03-01-2024, 04:08 PM
(This post was last modified: 03-03-2024, 09:31 AM by Jack Aperio.)
I just replaced my Onan 9kW generator with a new 6kW Northern Lights genset. My Onan was pretty difficult to run at the recommended 50% load minimum (37Amps) when my primary usage was only for the hot water heater and house battery charger. It was also pretty loud in a quiet anchorage running at 3600 RPM with its cooling discharge dumping out my port exhaust. When it finally quit on a trip last summer, I decided it was time for an upgrade.
The new generator is in Northern Lights 6kw that runs at 1800 RPM. I added compound mounts below the base tray so that the entire unit hovers above the engine room floor. I removed all of the old exhaust system and had the old discharge pipe into the port exhaust cut off and fiberglassed over. The new exhaust drops into a lift muffler that we installed on a shelf just below the engine room floor in front of the gray water tank then travels the old path behind the rear bulkhead towards the port where we added a Gensep (water separator) aft of the port fuel tank. A new thru hull was added just below the shelf aft of the port fuel tank for the separated water and the dry exhaust was routed to exit right above the waterline alongside the existing deck drain discharge. The end result is remarkable. It’s so quiet I sometimes forget it’s even running.
The 6kW provides plenty of power (50Amps) but I did need to add Dometic soft starts to both reverse cycle A/C units. The lock rotor amps needed to start the compressors of both units resulted with a hesitation when starting while on generator power. This was easily remedied with the addition of the soft starts. I also made sure that my primary loads (Hot water & Battery chargers) were distributed evenly between Line 1 and Line 2 on my electrical panel. This was important for the proper equal loading of the new generator.
I couldn’t be happier with the end results.
The new generator is in Northern Lights 6kw that runs at 1800 RPM. I added compound mounts below the base tray so that the entire unit hovers above the engine room floor. I removed all of the old exhaust system and had the old discharge pipe into the port exhaust cut off and fiberglassed over. The new exhaust drops into a lift muffler that we installed on a shelf just below the engine room floor in front of the gray water tank then travels the old path behind the rear bulkhead towards the port where we added a Gensep (water separator) aft of the port fuel tank. A new thru hull was added just below the shelf aft of the port fuel tank for the separated water and the dry exhaust was routed to exit right above the waterline alongside the existing deck drain discharge. The end result is remarkable. It’s so quiet I sometimes forget it’s even running.
The 6kW provides plenty of power (50Amps) but I did need to add Dometic soft starts to both reverse cycle A/C units. The lock rotor amps needed to start the compressors of both units resulted with a hesitation when starting while on generator power. This was easily remedied with the addition of the soft starts. I also made sure that my primary loads (Hot water & Battery chargers) were distributed evenly between Line 1 and Line 2 on my electrical panel. This was important for the proper equal loading of the new generator.
I couldn’t be happier with the end results.
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