completely off topic

When I was trucking, I replaced my battery starting system with either air start or supercapacitor cranking. I then replaced the starting batteries with a deep cycle battery and charging system. It kept me comfortable and kept my 'fridge" cool when the truck wasn't running.
When I sold my cabovers the buyers weren't interested in the system, so I kept a set of batteries and an inverter.
Fast forward to day. The power company is changing the three phase lines from a Delta to a Wye system, and upping the voltage so they can carry more power.
So what this means, is when they make the change, they have to change all the transformers on the 15+ miles on this feed line. That means a long outage while the system is changed over. I have three things that need power, waterpump (well), deep freeze, and fridge. I charged up the three deep cycles and the deep freeze and fridge have been running off it all day. I wanted to know how long it will run off battery power. At least 10 hrs so far and shows no sign of running low.. Next I'll give them a full re charge, make sure they are really fully charged and 1/2 my problem is covered.
We loose power so rarely, I have never had a back-up generator, unless you count my 65KvA generator, that burns 5 gal/hr of gasoline. I've never needed power bad enough to feed it.
I keep thinking I am going build a PTO generator for my little tractor. I have a little Robin 8 hp and a belt drive 4Kw unit I threw together one afternoon 20 some years ago as "proof of concept" but never did more with it. I dragged it out, still had some gas in the tank. Carb leaked gas but with a shot of starting fluid it fired right off. Cleaned out the nasty gunk in the carb, and I had it running. Voltmeter on the old Niagara (Generac) unit shows some voltage.
I am going to see if it has enough umph to start and run the well pump. The pump should draw less than 7 amp (240 volt) but the question is, will it start the motor? I hope so. I also have a another 5Kw head I could try, but I don't think the little Robin can make 5 Kw of electrical power.
Nothing like a planned outage to get me cracking

Be safe -sm

No, you misunderstood me, not the drops are changing, the main distribution lines are changing from Delta to Wye. Right now our transformers on the pole, the primaries are wired across two phases of the distribution lines, with no neutral for single phase hook up on the primary side, there is a neutral on the secondary side (Center tap) Three phase service can be wye or Delta depending on how the transformers secondary are hooked up.
My Neighbors grain bins are Delta primary, wye secondary, giving him 208 across any two phases and 120 to neutral.
The whole distribution is changing to a wye system with a separate neutral added to the run. My guess is, they are going to increase the voltage on the pole to where line to neutral will be what line to line is now. Adds capacity to the run, but every transformer on the run has to have the primary wires changed over, and I would guess the primary on three phase will go to a wye also.
This means there will be a long "outage" while every transformer on the distribution line is re connected in wye form and the transformer at the sub station is changed (hopefully that is just changing "taps').
Every hook up and side run on the main line will have to be taken out of service and the transformer re connected.
I think it is about 15-20 miles as the crow flys, but all the side runs in that area also. I am expecting an outage lasting more then 24 hr, but will see. They may have a way to do it in sections, there is a disconnect two poles up from me (three gang switch).
I have a 65 Kva 240 delta generator, not much call for it these days.

“ No, you misunderstood me, not the drops are changing, the main distribution lines are changing from Delta to Wye. Right now our transformers on the pole, the primaries are wired across two phases of the distribution lines, with no neutral for single phase hook up on the primary side, there is a neutral on the secondary side (Center tap) Three phase service can be wye or Delta depending on how the transformers secondary are hooked up."
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Your not understanding the Primary and secondary and to put it simply thats not the way it works ..


I have hi jacked your thread long enough and strayed from your main point ..
Why I am still here , thats the 64dollar question.

Be safe

Cheers over and out

I'm not sure on the running amps, just a guess, 3/4 hp jet pump. I was happily surprised how well the battery bank/inverter did. No real question, just a story about what is going on and how I am going to deal with it.
I could be wrong about the distribution transformers and what they plan to do, It is what I gleaned from talking with the contractor doing the work.
I is/was my understanding that Delta at the distribution level isn't common these days, I do understand about 120-277 and wye transformers. Once you get to the substation level my knowledge drops off.
I worked at places with all different types of power including a large "off grid" hotel that had its own co-generation powerhouse and used the waste heat for heating and chillers. Big stationary NG engines.
There are or were many configurations of transformers and three phase in use but it is getting more standardized now. In my area most are wye at the distribution level, and the delta on my run was the odd man out.
Regardless, the change over is not going to be painless for the customers. I'm just trying to minimise my disruption of life by being prepared to supply my own for the important uses.

This is what I see from the ground level.
Primary on the single phase drop to my house, Primary across two phases, no corner ground on any of the primary distribution. Transformer case and center tap (Neutral) are tied to ground wire at the pole. Ground also at meter on my yard pole. Two phases run up the hill to my nearest neighbour where another pole mounted transformer is similar to mine.
The Three phase service to the grain bins, primary are delta, secondary are wye. Transformers have three taps on the secondary and only two are used. Center tap (center of wye) grounded and fed as neutral on the wye to the service at the bins.

Well, I finely got time to throw the well pump on the 4000 watt gen head. It started the pump no problem, so that is answered. You could hear the engine load down a bit, but had no trouble building pressure.
No load voltage was high (280v on a 240 outlet) but settled to 218 under load. My guess between the engines "loose" gov and the heads "loose" regulation, that is as good I'm going to get.
I may do a little experimenting to see what the voltage looks like on a smaller load.
So as it sits, I can keep food cold and have water. Stove is gas, so good there.
Good enough for as little as I have into it. Batteries and inverter are leftover from my trucking days, Engine was "free" cast-off from where I used to work decades ago. I traded for the gen head with a guy at the same employer.