Looking after your Inverter Generator

Inverter Generator Genset Maintenance

The key to a long-lasting inverter generator is consistent maintenance that aligns with the recommendations in iTechworld’s operator manual. From general maintenance tips and guidelines to a helpful schedule for common procedures, the manual will serve as the best point of reference for commercial and personal users who wish to keep their inverter generator running efficiently for many years to come. Those new to iTechworld generators can follow a few specific tips in order to ensure long-term enjoyment of their inverter generator purchase.

Safey Disclaimer: Think before you act
Inverter generators aren’t just a safety risk while in operation. In fact, conducting maintenance exposes users to many of the same risks that would be faced while the equipment is
running. Before getting started with regularly scheduled maintenance, make sure that the
equipment has had time to cool down. Users should work only in a well ventilated
or outdoor environment, using a solid and level surface that guards against fuel spills or
equipment balance issues. Ensure that the engine is off and that spark plugs or other wires are disconnected, since this will prevent unwanted ignition that might cause very serious injury.

The key to a long lifespan is maintenance
Inverter generator maintenance keeps the equipment running at peak efficiency, which means that it uses fuel more sparingly and works for a longer period of time. Regular maintenance also ensures that the inverter generator runs more quietly than it would if key parts are neglected, which can be a significant boost especially if the inverter generator needs to run overnight or for multiple consecutive days. The best way to ensure a high level of efficiency and a low level of noise, is to simply follow the guidelines mentioned in the operator manual’s maintenance schedule. This schedule recommends certain types of maintenance based on the number of hours the generator has been in use, and is a great reference that will keep everything running smoothly until the generator is retired or replaced with another model. The maintenance schedule highlights the following key procedures

Engine Oil Change - iTechworld recommends checking the oil levels each time the inverter generator is used, with an oil change required after the first twenty hours of use and every six months after that. Oil is checked and changed by removing the oil/service/air filter access panel and unscrewing the oil filler cap, you can then check the oil dipstick to see the oil level. Typically iTechworld recommends SAE 10W30 oil. To change the oil screw the oil discharge pipe into the oil reservoir and tighten. Tilt you inverter generator forward and pour the oil into a suitable container. Using the oil container provided by iTechworld fill the inverter generator up with new oil.Air Filter - The air filter should also be checked prior to each inverter generator use. Equipment owners should clean the filter after 50 hours of use or every 3 months, whichever comes first. Cleaning can be performed with warm water and a mild detergent, like dish detergent or other typical soaps. Wash and then let dry thoroughly, dip the foam filter in clean engine oil and squeeze out all excess if there is too much oil left on the foam filter the inverter generator will "smoke". If the air filter shows signs of damage, it should be replaced with an new one instead.

Spark Plug - Spark plug adjustments should take place every 100 hours, or after six months of use. The spark plug requires full replacement once per year, or after 200 hours. As with the air filter, a spark plug that shows signs of significant damage should be removed and replaced with a brand new spark plug that fits the inverter generator, as this will ensure continued operation at the highest levels of efficiency. For full replacement, iTechworld recommends A7RTC or CR5HSB Spark plug with Gap 0.7 to 0.8 (0.028 to 0.032”), available from most auto electrical stores.
Spark Arrestor - The spark arrestor is designed to prevent the emission of flammable debris from your inverter generator. This is a critical part of the inverter generator, and by keeping it serviced and clean ensures both efficiency and safe operation. Because this part is located near the inverter generator’s muffler, that part should be allowed to cool down after any recent use before spark arrestor maintenance is performed. ITechworld recommends spark arrestor service and cleaning after every 20 hours of use, or every month, whichever comes first. Use a wire brush to free any carbon deposits from the surface of the spark arrestor, and inspect the part for damage. if required, replace the spark arrestor rather than cleaning off built-up carbon and dirt deposits.

 Download the manual for the iTechworld 4.8KVA Inverter Generator HERE

Article author

Ian

[email protected]

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Mounting Flexible Solar Panels

Mounting Flexible Solar Panels

As we sell more and more Flexible Solar Panels the obvious questions that comes from our customers is:

"How do we mount them?"

A lot of people simply cover the backside of them with sikaflex and whack them onto the roof. This is the quick and easy way to do it. Is this the best way though?

Lets have a look in detail at how solar works.

All solar panels operate best at around 25˚C. That is just the nature of the beast. for every one degree that a solar panel goes above or below that 25˚C mark it loses efficiency. This is called Temperature Coefficient. If you look at any solar manufacturer's data sheet you will see a term called "temperature coefficient Pmax". For example the temperature coefficient of an iTechworld Flexible solar panel is –0.48%. What this means is that for each degree over 25˚C the maximum power of the panel is reduced by 0.48%. Now 0.48% does not seem like a big number at all. We live in Australia though. Its exceptionally hot especially in summer as you all know. So if our new flexible Solar Panel got hot enough to be at 45˚C then it actually loses 10%. Incredible!

I had a customer come into the store and he advised that he used the iTechworld Amp Meter to test his solar panel amperage output. He wasn't impressed with what he seen, he then sprayed them with cold water with his garden hose and ABRACADABRA the amperage jumped up. Why? Because the water got the solar panels back closer to the 25˚C mark.

So when we go to mount flexible solar panels onto our roof we should take into consideration how hot a caravan or vehicle roof actually gets. If your roof gets up to 60˚C or 70˚C then you are losing close to 20% efficiency from your solar panel. That is a massive drop.

Talking to different people on a daily basis in the shop means I get to hear some amazing ideas and solutions for mounting these panels that will keep them cool. My favourite suggestion so far was to mount them on multi layered, vented poly carbonate sheets. You can buy this type of material from most large scale hardware stores (where they do sausage sizzles every Saturday and Sunday) cut it to shape, mount the flexible panel to it, then mount that to the roof. This will give you an air gap underneath the solar panel and keep it much cooler than mounting it directly to the vehicle roof. It also keeps the weight factor down as well. WIN WIN.

So my question is how have you mounted your flexible solar panels? Have you noticed any performance drop by having them mounted directly on the roof? Please leave some feed back in the comments section below.

Thanks!

Article author

Ian

[email protected]

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Two Regulators One Battery

Connecting two Solar Regulators

The most common question I get asked on a daily basis is:

"can i connect two solar panels with separate regulators to my one battery bank"

A lot of people when they first start out with their caravan or motor-home mount solar panels on to their roof almost by default. They know they will need solar power and they know that it will help them free camp. However, there are some draw backs with having Solar Panels mounted on to a roof.

• If you park in the shade to keep your van cool then the Solar Panels almost become redundant. Even with shade tolerant cells you are still not going to be able to produce enough power to keep the 12v fridge happy.
• Nine times out of ten the solar panels are mounted flat which is not the most efficient angle for a solar panels. Mono-crystalline solar panels prefer an angle of about 30 degrees to get the efficiency.

So after splashing out to get solar panels onto the roof and taking off on your first big trip you come back feeling disappointed because your set up didn't quite meet your expectations. Don't beat yourself up too badly about it. Its easily fixed!

The answer is having a combination of both roof mounted panels and portable panels. A portable solar panel enables you to park in the shade and use your portable solar panel's 5 - 10m of cable to put it out in the sun. On top of that your portable solar panel will be set at an angle which will help efficiency and you can move it every hour or so to follow the sun. Great!

But how will two solar panels charge the battery without over charging? Will the two regulators talk to each other? What measures and testing can you do to make sure it all works as it should do? After all you do not want to overcharge your expensive deep cycle batteries now do you?

Here are two options to consider.

Option1: Run both set ups through the same controller. To do this you will need to have a decent level of solar understanding and you will have to apply some modifications. So how would we do that? Lets assume that your solar regulator mounted inside the van for roof mounted solar panels is capable of handling 30amps of solar power. You have 2x 120w panels mounted on the roof which works out as a maximum of 13.4 amps of solar input. This leaves you with 16.6 amps left to fill up with a portable solar panel. Lets now add a 160w portable panel producing 8.89 amps per hour. 13.4a + 8.89a = 22.29 amps per hour maximum. Our 30 amp regulator is more than capable of handling that. Great, but your portable panel has its own regulator. We do not want to run one regulator into another. So now we have to bypass the regulator on the portable solar panel and run directly into the regulator inside the van. How do we do this? We have to install a cable to the solar input section of the regulator inside the van that runs to the outside of the van and fit an Anderson plug to it. We then modify the portable solar panel cabling to bypass the portable solar panel's own regulator and run it into the newly fitted Anderson plug connection. This will now give us a plug and play system that will allow you to charge your batteries easily. Remember though to always make sure that your regulator is able to handle the amperage that both solar set ups are producing other wise you could be left disappointed. I recommend the iTechworld 30a Intelligent Regulator for this kind of set up. You can view more information on that regulator HERE as I mentioned before there is a level of understanding needed to attempt this installation, if this is too hard for you maybe option 2 will be better.

Option 2: Run each setup through its own regulator onto the same battery bank. If you are charging with both regulators at once, keep an eye on your battery(s) to make sure no over charging is taking place. Regulators detect the voltage on your battery and charge it accordingly, so in most instances we've had no issue with having two regulators charging at the same time - as the battery gets full, they both detect it and start to back off. But with this kind of setup you can't take that for granted, do some trial runs and make sure your battery isn't being over/undercharged. If you do discover an issue there is a way to get both regulators singing together.

• Disconnect everything
• Reconnect both regulators to the battery on their own - no solar panels connected
• Leave for 15 minutes
• Reconnect solar panels to regulators

This process allows both regulators to detect the battery voltage, type, charge conditions etc without the pressure of applying the charge. When the solar panels are re connected the solar regulators should work more effectively together. Remember to always keep an eye on this set up. A good testing tool for this kind of set up is the iTechworld Amp Meter which will tell you accurately what your solar panels are producing. See HERE.

As always this is just the start of the discussion if you have anything to add leave your comment below.

Thanks!

Article author

Ian

[email protected]

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What are the three stages of battery charging?

The iTechworld 20A Battery Charger has three key charging & maintenance stages to maximize the power and lifetime of the battery. The iTechworld 20A Battery Charger can be attached to the battery indefinitely if required without risk of over or under charging.

Sometimes we feel like a broken old record player when we talk about battery chargers. The best kind of charger to use on your battery is a 3 stage charger. Basically, these types of chargers are safe, easy to use, and will not overcharge your battery. That is why we only stock the iTechworld 20 Amp 3 Stage Battery Charger.

3 stage chargers work and they work well. But here's the million-dollar question: What are the 3 stages? What makes these chargers so different and efficient? Is it really worth it? Let’s find out by going through each stage, one by one.

Stage 1 | Bulk Charge

The primary purpose of a battery charger is to recharge a battery. This first stage is typically where the highest voltage and amperage the charger is rated for will actually be used. The level of charge that can be applied without overheating the battery is known as the battery's natural absorption rate. For a typical 12-volt AGM battery, the charging voltage going into a battery will reach 14.6-14.8 volts, while flooded batteries can be even higher. For the gel battery, the voltage should be no more than 14.2-14.3 volts. If the charger is a 10-amp charger, and if the battery resistance allows for it, the charger will put out a full 10 amps. This stage will recharge batteries that are severely drained. There is no risk of overcharging in this stage because the battery hasn't even reached full yet.

Stage 2 | Absorption Charge

Smart chargers will detect voltage and resistance from the battery prior to charging. After reading the battery the charger determines which stage to properly charge at. Once the battery has reached 80%* state of charge, the charger will enter the absorption stage. At this point most chargers will maintain a steady voltage, while the amperage declines. The lower current going into the battery safely brings up the charge on the battery without overheating it.

This stage takes more time. For instance, the last remaining 20% of the battery takes much longer when compared to the first 20% during the bulk stage. The current continuously declines until the battery almost reaches full capacity.

Stage 3 | Float Charge

Some chargers enter float mode as early as 85% state of charge but others begin closer to 95%. Either way, the float stage brings the battery all the way through and maintains the 100% state of charge. The voltage will taper down and maintain at a steady 13.2-13.4 volts, which is the maximum voltage a 12-volt battery can hold. The current will also decrease to a point where it's considered a trickle. That's where the term "trickle charger" comes from. It's essentially the float stage where there is charge going into the battery at all times, but only at a safe rate to ensure a full state of charge and nothing more. Most smart chargers do not turn off at this point, yet it is completely safe to leave a battery in float mode for months to even years at a time.

Knowing how many Amp hours your deep cycle battery stores allows you to work out what kind of charger you’ll need and approximately how long the charge will take. To calculate the charge time, find the Amp hour rating of your battery and divide it by the amp rating of the charger

Article author

Ian

[email protected]

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How Does a Solar Regulator work?

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