spacepidgeon

hi im reviving this post as were having some problems again... also got a baby coming in 3 weeks so need to try and sort it out. The genny it turns out is a 12kW Kubota with a Yanmar 3-cylinder engine, there is no AVR only a capacitor (see below). I recently fitted a remote start unit so that my pregnant wife doesnt have to climb into the engine room. The problem came up that the autostart was detecting undervoltages and repeatedly stopping the genny. To resolve this I have had to up the revs from 3000 to ~3600 which increases the voltage to 260V and frequency to 59Hz (no load), under maximum load of around 4kW this drops slightly to 250V and 56Hz, this keeps the unit from tripping but is not good for things like the washing machine running at such high frequency it is making strange noises. So my question is... Is there an easy way for me to up the voltage without upping the Hz? Do I need a new capacitor or is there something I can adjust on the genny/alternator? Appreciate any help yous can give me. Cheers marc PS - I know its too big but its all Ive got - I am planning to get a smaller replacement (5kW) by the end of the year.

Will do thx

Update. As biggles said it may be running at 60hz i got a frequency meter and checked the waveform. It was running fast at 57Hz and a reduction in speed using the governer screw also reduced the voltage and solved my problem (for now). Thanks again, marc

Hi yes justme you might be right about the lack of AVR, there is a huge capacitor tucked away inside. Sorry I dont know the model number of the genny it seems it some kindo of a one-off (same as everything from the previous owner!) as I cant find anything on the internet besides this which looks like the same type? (doesnt tell us much though) http://www.hss.com/imagshop/guides/og_375.pdf How can I tell the victron to accept a higher input voltage? Is it likely to damage the circuitry? Will the victron still output 230V? Also, (I will check again tomorrow), but last time I tried the voltage INCREASED as the charger began to kick in?? i.e. Output starts around 260V, the charger engages and then after around 5-10 seconds (I guess as it tries to increase the load) the Voltage shoots up, >265V, tripping the victron and then cutting the voltage back to 260. This repeats over and over. I will try again with a kettle plugged in and report back. cheers marc

Hi all I have fitted a new Victron Inverter/Charger and managed to wire it up to our generator which is (I think) a 10kW Yanmar? All looked well until I tried to charge the batteries and discovered something was tripping the charger. I have now discovered that the generator is putting out 265-270V, which needs reducing to 230. I have opened the genny to try and locate the AVR (regulator) but cant seem to find anything? DO all gennys have AVRs? where are they usually located? and more importantly can the voltage be reduced?! My other option may be to get a transformer or something similar? Id appreciate any info you can share.

hi thanks but i dont have any ability to PM on this forum?? please email me using mrea at ic d0t ac d0t uk cheers

OK thanks oldgoat - really helps to clear a few things up. I should have mentioned its a dutch barge so no shortage of space in the engine room. I will follow an installation something like this (see image) - teeing off the main diesel tank Two (or three) more questions - #1 the webasto installation instructions say the webasto should be no more than 20cm below the top of the diesel tank - how critical is this and why is this recommended? I was hoping to put it a bit lower #2 Is copper piping (5mm) or rubber tubing prefereable for teeing off the diesel? I already have a genny and the engine running off the same pipe - can this cause problems? #3 in the config shown in the image - do you think i will need any extra valves to bleed air out of the system or does the header tank take care of it? Great forum and thanks for your help - hope I can help someone else along the line!

Hi again Well I am kind of stuck with the 90S as its all I have - the radiator total output is around 7kW I think (6x 4400 BTU) Can you explain what you mean by 'Put the webasto on the swim' Do you mean the webasto has to be at water level? Also what do you mean by 'drop into the bilge'? Do you mean I should route the pipes into the bilge water? for extra cooling? As I said I would like to keep the webasto on the side of the hull if possible? Finally - should the header tank go on the cold or hot water side, and does it need one or 2 connections? I have heard about possible problems with red diesel but was told using a proper filter should take care of it. Thanks Ken, All the best! Cheers marc

Hi all first time poster so apologies if this has been answered before - I caouldnt seem to find the info I need... I am about to install a webasto thermo 90s on our boat with 5 large radiators - this is not being connected to the engine, so it will just be for heating... I could really use some of the forum's expertise or experience before I put it all in. The plan is to install the rads in a parallel configuration using 22m plastic barrier pipe under the floor and 15mm pipe to the rads I imagine that rubber hose should be used to connect the heater to the pipes Is it OK for me to have the heater above floor level in the engine room? I was thinking to also use a small expansion tank - is this necessary and where exactly should it go? What about 1-way check valves or valves for bleeding? Is there anything else I am missing? Thanks in advance for any help you can give me! Cheers marc