kind of 24/7 operation are diesels. Unless you get a Waukesha unit....

 

[obobskivich]

Magick - do you have any solar/wind power? It wouldn't likely run your entire place, but it'd supplement the jenny and get away from the utility co a bit at least. And you said "green" a while ago too.

 

[billybob_jcv]

Magick - you need your own fuel cell.

http://www.utcpower.com/products/purecell400
http://www.fuelcellenergy.com/dfc300ma.php

And who are these silly people that say you have been OCD about cars? Pffft - they are just killjoys trying to burst your bubble. Screw 'em! You should carry your ipad around with you and have it loaded with all the HP graphs and zillions of pictures of your cars. Whip it out for them and pummel them with: "And here's the McLaren on the day I checked the air in the front tires, the left front was 0.25 psi higher than the right front. I think that might be because the I check the air in the morning, and that side of the garage gets more morning sun. Here's a graph of the tire temperature every hour for the last week and you can see how the left front was 2.5 degrees warmer in the morning. Now this next graph is really interesting, it shows the change in tire temperature after I wrapped the left front tire in aluminum foil. Did you know..."

 

[Achmedisdead]

Quote:

Thawing out here, slowly but surely. We ended up with 3/4" of ice.

We're still without utility power and running off the generator, but that's not unusual. Our electric company is rated one of the worst in the country, and they couldn't care less because they have us by the curlies. I've thought about just switching over completely to a full-time generator and telling them to bite me. Our short-term gen runs off natural gas and does a great job, you can't even tell it's running unless you get within 15', it sounds like a car idling and provides all the power we typically need (38kW). Going to a dedicated solution, I'd feel more comfortable with a real multiphase, 60kW+ power plant. Because, the larger the motor, the less strain on it, and the more efficient it is (in theory).

Of course, that would make us completely dependent upon the price set by the gas company, which can be a little erratic. However, we've never *knock on wood* had a gas interruption, because it's a better shielded and more robust service (since it's completely under ground). I'm willing to pay a little more for the peace of mind and greater reliability. Maybe I'm being nutty, but this makes sense to me.

I've been told that I've been OCD over cars, this from a friend, not my wife. It appears that I talk about little else and some have found it irritating, so I'm going to drop it for a while. Sorry if I've been annoying.

 

 
Well, we all love  the cars...lol. 

 

[Magick Man]

Magick - you need your own fuel cell.

http://www.utcpower.com/products/purecell400
http://www.fuelcellenergy.com/dfc300ma.php

And who are these silly people that say you have been OCD about cars? Pffft - they are just killjoys trying to burst your bubble. Screw 'em! You should carry your ipad around with you and have it loaded with all the HP graphs and zillions of pictures of your cars. Whip it out for them and pummel them with: "And here's the McLaren on the day I checked the air in the front tires, the left front was 0.25 psi higher than the right front. I think that might be because the I check the air in the morning, and that side of the garage gets more morning sun. Here's a graph of the tire temperature every hour for the last week and you can see how the left front was 2.5 degrees warmer in the morning. Now this next graph is really interesting, it shows the change in tire temperature after I wrapped the left front tire in aluminum foil. Did you know..."

Those units are way too huge, and run ~half a million $. This looks promising, though:

http://www.clearedgepower.com/commercial/products-services/clearedgeplus-commercial-fuel-cell

They can build custom cells up to 50kW, and are approved for residential use. Also they're 3x more efficient than ICE-based gens. I emailed them for an estimate and we'll see what they say.

I tend to get very focused on individual projects and interests, I often forget that other people aren't as interested in those things as I am. The thread's been dead of late, so I figured it's time to discuss other things.

^The only generators built for that kind of 24/7 operation are diesels. Unless you get a Waukesha unit....

Actually, there's these:

http://www.generatorsales.com/order/01735.asp?page=F01736

It has a Ford V10 and is rated for continuous use.

 

[333jeffery]

^Those engines can only last a few thousand hours. That's much less than a year of continuous use. Only the Waukesha engines are designed to go much beyond that. They're used in oil-fields and mining operations, and are only shut-down to change the oil/filters.

 

[billybob_jcv]

In the movie Predator, the banditos in the middle of the jungle ran their generator off a belt attached to the rim of an old pick-up truck up on blocks...

The 400KW fuel cell is too large? Go big or go home! I figured you might as well take the whole neighborhood off the grid. Start your own power company, and run a power distribution system. Or, you could build a lighted baseball diamond in the middle of the cornfield next to your house. "If you build it, they will come."

 

[Magick Man]

^Those engines can only last a few thousand hours. That's much less than a year of continuous use. Only the Waukesha engines are designed to go much beyond that. They're used in oil-fields and mining operations, and are only shut-down to change the oil/filters.

I was told 2 years between replacements/rebuilds, but I don't know. My current one only gets used 3-4 days /year, and that's the extent of my generator experience.


Yeah, 400kW is too big, those things are half the size of a city bus. I don't want to allocate that much room for a generator. The 50kW unit will fit in the basement (it's actually 2 units in series), and they're each the size of a large water heater. Also, they work as primary heaters in the winter, the water is potable and can replace an existing water heater (we have 4), you can add units as you need them, and they have a 10 year stack life. This looks very, very promising.

 

[billybob_jcv]

Yeah, that's why I suggested a fuel cell - it is very cool technology. I'm sure there are issues - probably the cost of the units and (I have heard) the cost for the tooling to manufacture is high, which has made it hard for companies to justify the development to bring the products to market. I see it as yet another example of why the US should have built a nationwide Hydrogen distribution infrastructure long ago. I blame the Nazis. If they hadn't screwed the pooch with the Hindenburg, we might all have cars & homes powered by Hydrogen fuel cells!

 

[proton007]

Quote:

In the movie Predator, the banditos in the middle of the jungle ran their generator off a belt attached to the rim of an old pick-up truck up on blocks...

 

 
That reminds me, anyone seen this before?

 
Its used in Indian villages.
A single cylinder engine, used for powering the cart, for drawing water, and generating electricity.
Pretty green tech if you ask me.

 

[Magick Man]

Power's back on, only took 2 days. I despise them so much. :mad:

Oh, and I checked on that `87 Grand National this morning, for $55k it can be yours, obob.

 

[obobskivich]

In the movie Predator, the banditos in the middle of the jungle ran their generator off a belt attached to the rim of an old pick-up truck up on blocks...

The 400KW fuel cell is too large? Go big or go home! I figured you might as well take the whole neighborhood off the grid. Start your own power company, and run a power distribution system. Or, you could build a lighted baseball diamond in the middle of the cornfield next to your house. "If you build it, they will come."

I think you could run more than a single baseball diamond off of 400KW.

Yeah, 400kW is too big, those things are half the size of a city bus. I don't want to allocate that much room for a generator. The 50kW unit will fit in the basement (it's actually 2 units in series), and they're each the size of a large water heater. Also, they work as primary heaters in the winter, the water is potable and can replace an existing water heater (we have 4), you can add units as you need them, and they have a 10 year stack life. This looks very, very promising.

What do you need four water heaters for? And/or have you heard of tankless heaters?

Power's back on, only took 2 days. I despise them so much. :mad:

And lemme guess, they will not prorate/credit you for the two days they didn't provide any service.

Oh, and I checked on that `87 Grand National this morning, for $55k it can be yours, obob.

LOL!
Better than I guessed, but still hilarious.

 

[Magick Man]

Credit? Oh, I can get them to take $50 off next month, if I call and harass them for 30 minutes, but that just gets my BP up and ruins my day.


Oooo... so sexy. Coming up soon...

 

[obobskivich]

Credit? Oh, I can get them to take $50 off next month, if I call and harass them for 30 minutes, but that just gets my BP up and ruins my day.

See they should automatically resolve that. That's just abysmal. I vote power-cell or hobbyist nuclear reactor.