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by absurddoctor19 hours ago |
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upvoteby blinkymach1210 hours ago|
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We had the fuel filter issue at 75 Board street as well. After a few days we had to do a planned generator shutdown (the data center batteries could last a couple hours to give us coverage...) as a diesel mechanic flown in by Peer1 could service it. Props for handling that yourself!

Definitely a memorable week. I wonder just how many folks in Fidi were learning the finer points of emergency backup generators.

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upvoteby wallst076 hours ago|
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GS? That building is known to have one of the best backup power systems in the area, spent time there during the 2003 blackout.
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upvoteby clickety_clack18 hours ago|
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I would have thought that backup generators would cumulatively run for maybe a few dozen days over their lifetime. How did the fuel filters get dirty so fast?
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upvoteby cyberax14 hours ago|
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The _fuel_ itself goes bad. Diesel will slowly accumulate dissolved water, and once it gets past a certain threshold, a lot of wonderful bacteria start to flourish in it.

So you get clumps of gunk in your fuel that rapidly clogs the filters.

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upvoteby mikestew18 hours ago|
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I was thinking the same thing: fix the sediment problem in your fuel tanks, fuel filters shouldn’t get dirty as fast as this story indicates.
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upvoteby cucumber373284213 hours ago|
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Because a genset that runs once a month and has a fuel tank sized for days of wide open operations is a textbook recipe for asphaltane and other garbage build up. Which of course you won't notice until you actually run the thing for a day straight and the fuel filters start showing it.
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upvoteby swiftcoder18 hours ago|
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Bargain-basement and/or very old fuel? Backup generators are not known for having their diesel cycled on the regular
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upvoteby cyberax14 hours ago|
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Diesel fuel has to be periodically filtered ("polished") by passing it through cans of dessicant. It removes accumulated water and prevents bacterial growth. There are also biocide additives but they just _extend_ the periods between maintenance.

That's also why it's not a great idea to use diesel for your backup home generator. It will go bad sooner than you expect, and then you're left with drums of gunk that you can't dispose and can't use.

And gasoline won't help you either. It goes bad even faster.

Propane tanks are the best option they can sit in storage indefinitely.

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upvoteby Scoundreller7 hours ago|
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Or pull an AT&T in Nashville and depend on natural gas for your backup generators.

Which doesn’t quite work so well when an explosion cuts your electrics and the fire department cuts the gas.

If you do still decide to depend on another energy grid for an energy grid failure, at least have roll-up generator hookups so you’re not spending a few days figuring out how to wire that up…

Best info I found was on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/sysadmin/comments/kk3j0m/nashville_...

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upvoteby wallst076 hours ago|
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This is why tri-fuel generators are a thing too, very cool tech for not a lot of money.
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