Recent Power Outage Bought a Portable Generator, Now What?

This post is to gain some insight on the proper use and storage of this new portable generator we just purchased. Last week the Midwest experienced some severe thunderstorms with high winds that knocked out power for two days. We have lived in our house for 19 years and this was the longest the power has been out. Recently though, it has been going out more frequently. A generator purchase has been on my mind, but I never made the move.
So, rather than my typical method to research the best model, shop for the best price, and read lots of GJ posts I went out Saturday morning and bought the first one I could find. The temps had been in the 90’s and we had food defrosting in the freezer! I had done enough research to know that Harbor Freight would have the cheapest price. Also the Home Depot, Lowes models would be made in China too. After calling around to the local HF stores and discovering their power was out, I had to make the trek to northern Kentucky, about 45 miles away. They had two models in the store. The first was an 800 watt model that had a two stroke engine. They had about 50 of these. The other model was 2200 watt with a 5-1/2 hp. 4-stroke engine. They had one left. I hoisted it into the cart along with a gas syphon kit (my classic car has 20 gallon of gas in the tank with Store-N-Start in it). $300 at the register and away I go back home. Here it is…







When I got it home I quickly un-boxed it. It had big labels to let me know it needed oil before starting. I located some oil, managed to overfill it all over the driveway and struggled with the squeeze bulb gas siphoning hose. Finally full of gas, I yanked the start rope. It fired on the second pull and settled into a steady humm. Pretty nice and quiet too. I dragged my heavy gauge extension cord with the 3 outlet plug upstairs and into the kitchen. I pulled out the fridge and plugged it in. I also plugged in the floor fan to help keep us cool. Tossing the extension cord onto the deck and down to the awaiting running generator I plugged it in. Both fan and fridge fired up. I figured it may need gas after around 2 hours, but no, it was still almost full. I checked it then every couple of hours with no change or drama. Way to go Harbor Freight! We ran it for about 7-8 hours before the power came back on. It still had about ¼ tank of gas. I dragged it into the garage and there it has set.
I didn’t really read the specs or study the details of what I had bought until deciding to write this post. It is item # 98452 , 2200 watts, circuit breaker on the AC outlet, 10 amp of 12 volt power, voltmeter, 5.5 HP, 4 stroke Chicago Electric gas engine, low oil shutdown. 4 gallon fuel tank with ¼ turn shutoff and total weight of 92#, boy how did I hoist it up into the cart? I tried to attach a link but it appears this was a close out model.

So here are my questions for you veteran generator owners:
1) Should I drain the tank and run it dry to store it?
2) The instructions recommend not plugging sensitive electronics into it? What should you avoid specifically?
3) I would like to be able to run my gas furnace with this, of course after isolating the power supply to the house to avoid feedback.
4) Since this is a discontinued model, should I just sell this on Craigs list and wait until the next natural disaster and buy another one?

Thanks in advance for your comments.

I would either run it dry, or put stabil in the gas, and run for 30 minutes every 60 days.

I think wiring furnace to run from it is a great idea. Power goes out in winter all the time from ice, but gas almost never does.

My experience with keeping generators stored and reliable is to fill the gas tank with gas including fuel stabilizer.The tank should be filled full,so no condensation can form.Ethanol loves moisture!You should start your generator once every two months and plug something in to draw a charge,so the generator stay energized.Run for 5-10 minutes....I started a generator that had been sitting for 10 years,that was treated like this and it fired right up!

This recent post shows a neat way to run your furnace off the generator: http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=2413510&postcount=43

I have this transfer switch. UL listed and it's downstream of your main box so you don't need your electrician or the power company to muck around upstream. Also quasi reasonably priced.

You might say, well it's only an 1875 watt, my generator puts out more than that. Yeah, mine too. I have a basement freezer and my internet stuff on one power strip that goes on its own extension cord off to the generator. The rest (the important loads) go through the transfer switch. Bathroom lights, 120v well pump (lucky me-- high water table, shallow well), furnace, and kitchen fridge and a few outlets.

Another nice thing is with four switches you can switch loads one at a time which is better with electric motors not all starting all at once-- they draw 2-3x their running load for a split second on startup.

I would not waste the gas you have in there. Put some sta-bil in and run it for a minute to get it to the carb.

As far as sensitive electronics, I would not start the generator then go to sleep letting it run dry! It will surge and choke as it runs out of fuel. Computers and TVs are remarkably tolerant of bad power with their switching power supplies; they allow 100-240 volts at 50-60Hz for crying out loud! Especially consider there might be expensive control bits in your furnace; let it get cold before kicking it on, IMO. Fridges and other "dumb" motorized things will do fine.

If you have access to the fuel line, put in an in-line shut-off valve and use that to run the carb dry. That and Sta-Bill in the tank will prevent a headache down the road.


PS I like the dolly you have the genny on

cide1 said:

run for 30 minutes every 60 days.

Click to expand...

If you run it every 60 days make sure you run it with a power load. Can be a light or power tool. That way you know all is in working order.

wb2vsj said:

PS I like the dolly you have the genny on

Click to expand...

I looked at that as well, very clever.

don't stop or start the genset with a load on it, and do not let the unit run out of gas and die with a load connected to it.

Jeff

wb2vsj said:

PS I like the dolly you have the genny on

Click to expand...

That's no dolly. That is the HF Generator mobility kit, PN#7304128

Dang everyone, I sure appreciate all the replys (and humor). Stuart, that is exactly what I would have hoped for but had no idea anybody made a "item specific" transfer switch.



PRODUCT DESCRIPTION: The Reliance Controls single-circuit 15 Amp furnace transfer switch is designed for use with generators equipped standard 5-15, 15 Amp power outlets. It allows manual control of a single circuit, such as a forced-air furnace, in the event of a power failure. The attached 18-inch flexible aluminum conduit is pre-wired and allows the unit to be easily connected at the circuit breaker panel, the furnace, or at any point in between. It can be used on any 15 Amp 120-volt forced-air furnace circuit. Simply plug a standard grounded extension cord into a power outlet on your generator and into the flanged inlet plug included with the transfer switch or hardwire to a remote power inlet box.

Indicator light illuminates the front of the switch under generator power
For use with generators up to 1850 running watts
Listed by Underwriters Laboratories Inc.
5-year warranty
MFG Brand Name : Reliance Controls
MFG Model # : TF151
MFG Part # : TF151

Less than $100.00 at Home Depot. I will do an install post when I get around to buying and installing it.

Regarding my awesome dolly... that is exactly what I use it for. My wife has attempted to get rid of it several times (I keep it on an upper shelf and it may have fallen a time or two) When I have something that is too heavy or large to maneuver by myself I grab the skateboard er.. HF Gen Mobility kit, and drive it where i want to go. You can give it a kick turn to pivot from behind or hang ten to pivot the rear around.

The genset was filled from your car's tank which had stabilized fuel so the fuel is fine. It is best to store the genset with the tank topped off so more stabilized fuel must be added.

Turn the petcock to off and let the genset run the carb dry. It just works better this way. Of course, you will not have an electrical load on the genset while the engine runs itself out of fuel.

Be sure that the oil level is to the top and you'll be ready for the next outage.

There are several ways to transfer house loads to teh genset but since you purchased a 110 volt genset your options are pretty much limited to extension cords.

Summarizing

• always, Always, ALWAYS check your oil before starting and after refilling the fuel
• pre-mix fuel stabilizer in your fuel can before you fill the generator
• do not over fill the gas tank before storing (gas will expand in hot weather and force its way out)
• if it does not have a fuel shut off, put one on (cheap on eBay)
• when preparing to store, start engine, no load, turn off fuel, let carb run dry
• start your generator every 30-90 days, put a load on, let it run for 5-15 minutes and then do the above shutdown procedure

theoldwizard1 said:

Summarizing

• always, Always, ALWAYS check your oil before starting and after refilling the fuel
• pre-mix fuel stabilizer in your fuel can before you fill the generator
• do not over fill the gas tank before storing (gas will expand in hot weather and force its way out)
• if it does not have a fuel shut off, put one on (cheap on eBay)
• when preparing to store, start engine, no load, turn off fuel, let carb run dry
• start your generator every 30-90 days, put a load on, let it run for 5-15 minutes and then do the above shutdown procedure

Click to expand...

Excellent advice.

Only tweak I would add would be to add the stabilizer to the gas can _before_ you fill it with gas so it self-mixes when you actually fill it with gas.

When operating your compressor, make certain it is on flat, level ground.

My buddy wasted about 30 minutes and got a sore arm trying to start his generator the other night, before he dragged it back into the garage where it started immediately. Then he realized the non-level ground was probably tripping the low oil sensor.

If you don't have a level place near your portable generator hook up, go buy some cheap patio blocks and gravel and make one !

Change the oil!! After several hours of running it is time to flush out all the manufacturing junk that a new engine will have inside it.

Regards,

Dave