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The MEP-003A is rated conservatively at 10 kW, twice that of the MEP-002A. Fuel consumption is also double. I got an MEP-003A because I wanted to be able to run the whole house without load shedding, and we don't have outages very often, so fuel consumption isn't a big factor.

It's always good when you can get the stuff that's thrown away. I used to work at a place that had a great dumpster. I'd dive right in.

I think I'd spend the money on a transfer switch and hardwire the generator to it, before I'd spend the money for the pin and sleeve setup. It's easy enough to take the wires loose at the generator end if needed. No question that those connectors are first-class though.

That's pretty much where I am too, Paul. My "new" MEP is a pleasure to run, compared to what I've had to use before. My neighbors should be glad I got it too, because it'll be years before we have an outage, now that I'm prepared.

So the outlet labelled 120/240-30A A.C. is fed by 20A breakers?

Excellent, then it's just a matter of wire colors. It is a bit odd that there's only one 30A 2-pole breaker on the panel, so that the 20A outlets are not limited to 20A.

After reading that document, I understand that it's the controlled flow of silicone oil in the solenoid that controls the trip delay. This means that barring a severe overload that causes enough flux to pull the armature in before the iron core moves, the breaker should allow substantial brief...

From what I can see in your photos, everything you said is correct. It even says "white" on the 30A receptacle where the red and black wires go in. Having red and/or black for neutral is very non-standard in the U.S.. I'd change them to white to avoid future problems, and would probably...

By the way, sewerzuk, your YouTube videos about various MEPs provided a good part of the information that got me to buy the MEP-003A, and so far, I couldn't be happier with it. This forum helped me decide that the 003A version was the right size for my needs. Thanks to you and the others on...

That's encouraging. Your shop compressor sounds similar to mine, and the 23 amps sounds like it's a single phase motor too. It will be good to find out if I can run it from the generator, but in reality, if I'm powering the house during an outage, with lots of other loads, I would probably be...

I should have mentioned that I was talking about starting 3-phase motors. As far as your air compressor, you never know until you try it. Even a quick ramp-up reduces the inertia load of the motor and equipment, and it might be enough to let it start from the MEP-003a. I have an industrial...

I would expect larger motors running on generator power could be started without tripping the breaker by using a variable frequency drive (VFD) to ramp up the speed. In many applications, a simpler soft-starter could be used. It wouldn't take a very long ramp-up to significantly reduce the...

Very interesting and appreciated. I guess I was forgetting just how well military personnel can test something. :-D

Proof that the recommendations to avoid tan generators is without merit. With all the filtering, I can't see how sand would really hurt one.

I tried to make the change, but got an error message when I hit the "save" button.

As another option, I found this fitting at Amazon. It's listed as "Anderson Metals Brass Push-On Swivel Hose Fitting, Connector, 1/4" Barb x 5/16" Dual Seat Flare, $7.45. Shipping was free, but that may be because of some deal my wife worked. The seat angle is "dual" because it's cut at both...

Specifically, page 4-41 of manual TM5-6115-585-12.pdf

I'm sure I'm not the first to make these mods to an MEP-003A, but here are three. Actually the first was already done when I got the unit. It's a simple battery disconnect that you can get cheaply: I added a fuel pressure gauge to the bleed port on the final fuel filter by welding a 1/16"...

Diesel Engine Oil Recommendation in FAQ When looking for engine oil for my new-to-me MEP-003A, I learned that most/all engine oil for gasoline engine powered automobiles is rated for use in diesels as well, although not necessarily the very latest diesel rating. Even a jug of Walmart Super...