Generator maintenance

[Moosefire66]

Well due to the load of sleeting rain, and other such weather, I'm now the new owner of a generator.

Having borrowed when randomly needed in the past, I've never done much maintenance to one.

What's you're preferred maintenance schedule for a generator?
Synthetic over conventional oil?
Spare parts?
Drain gas after use or treat it?
Fog the cylinder?
Drain the carb of fuel?

I know there's a lot of info in the manual, which I'm about to thumb thru but figured I'd ask and see what you all prefer and what's worked for you in the past.

If y'all care, it's a Briggs and Stratton 7000 continuous, 8750 watt peak, battery start with pull starter as well. I live in metro detroit, michigan. Here's a link if it helps

https://www.menards.com/main/electr...-c-10107.htm?tid=-1092858580899979265&ipos=11

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk

 

[58Yeoman]

YMMV, but what I do with my HF 7500 peak, is run it. I add stabil to the gas for all my small engines. When I shut the genny down, I shut off the gas and let the bowl run dry. I think I've changed the regular oil a couple times in about 8 years. I finally bought a battery a couple years ago so I wouldn't have to pull the rope. It always starts right up and runs fine. I don't run mine weekly or monthly, and have never had a problem with the way it runs. The low-oil switch did go bad on it, but I bypassed it. If it lunches, then I'll buy another.

 

[6768rogues]

After using mine, I change the oil, fill the gas tank, add fuel stabilizer and run it long enough to get the stabilizer through the system. Then a quick wipe down and it gets put away. If I don't use it for a year or so, I get it out and drain the gas, which goes in the lawn mower. Then I put in fresh gas and stabilizer, start it up and hook up something to make it power a load, then put it away for another year. I have had it since 1992 and it has never failed to start right up and do its job.
I am not particular about regular or synthetic oil. I use whichever I have on hand.

 

[EOC_Jason]

Seems like every generator burns oil, no reason to use synthetic as it probably won't run in there long enough to matter.

Make sure you test yours and check the voltage on ALL outlets. Nothing like needing the generator and finding out something was wired wrong or doesn't work.

I keep my tank full using ethanol-free gas, and add stabil. I will pull it out of the garage every 3 or 4 months (and usually at start of winter or before expecting severe weather) to start it up and hook up a couple things to run it under load for about 10-15min. Then I unhook everything and cut off the fuel valve and let it run till it dies. I top off the tank if needed.

I leave it full for two reasons... Draining the tank, carb, etc, every time after testing it would be a major pain and you would need to coat the inside of the tank with something to prevent rust. Second reason is for when the power goes out or an emergency happens, it's full and ready to go. If you drain it and by some random bad luck have no full fuel cans, then you are SOL.

I have a spare carb for mine. They were like $10 or $12 shipped on ebay. It's just the cheap chinese engine, and goes with the cheap chinese carb...lol. But seriously, if something is going to foul up it will be the carb. Having a spare on hand is cheap insurance to get up and running.

With the battery I would disconnect the terminals when not in use. Possibly store the battery somewhere temp controlled. Also wouldn't hurt to put it on a small charger every now and then.

I change oil after it gets real use, or after a few years just doing standby if I remember.

 

[Moosefire66]

I did forget to mention that it does have a wall charger to jeep the battery topped off while being stored.

These are all great things. Keep em coming guys!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk

 

[kelpaso1]

Biggest and easiest thing you can do for gens(or anything else that sits for a long time) is add a fuel shut off valve and run the carb dry before storing it for a few months, and only use ethanol free gas. The gas in the tank really doesn't go bad in a year, it is the gas in the carb float bowl when it evaporates that messes things up and makes a gooey mess in the float bowl. Running it dry prevents this.

Another important thing is run it under a load every 6 months. If you let a gen sit too long unused the stator can loose it's magnetism and will not put out power. Re-flashing would be the next step and a 50% chance that it will work after.

 

[Richard Cranium]

Thanks for all the info folks.

 

[Skiff Builder]

Well due to the load of sleeting rain, and other such weather, I'm now the new owner of a generator.

Having borrowed when randomly needed in the past, I've never done much maintenance to one.

What's you're preferred maintenance schedule for a generator?
Yearly oil change/ or if run more than 3 days.
Exercise quarterly- shrub trimming/elec yard tools
Spray down chassis/muffler after use
Use a pc of masking tape or label for date of fuel/oil.

Synthetic over conventional oil? Conv
Spare parts?
oil pressure switch and knowledge of how to bypass.
fuel line
plug
grommet for fuel hose to tank connection
1/2 sheet plywood to cover when running in storm
Drain gas after use or treat it? Treat
Fog the cylinder? Nah
Drain the carb of fuel?
Petcock off-run dry
Over 20 years old,running strong!

An extra 200' of ext cord so you can plug in your elderly neighbor or others. Good karma and you've got the capacity to do it.


I know there's a lot of info in the manual, which I'm about to thumb thru but figured I'd ask and see what you all prefer and what's worked for you in the past.

If y'all care, it's a Briggs and Stratton 7000 continuous, 8750 watt peak, battery start with pull starter as well. I live in metro detroit, michigan. Here's a link if it helps

https://www.menards.com/main/electr...-c-10107.htm?tid=-1092858580899979265&ipos=11

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk

Looks like a nice unit, good luck with it.

 

[Boilerhouse]

I do pretty much what everyone else here does - ethanol free gas with stabilizer, keep the tank full, but run the carb empty when not in use, change the gas yearly, bi-annual oil changes, clean plug, clean air filter etc. We get enough power outages that it usually gets put under load a couple times a year. One thing I do different - my unit, a Coleman, has no magnet for self exciting - it uses a capacitor, that has drained between runs. To get the generator to output - procedure is to touch the brushes with a 6 volt battery, so I always make sure one of those is on hand just in case.

 

[matt_i]

The E zero (ethanol free) is not easily available near me so I run premium fuel in the Gen (small Eu Honda). I take it out every couple of months and run a circular saw or something like that. I did put in synthetic oil, it was less than 1 quart as I recall, so no big expense.

 

[Bretny]

When i had a gas gen i always stabilized the fuel but only kept a splash of fuel in the tank and ran the carb out. Keeping the tank nearly empty ment i never had to run it out and i never had a full tank of old fuel. I test ran it every 6months because there was no battery.

Try to see if you can pull start it. If you cant do it easily keeping that battery in tip top shape will be key.

 

[matt151617]

Get one of those snorkel kits that lets you run it off of natural gas, propane, and gasoline. Remember to cycle the gas in your gas cans every 6 months or so, even with Stabil.

I run synthetic oil. And the power almost never goes out at my house, but if it did more often I'd build the generator a little shelter.

 

[theoldwizard1]

The most important spare part is carburetor gaskets, especially the square O-ring between the bowl and the body. (Hint, never spray carburetor cleaner on that O-ring !)

Biggest and easiest thing you can do for gens(or anything else that sits for a long time) is add a fuel shut off valve and run the carb dry before storing it for a few months, and only use ethanol free gas. The gas in the tank really doesn't go bad in a year, it is the gas in the carb float bowl when it evaporates that messes things up and makes a gooey mess in the float bowl. Running it dry prevents this.

I agree with all of the above except the E00 fuel. It is next to impossible to get anywhere near my house. Use Stabil religiously. Drain the tank and put in fresh fuel once a year.

Do as I say not as I do ! My fuel was 3 years old !! It was pretty nasty looking when I drained it. Make sure to rinse out the tank also.

 

[Moosefire66]

Thanks a lot guys!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk

 

[EOC_Jason]

Put some cardboard under the generator wherever you store it. Every generator I've had always had the tiniest oil leak. When you move it after 3 or 4 months there will be one drop on the ground.

Also I got a cheap cover for mine since it sits under a workbench. Keeps all the sawdust and other crud off of it...

 

[ambenz]

Guess I better change my oil in my generator, had it about 15 years and have yet to change the oil.
I do keep it in a temperature controlled garage...but ya...better change.
Maybe a new plug and air filter too.
Lots of good advice about keeping the carb working.
Gosh, I neglected mine....it's got less than 200 hours on it since I bought it refurbished.
But the damn thing is bullet proof and runs my whole house, minus AC unit.

 

[Falcon67]

Keep it full, change the oil every year, run it once a month or so. That's all I do. Regular 10w-30 oil is what mine recommends (Champion). We use the **** out of ours, so if yours sits a lot you may have to cycle fuel through it by draining and refilling. Put the old gas in the cars, they don't care. I never use any fuel stabilizer. All the equipment uses regular 87 octane pump unleaded, 10% ethanol.

 

[theoldwizard1]

Maybe a new plug and air filter too.

Waste of time and money. The most important thing is FRESH, CLEAN fuel and making sure there is no sediment in the carburetor bowl.

 

[theoldwizard1]

Keep it full, change the oil every year, run it once a month or so. That's all I do.

I will only add, run it WITH A LOAD for at least 10-15 minutes.

 

[jade97]

Everyone says to run it with a load.

My whole home generator doesn't put a load on it during it's weekly cycles.

Explanation as to why?

 

[EOC_Jason]

Everyone says to run it with a load.

My whole home generator doesn't put a load on it during it's weekly cycles.

Explanation as to why?

Copy & paste because I'm tired and it's been a long day...

Residual magnetism in the generator exciter field allows the generator to build up voltage during start-up. This magnetism is sometimes lost due to shelf time or improper operation, among other reasons.

If it loses too much magnetism, then you have to do what is called 'field flashing' by hooking up a battery to certain terminals briefly. That's why it's better to just run the generator at least a couple times a year with a load on it.

Your home generator might use a capacitor? Or maybe it does switch something for a load test, or maybe it has in internal resistor to load test?

 

[Bretny]

Everyone says to run it with a load.

My whole home generator doesn't put a load on it during it's weekly cycles.

Explanation as to why?

Because you dont have an automatic transfer switch, "home stand by" generators are built like junk, that costs money, it dosnt need to run weekly, weekly tests are overboard and are to only make the owner have a warm fuzzy feeling, no home stand by generator is built for your primary source of power.

 

[slow]

So what's the difference between the generator panel that automatically powers the selected loads and a automatic transfer switch?

 

[jade97]

Because you dont have an automatic transfer switch, "home stand by" generators are built like junk, that costs money, it dosnt need to run weekly, weekly tests are overboard and are to only make the owner have a warm fuzzy feeling, no home stand by generator is built for your primary source of power.

My 38kW Generac has a 400 Amp Automatic Transfer Switch.....and a 2.4L Mitsubishi Turbo Engine.