Looking for real-time fuel burn rates

[1800 Diesel]

Morning gents--looking for anyone who has actual fuel burn data (from hands-on operational experience) on the MEP 004A & the MEP 005A units--fuel burn rates at say 50% & 75-80% loads would be great. I tried searching the SS site but nothing jumped out.

I've also read somewhere that even at no-load state, the MEP004A will burn over 2 gallons/hr. Haven't seen anything on the MEP005 version. Hopefully some of you have actually run these units after storms or hurricanes and can provide some realistic data. We're run our MEP 003A following several hurricanes so I have that one covered, but have not run the MEP004A or 005A models. Thanks in advance.

 

[PeterD]

MEP-004, about 40-50% load, about 1 to 1.4 gallons per hour. Loads vary, and I never measured with precision the amount consumed, but that's about what I got during the last power failure.

 

[1800 Diesel]

MEP-004, about 40-50% load, about 1 to 1.4 gallons per hour. Loads vary, and I never measured with precision the amount consumed, but that's about what I got during the last power failure.

Thanks Peter--that's what I was looking for. I figured it would burn over a gallon/hr, but haven't run one under load yet. It's probably safe to double your numbers for full load and also double them for an MEP005A...so at least 2 gph near full load would be a good estimate.

Thanks again.

 

[leedawg]

SO I have two MEP 005a. I have not measured with super accurate precision either. But Running my units at 100 % load on a load bank I get about hour 10 minutes out of 2.5 gallons of fuel. Now that being said im probably more like running the machine at 90% load due to the single phase conversion not getting the full load out of the unit. SO indicated is 100% but its probably more like 90%. Ive noticed the fuel burn back down to about 2 gallons an hour at 60% load. I doubt it would get much lower even if I dropped the load down some more. So you can take that for what it is worth but those 6 cyl are sucking down the fuel regardless of how hard they are working. Its like a stagecoach you have 4 horses pulling it and a team of four more following you. How much food do you have to feed the horses? They still eat food for 8 kinda the same analogy to the motors fuel burn goes down some but all that horsepower your not using is still sucking up fuel even though its not being put to real work.

That being said the MEP005 is not the way to go if your looking into extended power outage protection. I am not I use it simply to run my entire property and farm as if the power was not off. The power is rarely out for more than 12 hours at a time usually just due to a brown out in the summer due to the heat. So I have to keep the wells and irrigation systems up and online in the event the power goes out. SO fuel burn I don't really care about that much but I sure would not want to feed it for 2 weeks. Id go get the mep 003 out and run the house if I was trying to outlast a hurricane or something. But last I checked we have never had one here in cali so that probably wont be a real world concern of mine in the near future.

 

[1800 Diesel]

SO I have two MEP 005a. I have not measured with super accurate precision either. But Running my units at 100 % load on a load bank I get about hour 10 minutes out of 2.5 gallons of fuel. Now that being said im probably more like running the machine at 90% load due to the single phase conversion not getting the full load out of the unit. SO indicated is 100% but its probably more like 90%. Ive noticed the fuel burn back down to about 2 gallons an hour at 60% load. I doubt it would get much lower even if I dropped the load down some more. So you can take that for what it is worth but those 6 cyl are sucking down the fuel regardless of how hard they are working. Its like a stagecoach you have 4 horses pulling it and a team of four more following you. How much food do you have to feed the horses? They still eat food for 8 kinda the same analogy to the motors fuel burn goes down some but all that horsepower your not using is still sucking up fuel even though its not being put to real work.

That being said the MEP005 is not the way to go if your looking into extended power outage protection. I am not I use it simply to run my entire property and farm as if the power was not off. The power is rarely out for more than 12 hours at a time usually just due to a brown out in the summer due to the heat. So I have to keep the wells and irrigation systems up and online in the event the power goes out. SO fuel burn I don't really care about that much but I sure would not want to feed it for 2 weeks. Id go get the mep 003 out and run the house if I was trying to outlast a hurricane or something. But last I checked we have never had one here in cali so that probably wont be a real world concern of mine in the near future.

Figuring on the MEP4 for home standby (all electric for now but eventually with convert to LP for range, HW heater & dryer)..the MEP5 question is to address an inquiry I had for a seafood business 3-phase backup gen. Fuel for the MEP4 I will pay for...fuel for the MEP5 it won't really matter based on the value of the seafood saved; it was more for determining aux tank size. Thanks for the info--the more the better!