Spending what seemed to be an eternity of social distancing at our facility, we thought this summer would be a great time to spend an afternoon filled with great food and fun activities.
The Food
Dan Owner/CEO
Shane COO
Peter Engineering Manager
Brian Product Support Manager
Keeping with our Speak & Eat traditions, some of the guys in charge serve up the food. This quarter we enjoyed pulled pork and beef tacos were catered by N8’s Pl8s.
After we enjoy our delicious food, Dan Call, owner and CEO of WINCO, introduces our new employees and keeps us up to date on current WINCO news.
Fun Fact: As an award for sitting through Dan’s speech, we have a drawing for awesome prizes!
Bean Bag Tournament
A bracketed style tournament brought together teams with one goal: crush the opponents.
Congrats to Noah and Jake for being the bean bag champions!
WINCO Survivor
The Ropes
All 3 team members had to get through the ropes before going onto the next challenge.
Chicken Wire Challenge
The goal was for two teammates to get two golf balls up the chicken wire.
Plank Walk
It isn’t as easy as it looks!
Sling Shot
Hit the target to move onto the puzzle.
We decided Brandyn would be the target from then on!
Puzzle Challenge
The Big Dog Puzzle was a bit of a challenge! Especially getting the teeth in the right spot!
Congratulations to the fastest team through the obstacle course: Caz, Arturo, and Josie!
As you can see, it was a great time and definitely one for the books! Shout out to all of our employees, we appreciate everyone for their hard work and dedication to making WINCO a great company.
The Honda GX690 uses a float switch to monitor the amount of oil in the crankcase. It will shut down the engine if the float switch drops to the set point. This switch is instantaneous, so even a momentary low oil level will cause the generator to stop.
The PSS12 has a low oil fault/shutdown code that will appear on the Deep Sea 3110 Controller display; until you press the red ‘stop’ button to clear it.
If you experience this oil fault/shutdown on this model, refer to the follow troubleshooting techniques in this article.
Oil Level
It is normal for air-cooled engines to consume some oil as they operate. Therefore, it is recommended by Honda and is important that the engine oil level is checked each day the generator will be run – prior to startup. For best results and to avoid low oil shutdown on a cold start, we find that it is best to keep the oil level topped up all the way to the fill line on the dipstick.
The PSS12 has a float inside the oil level switch. If the engine was not run at the appropriate temperature first, the old oil and deposits could remain in the float and in other areas of the engine. Those deposits can affect operation and lifespan of the switch.
Oil Change Intervals
The Honda Oil Level Switch inside the engine uses a probe arm that bolts into the side of the engine block. The probe arm has a float in the end of it to monitor oil level in the sump. If oil change intervals are neglected, deposits and build-up can remain and can potentially gather inside the float, affecting operation. Honda recommends performing the 1st oil change after 20 hours, and every 50 hours of operation after that. The oil filter should be changed every 200 hours. Even with low hour usage, we recommend that you change engine oil and filter at least once per year to address condensation. Contaminated engine oil can become acidic, and lead to accelerated corrosion and wear inside of your engine.
Running the engine up to operating temperature before draining the engine oil is recommended; Doing this can help prevent deposits and increase the life expectancy of your engine. (If the engine was not run to operating temperature before draining the oil for an oil change, then the old oil and deposits could remain in the float and in other areas of the engine. As a result, those deposits can also affect operation and lifespan of the switch.)
WINCO offers premium quality, private labeled synthetic oil and engine maintenance kits to keep your engine at peak performance!
Ambient Temperature
Was the ambient temperature factored in when choosing which oil to use?
Normal Operating Temperature
Each engine manufacturers have certain requirements on oil type in regards to the ambient temperature. Honda specifies that their air-cooled engine operate in a maximum ambient temperature of 105 degrees Fahrenheit .
Cold Weather Operation
Engines running on LP or NG may experience difficulty starting in temperatures below -10 degrees Fahrenheit. Therefore, an oil heater kit should be used in areas were the ambient temperature can reach below 32 degrees Fahrenheit.
Installation
How level is the generator?
In order for the float to work properly, the unit must be level. You shouldn’t assume the mounting pad is level. Since the ground can shift over time, when a technician is inspecting the unit, they should also inspect the pad .
Place a good level on the concrete pad, preferably underneath the engine to see if the ground has settled and your pad is now out of level.
We have found that the majority of customers who experienced this issue have been able to correct and prevent it by addressing the items listed in this help topic. Very few generators have actually needed to have this part replaced. If you are having trouble with a generator or have any questions, please give our Service Department a call at (507) 357-6831.
You can find more troubleshooting information in the PSS12 manual.
June 16th was the first Service School we were able to host since 2019. We were excited to open our doors up and welcome our partners to our factory.
This Service School focused on the basics of air-cooled units. Using surveys from past schools, we scheduled much more hands on training.
The 3D’s of our Service Department, Dan, Dwight, and Dale, did a great job preparing and teaching the classes. Courses were about engines, generator ends, engine controls, and power distribution. Our President, Dan, also brought his knowledge of transfer switches and sizing in his own classes.
ENGINES
We learned the proper servicing of the Honda, Vanguard, and Kohler engines. In the engineering lab, we were able to practice setting the governor speed.
GENERATOR ENDS
There are different types of gen ends. In this class we learned the workings of the rotating fields, stators, capacitors, and AVRs. We are able to train on how to find faults in capacitors.
ENGINE CONTROLS
Our standby units have had a couple of different controls in them, 2-wire, 4-wire, and currently we use the DSE3110 controller. Hands on training included using the DSE software to change alarms.
POWER DISTRIBUTION
This class touched base on load balancing, GFCI and the WINCO YourGen Meter.
TRANSFER SWITCHES
We had WINCO and ASCO 165 and 185 series switches set up for hands on training. This class took us into troubleshooting and the inner workings of a switch.
SIZING
Sizing a generator can sometimes be tricky, but it is very important to make sure you properly size your generator for the load. This class taught proper sizing for motor starting.
A big thank you to everyone who were able to make the trip to Minnesota!
We enjoy being able to help our dealers and service centers get to know our generators. Stay tuned, we are scheduling our next Service School soon!
Our engineers are consistently updating and creating new generator designs. These units go through fine tooth testing to ensure you receive the best and most reliable generators on the market.
NEW DESIGN
Different configurations of the DR45 and DR90 in stock!
62 day average lead time on liquid-cooled units
Find information on all of our diesel standbys here.
Until recently, moving a large liquid-cooled unit around the facility would take two or three people. Our manufacturing engineers were on the task to improve how we transport these huge generators. One of our testers, Matt, was happy to show off what has made his job a lot easier.
Before, the larger units would have large casters on the bottom of the frame. One person would steer, while another pushed. If it was a DR130 or larger, it could easily take three people to move it.
Introducing the Cart Caddy
Now, as you can see in the video, the Cart Caddy effortlessly pushes the DR130 out of the test bay. The Cart Caddy may be a small machine, but it can definitely pull, well in this case push, more than its weight.
This is just one of the many improvements we are making to our facility and processes to provide you with better generators more cost effectively. Stay tuned, we are always improving!
