Wind, Wind Everywhere . . .

With apologies to Samuel Taylor Coleridge, lately we’ve had wind, wind everywhere, nor any puff to charge.

Our high, dry, north winds continue to blow. That’s good news for drying our firewood, and for equalizing the battery bank, a period of overcharging we undertake every two months to keep the batteries in top condition. Our Trimetric monitor counts the days since the last equalization, and flashes a notice when the time rolls around again. I mark the date in my planner, and begin looking for an opportunity to equalize a few days before the time is up. This time around, there should have been ample wind for the job, except that on one of the first days of the current weather system, the wind generator furled, and stuck. It continues to charge at a greatly reduced rate, as designed, but our power has barely crept above 90% for days.

In the past, I’ve fixed this periodic problem by “head butting” it back into position. I don’t like doing that, and for the last few years I’ve been content to let it straighten itself out in its own good time. I thought that would happen this time—we’ve certainly had the higher gusts to jostle it back into normal operating mode, but, as I’ve said before, the conditions that make it stick are mysterious to us.

I’m beginning to think that I need to climb up there and make an adjustment. I’ll need to do a bit of research, but the most likely tactic will be to ease off the pivot nuts slightly. If I remember correctly, the manufacturer doesn’t want us to do this, but, as is often the case with these machines, we have to dissapoint the manufacturer now and then if we expect to benefit from their product.

Unfortunately, this means climbing the tower in high winds in about a 15° F windchill. Even with the generator fully braked, the unit will swing wildly in the wind. I’ll need both hands free to work, which means wrapping a leg around the tower and clnging. It’s going to be a bit of a rodeo. I can only hope that by the time it’s light enough to try this, it’ll have fixed itself, but at this point there’s no reason to hope that it might.

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2 Responses to Wind, Wind Everywhere . . .

  1. Michelle says:

    Be ever so careful ! <3

  2. Nance says:

    I’m reading your posts; I just don’t know enough yet to comment! But I’m learning each time you post!

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