Let’s face it, the Law of Entropy is very real. Things don’t always go according to plan. And if you’re just sort of flailing away at things without taking the time to do it right, it will devolve into chaos.
My little Stream Engine was chugging away relatively trouble free for 11 years but I noticed my power production wasn’t what it used to be. I deduced that it was a bearing that was on its last legs so I bought new ones and changed them out.
The Stream Engine has a stack of three sealed bearings. So I bought some off of eBay and have regretted that decision ever since. You get what you pay for and I got it. Coulda, shoulda, woulda is rear view mirror stuff and looking back it was a mistake to buy cheap Chinese bearings.
It worked for about a week after I swapped them out, then, catastrophe! One of the bearings failed and my little engine that could self destructed. As soon as the bearing let go the rotor touched the stator and it probably took all of 2 seconds the wipe out the permanent magnets, turning my $3000 unit into a pile of junk. I was heart broken, mad at myself and without power. Amazingly, my neighbour down the trail just happened to have a spare (he bought two after seeing my set up) and he graciously loaned it to me until I could replace mine. That took a lot longer than we thought it would since the guy who makes the Stream Engines was way behind on orders. So, I got in touch with my Micro-Hydro guru and he came to the rescue by selling me a big honking 80A, 24VDC marine generator. All I had to do was reuse the base, make a mounting bracket and install it in the power house. What an adventure that turned out to be.
In the end, my setback became a step up. Sometimes what looks like a disaster is really an opportunity in disguise.
