Cost of running a generator

[Bruce L]

Now that the season is over(only boiled 8 times), I can total up some figures to see how we did. The generator is a 12000 watt Winco with a 20 hp Honda gas engine on it, and I figured it would like the gas even though it is a Honda. The biggest pain was carting in the 5 gallon jerry cans every day to it, The total gas bill for the season was---- $325.37, and I put 92 hours on the generator. My brother-in-law, the electrician figured I used 4.8 kWh, based on the motors that I was running and amps that was drawing when everything was on, subject to some discrepancies when the jet pump kicked on to pump up sap, auto draw-off running on and off, etc.
Anyway, the way our Hydro One works here now, here would be the cost of hydro had I gone that route:

4.8 kWh @ 12.9000cents $61.92
Delivery charges $66.87
Regulatory charges $ 4.47
Debt retirement charge $ 4.91
HST $17.96

TOTAL $156.13

This figure would not include costs of

Poles, lines and transformer, plus the minimum monthly charge even though I wouldn't use any hydro the rest of the year, which would be a minimum of $50.00 per month, possibly edging towards $100.00 per month. Going with the lower figure, my total hydro bill for the calendar year would be $$834.13 with HST added on monthly
I would not consider going with hydro here in Ontario, gas may be a pita lugging in to the generator every day, but it still runs a lot cheaper than hydro once this giant corporation puts all their additional fees on

[maplerookie]

Now that the season is over(only boiled 8 times), I can total up some figures to see how we did. The generator is a 12000 watt Winco with a 20 hp Honda gas engine on it, and I figured it would like the gas even though it is a Honda. The biggest pain was carting in the 5 gallon jerry cans every day to it, The total gas bill for the season was---- $325.37, and I put 92 hours on the generator. My brother-in-law, the electrician figured I used 4.8 kWh, based on the motors that I was running and amps that was drawing when everything was on, subject to some discrepancies when the jet pump kicked on to pump up sap, auto draw-off running on and off, etc.
Anyway, the way our Hydro One works here now, here would be the cost of hydro had I gone that route:

4.8 kWh @ 12.9000cents $61.92
Delivery charges $66.87
Regulatory charges $ 4.47
Debt retirement charge $ 4.91
HST $17.96

TOTAL $156.13

This figure would not include costs of

Poles, lines and transformer, plus the minimum monthly charge even though I wouldn't use any hydro the rest of the year, which would be a minimum of $50.00 per month, possibly edging towards $100.00 per month. Going with the lower figure, my total hydro bill for the calendar year would be $$834.13 with HST added on monthly
I would not consider going with hydro here in Ontario, gas may be a pita lugging in to the generator every day, but it still runs a lot cheaper than hydro once this giant corporation puts all their additional fees on

Point taken...the big question is how much did the generator cost initially and are you able to use it throughout the year or only at sugaring season. are you writing off depreciation on a yearly basis how much is your yearly maintenance cost etc?

[can'twaitforabigrun]

Great analysis! What do you run off the generator? sugarhouse lights, evaporator accessories, R.O., vacuum pump? Seems like 92 hours is a low figure if you're running a vacuum pump for 7-12 hours a day. We are currently trying to figure out how much gas a small vacuum pump (400-1000 taps) would consume, compared to running the pump off electricity from the generator at the sugarshack, and having a 500m vacuum transfer line up to the releaser and tank in the bush. This is why we're considering 3/16 tubing, since it has shown to yield close to the same gpt as vacuum, but without the expense of pumps, releases and gas/electricity.

[abbott]

Great analysis! What do you run off the generator? sugarhouse lights, evaporator accessories, R.O., vacuum pump? Seems like 92 hours is a low figure if you're running a vacuum pump for 7-12 hours a day. We are currently trying to figure out how much gas a small vacuum pump (400-1000 taps) would consume, compared to running the pump off electricity from the generator at the sugarshack, and having a 500m vacuum transfer line up to the releaser and tank in the bush. This is why we're considering 3/16 tubing, since it has shown to yield close to the same gpt as vacuum, but without the expense of pumps, releases and gas/electricity.

I am running an oil-flood Airablo at 24" on 750 taps. Bought the pump with an electric motor, but decided against running a generator and put a Honda engine on instead. Once the pump has good vacuum I throttle down the engine. I think I'm getting in the neighborhood of seven hours run time off a gallon of gas. I think its a 5.5 HP engine, but the label is missing. Hope this helps!

[Michael Greer]

Maplerookie is right. You can't do a comparison unless you include ALL the numbers, and purchase and maintenance of the generator are as much a factor as poles and line maintenance. Somewhere along side of that equasion is the possibility of equipment failure (with either system), and how much such a failure would disturb the day's plan. I hate relying on some piece of machinery to get my work done. Noting how long Bruce's family has been at it, I'll bet his garndpa got by with a couple gallons of kerosene for the lantern.

[VT_K9]

We use two generators in our operation. A 6500 watt generator runs the RO, lights, and small pumps for water at the sugar house. A Honda EU2000 sits in the woods at the sap shack and runs a sap puller and 1/2 hp electric pump which pumps the sap to the sugar house.

I did not calculate the gas use of the 6500, but guess it was about 15 gallons this year. The 2000 used a full tank, about 1.4 gallons every 11 hours. I ran it for several days and nights in a row. I did oil changes on the 2000 every 20-30 hours of run time. I wen through about 2.5 are of oil.

This year we are going to install electricity to the sugar house and put a 3 up vacuum in. I figure it will cost about 3-4k and add about 30/mth during the sugar season. The real savings will come in not having to plan to replace either generator. Also the fuel and time to get the fuel to run the genrators. Also my time to go to the sap shack in the woods I fill up, start, shut down, and change he oil in the 2000. In fact I can probably use a timer to start the pump on several days.

In the end when he power goes out we will still need the generator.

Mike

[Bruce L]

Update on the generator issue, still running the generator to use the jet pump to backwash all the tubing, so probably add several hours to the equation. Cost of the generator was only $1000.00, worried it was stolen, but checked the serial number with local police before I purchased it and it was okay. It had old gas in it, a busted spark plug, and needed a new gas line. The hours are low, but I only fired 8 times this season, so the pump was started in the morning on the few days we had sap, then once I had boiled in at night it was shut down when it started to freeze up again.
It primarily ran the 3 hp De Laval pump, squirrel cage fan blowing on the pump to keep it cooler, jet pump to pump the sap to the sugarhouse when needed,2 blowers on the evaporator, one high pressure the other a squirrel cage blower, auto draw off, and lights, next step might possibly be a steamaway in the future .
In the summertime it is in a shed beside the house, when the power goes out it easily powers the house, and the power has gone out several times this spring, made me think what if the syrup was drawing off right then when the power went off?
My Dad tells me that my Grandfather or whomever happened to be boiling would go down Sunday night at midnight,(since they didn't work on Sundays back then), and stay there all week boiling by lantern, as the sap ran much better back then as the weather was proper for sugar making, and of course the evaporator didn't boil as fast as nowadays.

[maplerookie]

Update on the generator issue, still running the generator to use the jet pump to backwash all the tubing, so probably add several hours to the equation. Cost of the generator was only $1000.00, worried it was stolen, but checked the serial number with local police before I purchased it and it was okay. It had old gas in it, a busted spark plug, and needed a new gas line. The hours are low, but I only fired 8 times this season, so the pump was started in the morning on the few days we had sap, then once I had boiled in at night it was shut down when it started to freeze up again.
It primarily ran the 3 hp De Laval pump, squirrel cage fan blowing on the pump to keep it cooler, jet pump to pump the sap to the sugarhouse when needed,2 blowers on the evaporator, one high pressure the other a squirrel cage blower, auto draw off, and lights, next step might possibly be a steamaway in the future .
In the summertime it is in a shed beside the house, when the power goes out it easily powers the house, and the power has gone out several times this spring, made me think what if the syrup was drawing off right then when the power went off?
My Dad tells me that my Grandfather or whomever happened to be boiling would go down Sunday night at midnight,(since they didn't work on Sundays back then), and stay there all week boiling by lantern, as the sap ran much better back then as the weather was proper for sugar making, and of course the evaporator didn't boil as fast as nowadays.

Well then it appears that it is worth hefting 5 gallon gas cans to the sugar shack. next thing you know you'll want to get a fuel storage tank fill it with 100 gallons and haul that down in the fall put a lock on it and you are good to go. no more daily cans. I think the fuel would still be good then in the spring to use in the tractor and lawn mower etc. maybe a little sta bil in it. I agree you are better off with out the power company sticking their nose into things. !

[maple flats]

I used to power by generators and gas powered vacuum pumps and RO. I now have solar and I'm net metered, I now run everything at the sugarhouse on electric and I sent my excess to the grid, to apply against my home electric use. I really like the quiet and not having to haul gas for those things. I do still have 2 vacuum pumps running on 6.5 HP Hondas, each with a 4.5 gal gas tank. One is only 40' off the road and thus easy to carry the fuel. I use 2.5 gal cans, easier to carry a balanced load (1 in each hand), but my other one is just over 800' off the road, and the last 300' is thru a swamp. I need to walk slow because sometimes the muck tries to grab my boot. I'd love to have electric there as an option. Besides, even witrh the 4.5 gal tanks, I sometimes run out of fuel when the sap is still running.