Rutland 913 reluctant to spin

Dazedkipper

Dazedkipper

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New 913, couple of years old. It has been in garage meaning to fit it and always had something more important to do. Anyway finally got it put up today and the *@*!!@ thing is hardly spinning.
My batteries are all fully charged (shore supply) but in the breeze we had this afternoon I'd have expected the regulator to be cutting in and slowing the turbine. No indiactor light and no amps being produced (mind you at about 5 rpm I'm not surprised).
Is it's behavoiur correct? please tell me I haven't got one with tight bearings!
 
The bearings on the rutland products are prone to being rubbish....

This i know from experience
 
I did wonder, I had no end of trouble with the 503s. I lost count of how many I had until I got one that was ok, they shook, the bearings rattled (after being specially set up and checked by their 'top technician'), one vibrated so much it knocked out the yaw bearings in a month.
I hoped by changing to the 913 I'd get a better machine but....
 
Well... I understand the 913 is better... I am on my second 500 series... But i know people who have had issues with the 913..... I need the power and will buy one... But i am pretty reluctant..
 
Dazedkipper said:
New 913, couple of years old. It has been in garage meaning to fit it and always had something more important to do. Anyway finally got it put up today and the *@*!!@ thing is hardly spinning.
My batteries are all fully charged (shore supply) but in the breeze we had this afternoon I'd have expected the regulator to be cutting in and slowing the turbine. No indiactor light and no amps being produced (mind you at about 5 rpm I'm not surprised).
Is it's behavoiur correct? please tell me I haven't got one with tight bearings!
Click to expand...

Is it feeding via a regulator? If so, and your batteries are "full", then perhaps it is "dumping". This means that the regulator has put a load onto the wind genny and is slowing it. My 503 does the same when the batteries are full - at the moment, most of the time via the solar panel.

Also, if the leads are shorted together, though a switch, this acts as a brake.

This information is (I think) in the instruction leaflet.
 
philip_stevens said:
Is it feeding via a regulator? If so, and your batteries are "full", then perhaps it is "dumping". This means that the regulator has put a load onto the wind genny and is slowing it. My 503 does the same when the batteries are full - at the moment, most of the time via the solar panel.

Also, if the leads are shorted together, though a switch, this acts as a brake.

This information is (I think) in the instruction leaflet.
Click to expand...

It's through a HRDX controller but I don't think it is 'dumping', the regulation light isn't lit and switching to 'braked' made no difference. Also I tried disconnecting the gene and it made no difference.
 
Dazedkipper said:
It's through a HRDX controller but I don't think it is 'dumping', the regulation light isn't lit and switching to 'braked' made no difference. Also I tried disconnecting the gene and it made no difference.
Click to expand...

If it is the bearings, they are easy enough to change. I have changed the bearings on my 503 a couple of times over the years. There is a pdf on the Marlec site showing how to. If you cannot pull the bearings off, gently cut into them with a cutting disc on a Dremmel. Be careful not to cut the windings!!!

Get replacement bearings from a local bearing specialist or ebay, as they are more expensive from Marlec.
 
Dazedkipper said:
New 913, couple of years old. It has been in garage meaning to fit it and always had something more important to do. Anyway finally got it put up today and the *@*!!@ thing is hardly spinning.
My batteries are all fully charged (shore supply) but in the breeze we had this afternoon I'd have expected the regulator to be cutting in and slowing the turbine. No indiactor light and no amps being produced (mind you at about 5 rpm I'm not surprised).
Is it's behavoiur correct? please tell me I haven't got one with tight bearings!
Click to expand...

A pal has just installed a 913 that he bought "second hand but never been used". He has exactly the same complaint and certainly the later models with bigger turbines run a lot better at low wind speeds.

I had the same experience with a small Aerogen. It was a waste of time even compared to a solar panel.
 
Rutland bearings

photodog said:
The bearings on the rutland products are prone to being rubbish....

This i know from experience
Click to expand...

That seems a harsh comment.
My 913 has spun constantly (except once when removed when laying up in a hurricane prone zone for 6 months) since being fitted in March 2000. My trips have taken me both to the tropics (twice) and also the deep freezing zones (-50 deg C) of Canada. A few weeks ago I had Marlec replace the bearings (7 do an overhaul/upgrade). They agreed the bearings rumbled very very slightly but said they were still serviceable. The bearings WILL fail if the generator is held stopped for any significant period as it mustspin to exude any moisture - probably true of similar pieces of kit from other makers. Moisture = bearing failure! I have proved that guidance works! After a modest cost refit by Marlec my generator is as new once more. Not bad for a generator in it's 12 th year!
 
My bearings were shot after one year from new on my 913.
I changed them for SKF waterproof, but the bearing seal lips are a slight interference (by design) and they slow the freewheeling motion of the originals (which are poor quality). Could also possibly be that the bearing a the tiniest bit not quite aligned.
So mine does not spin up correctly either. I have it on my list to take down and sort properly, but havent got around to it.
Disappointed.
 
My 913 has been running non stop for the last 5 years, including gales. It appears that if there is slight misalignment there will be unbalance and therefore the bearing wear out much quicker.

At some stage i will have to replace the bearings and i am wondering how to ensure correct alignment and balance.
 
I had a 503 that I bought second-hand. It ran for a couple of years before it went for a swim - didn't last too much longer after that. I replaced it with a 504, which has been fine ever since. It seems to require slightly higher wind speed, but it is still acceptable.
 
SimonJ said:
That seems a harsh comment.
My 913 has spun constantly (except once when removed when laying up in a hurricane prone zone for 6 months) since being fitted in March 2000. My trips have taken me both to the tropics (twice) and also the deep freezing zones (-50 deg C) of Canada. A few weeks ago I had Marlec replace the bearings (7 do an overhaul/upgrade). They agreed the bearings rumbled very very slightly but said they were still serviceable. The bearings WILL fail if the generator is held stopped for any significant period as it mustspin to exude any moisture - probably true of similar pieces of kit from other makers. Moisture = bearing failure! I have proved that guidance works! After a modest cost refit by Marlec my generator is as new once more. Not bad for a generator in it's 12 th year!
Click to expand...


I think the decider here is yours is 12years old... The newer ones dont last.

Fc's is one example... Another forum members lasted less than a season... Had a 503 which was knackered after 2.... The replacement 504 was noisy after 6 months and now sounds like a harrier on lift off...

I have a theory that they are fine in the wet if spinning... But if there is no wind and mist... Not uncommon in plymouth... Then they get wet and are toast...
 
photodog said:
I think the decider here is yours is 12years old... The newer ones dont last.

Fc's is one example... Another forum members lasted less than a season... Had a 503 which was knackered after 2.... The replacement 504 was noisy after 6 months and now sounds like a harrier on lift off...
Click to expand...

You seem to be comparing 'apples with bananas' we (CAPTAIN FANTASTIC, SimonJ and I) are talking of our experience with a 913 and you keep referring to the 503/4 :confused:
 
I have a 913, it was fine for three years, then would not spin up as much as it used to following a storm. The fault was in the regulator, it was identified by briefly disconnecting the regulator, with the regulator disconnected the blades speed up, they can then be slowed again by shorting out the feed. Slow speed could be the result of a short circuit in your instalation.
 
LadyInBed said:
You seem to be comparing 'apples with bananas' we (CAPTAIN FANTASTIC, SimonJ and I) are talking of our experience with a 913 and you keep referring to the 503/4 :confused:
Click to expand...

I think you will find the op talked of his experience with his 500 series... And i expounded.... Others then discussed there 500's and there 900's and i simply expounded further but presaged that with some secondhand experience with 900's and more explanation as to my circumstances and my thinking as to what the problem might be...

But of course if this is your private thread then please do excuse me for having the temerity to interfere... :cool:
 
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