Depco's YouTube Channel

We load tested a Cummins VTA28G5 and put video of the test on YouTube. In fact, we have a few YouTube videos available on the Depco Channel. The videos include the actual testing of diesel generator sets. Click here to see the Depco YouTube channel or go to http://www.youtube.com/depcopower for more information.

The Depco Inspection Process

The power equipment testing process is extremely important to our company. We have two load banks, one 750kW and one 2MW, and a dyno facility to test all generator sets and industrial engines.
During these 1-hour minimum tests we check:

• Unit pulls at full load
• Cooling system function
• Lube oil pressure
• No oil, fuel, coolant leaks
• Base pressure
• Voltage fluctuation
• Responsiveness to load changes
• Turbo boost
• Fuel pressure
• Oil temperature
• AC voltage
• AC current
• AC frequency

All our products must pass their manufacturers’ specifications. If they do not pass, we send them to repairs immediately and test them again prior to making them available for sale. With Depco, you are guaranteed quality inventory whenever you make a purchase from us.

Avoiding Power Failure During Natural Disasters

Since a continuous supply of electricity is what most customers demand, utilities have systems in place that practically eliminate the possibility of service outages. Regular trimming and clearing of trees around overhead lines, infra-red scanning and routine preventive maintenance are just a few of the ways to protect and improve your service reliability. Unfortunately, there are circumstances beyond your utility's control. Situations like severe weather, accidents involving electric lines, equipment failure, and vandalism can cause power disturbances. When longer outages or permanent faults occur on the primary circuits serving an area, all power is interrupted until the cause of the fault can be isolated and corrected.

Diesel generators are designed to be resistant to this sort of power failure. Power failures are particularly dangerous for hospitals, since many life-critical medical devices and tasks require power. For this reason hospitals, just like many enterprises, have emergency diesel generators which are typically powered by diesel fuel and configured to start automatically, as soon as a power failure occurs.

Retail businesses that sell fresh or frozen food that rely on constant refrigeration are another example of the need for emergency power. Many seafood-related businesses closed down permanently after Hurricane Ike, since most of their inventory perished due to multiple days without power.

Consider how important/critical electricity is in your home or business. How long can you survive without power? If there is a situation that causes concern for you, do your homework to determine if a generator is appropriate for you.

Gas vs. Diesel Engine

The amount of power that a used diesel engine can produce is limited by how much fuel it can burn, and the amount of fuel it can burn is limited by the amount of oxygen in the cylinder, which is the amount of oxygen in the cylinder is limited by the amount of air in the cylinder.

Used diesel engine lasts much longer than gasoline engines because gasoline destroys lubrication and diesel fuel does not. Cold start-ups are a real killer for gasoline engines because of extra gasoline required to start a cold engine. Used diesel engines require more frequent routine maintenance than gasoline engines: more oil changes at 3,000 miles and more fuel filter and air filter changes. On the plus side however, routine gasoline engine maintenance--such as replacing spark plugs, a distributor cap, rotor and replacing ignition wires--are not necessary on a diesel engine.

One major difference between a gas engine and a used diesel engine is the injection process. Most car engines use port injection or a carburetor rather than direct injection. In a car engine, all fuel is loaded into the cylinder during the intake stroke and then compressed. The compression of the fuel/air mixture limits the compression ratio of the engine. If it compresses the air too much, the fuel/air mixture spontaneously ignites and causes knocking. A diesel compresses only air, so the compression ratio can be much higher. The higher the compression ratio, the more power is generated. For more information about used diesel engines, visit Depco's website.

Hurricane Season

Hurricane Season 2009 has been quiet so far, but September could be a tricky month. We're approaching the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Ike next week, and Depco thanks all of you who worked with us last year for your power needs.

As a reminder, for all of our customers and others that may be in the path of a hurricane, Depco is your source for new, used, and rebuilt Caterpillar, Cummins, Detroit Diesel, Kohler, MQ Power & other backup generator units. We have diesel and natural gas, industrial & commercial generators to power your home or business in the event of an emergency. Please contact any of our sales staff at Depco Power Systems for your generator needs. In addition to new and low-houred generator inventory, we also have in inventory marine engines and industrial engines, marine transmissions, and generator ends.