Need to get educated quick. Losing 1

[Hrldwndrhnd]

Need to get educated quick. Losing access to 'grid' electricity at end of this month. I have a push mower, an alternator, a 12 volt battery, and an inverter to hopefully put together a generator. BUT i don't know how to wire it. Would greatly appreciate the help.

 

[BrianPetersen]

You want to use those bits and pieces to produce (some approximation of) 60 Hz 120VAC (or 50 Hz 240VAC) single phase?

What are your loads? How much power draw? How long do you expect this thing to run for? Is this going to be a permanent off-grid situation?

Lawnmower engines are not designed for long-term operation. I recall seeing somewhere that the design life of an engine like that is a few hundred hours.

The off-grid folks mostly advocate solar generation and a serious storage battery. Integrated solutions are available from brands such as Ecoflow, Renogy, Bluetti, and others. No petrol engine to feed and be noisy and stinky and wear out.

 

[LittleInch]

Just buy a generator.

Trying to make something work out of those bits just isn't going to work and you'll spend far too much time trying to get it and keep it working.

There's loads of information out there on off grid living and RV forums are also pretty good for small power stuff.

A single 12V lead acid battery won't hold a lot of power and many don't like being taken down to low charge and then cycled up and down. You need a deep draw battery, but LiFePo battery is much better.

I've had Bluetti stuff and it works very well.

Remember - More details = better answers
Also: If you get a response it's polite to respond to it.

 

[3DDave]

Intermediate plan - find a generator that doesn't run. Check to see it isn't seized. Expect to replace or repair the carburetor; not much different than the lawnmower. Alternative - check with a small engine repair place. They get items the owners decide to abandon over what might be a small repair. The shop fixes them and can sell them as their cost was the parts and a little labor.

People get them, fill them up and maybe use them a bit. Then they sit for 5 years and the fuel goes bad. They try to start them without emptying the bad fuel and checking for everything working right and, when they don't start, they either take them for repair or sell them cheap.

 

[LittleInch]

The bit that might be difficult to know is if the alternator works properly and regulates the voltage properly. Then it's much like a car. Just find out which is 13V and which is 0.

Then how you attach the belt pulley to the engine is another story....

Remember - More details = better answers
Also: If you get a response it's polite to respond to it.

 

[Hrldwndrhnd]

Many thanks. Very grateful for the wisdom. Like a breath of fresh air after spending way too much time watching videos on YouTube. No telling how much time and money - not to mention the aggravation I'll save. I'm gonna go with a wood burning stove and start saving / shopping for a generator. I've got experience with wood stoves and access to plenty of firewood. When I need to charge my phone I'll go to the library. Maybe check out a book or two on off-grid engineering. Thanks again Merry Christmas

 

[SWComposites]

get a copy of this:

https://realgoods.com/solar-living-sourcebook-14th-edition

LOTS of good info and sources.

also this:

https://www.backwoodshome.com/

there are also these classics:

https://www.foxfire.org/shop/category/books/