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Reliable electrical connections for outdoor generator
With all the snow over the last two weeks we've lost power seven or eight times for as long as 16 hours. The generator has been a lifesaver, but after eight years and 300 hours it's electrical controls are becoming very flakey.
It should be startable from the basement transfer switch, but that stopped working reliably a few years ago. As a result, half the time power was lost I'd go out and start it from the panel on the generator. Last time the power went out the generator panel didn't work either, so I had to jumper across the starter solenoid to get it running.
My guess is that the switches and terminals are becoming oxidized from being housed in an uninsulated shed. Even though dry it's exposed to humidity and wide temperature swings. Sometimes if you operate a switch a bunch of times it will start to work but not this last time.
So it's probably time to rework the panel and I'm thinking it would be a good idea to replace all the switches and terminals with marine grade components and coat each connection with dialectric grease.
Are there any marine electrical guys here who could offer advice on reliable brands of switches and terminals to buy and good suppliers? I know the crimps have to be oxygen-free and am willing to spend the bucks on a good ratcheting double-crimp tool. Any favorite crimpers?
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Reliable electrical connections for outdoor generator
There is no water entry, it is bone dry. I can't say there is never condensation but it's an uninsulated well ventilated building. One switch that is suspect is the Local/Remote toggle that switches between remote and local control panels. That one is most likely bad since sometimes I can switch it back and forth a few times and then the other controls start working.
The problems are all in the low voltage control circuit leading up to the small spade terminal on the starter solenoid. All connections are made with terminals crimped from the factory. They look to be made of aluminum and seem to be coated with that whitish oxidation that makes for bad connections. Removing, burnishing and reinstalling the connectors usually starts things working again only to fail a few weeks or months later. It's a real PIA to open up and work in the panel so I only want to do that work one more time.
For a long time I thought the remote panel flakiness was caused by a voltage drop due to a long wire run at the limit of specs, but that doesn't explain why the local panel wouldn't work.
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Reliable electrical connections for outdoor generator
Joel, I've soldered electronics for forty years but didn't think about soldering this stuff. All the terminals are aluminum! I'll have to replace the switches and terminal blocks with good ones that have tinned copper. A *good* crimp terminal is as good or better than a soldered connection. They don't have the wire fatigue issues at the solder joint, they are oxygen free and corrosion resistant and have been FAA approved for many years. The problem is that it's difficult for consumers to buy the good stuff. A crimp tool that is guaranteed to crimp to specification costs ~$200. I will reconsider soldering with heat shrink as a strain relief.
Murf, you're right, once this panel is rebuilt it's getting dessicant, a gasket around the panel, and sealer in all other openings. The panel is welded to the genset skid so it's a bit hard to just put it in a plastic box.
But I'm still gonna buy the best switches I can find.
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Reliable electrical connections for outdoor generator
Thanks for the info.
Your weep hole idea gave me an idea.
A small, low power heater in the box would keep condensation at bay, like a goldenrod heater in a gun safe.
The small trickle charger/conditioner used to keep the battery charged might fit in the box and put out enough heat to do that job.
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