Generac 8Kw generator balky start and transfer switch makes clicking sounds

[trader_4]

I see how one wire goes from that switch to the Xformer, another wire to the control board, another to the battery. I can't make out from the pic what kind of switch it even is, single pole, double throw? It would be bizarre for it to connect the Xformer to the battery, as there is no rectification there, ie it's AC. And "set exercise" would seem to mean that all it does is enable the weekly startup, or somehow let you program how often it does that.

IDK what's going on, but from what I see, I agree it's not clear that it does maintain the battery. I'd say more likely it doesn't at this point, but then who knows. You would think having the generator maintain the battery would be a standard feature, important to have, easy to implement, etc. So, I would think they would all likely have it, but as I said, all I know is what you do, ie that some of them definitely have it. D's is an older one. The one I have experience with is under 10 years old.

It really doesn't matter, more of a curiousity at this point.

[Smarty]

Mine does a weekly exercise lasting about 13 minutes. The transfer switch is not tested nor is the generator put under load, so the exercise mostly is about the engine starting and running.

[Danny D.]

trader_4 wrote, on Sun, 21 Dec 2014 10:45:21 -0800:

I have a call in to Generac (left a message), so, hopefully on Monday, they'll let us know how the battery is charged.

I wish it would say so in the manual.

If it matters, here are the 32 pages of the manual. Page 1 =

Page 32 =

[O Wren]

With this being the week of Festivus, good luck with that...LOL.

What you could do is open the hood on your generator and measure/record the battery voltage.

Then disconnect the ground lead of the battery, wait 24 hours, and measure the battery voltage again.

If the battery voltage drops after being disconnected from the generator for 24 hours, the generator obviously has a grid-powered charging circuit.

Capeesh?

[Danny D.]

O Wren wrote, on Mon, 22 Dec 2014 08:41:32 -0500:

Is this "Oren"?

Anyway, I was dead wrong and all you guys were right (as usual). I called Generac at 888-436-3722x2(consumer)x2(existing product)x2 (permanent)x3(all other)...wait...

The lady who answered said instantly that all the built-in generators are charged from the "T1" wire from the house.

She said the "T1" wire was blue or white and went in behind the control panel. She didn't know the difference between 120VAC and 12VDC, but still, she was sure that the T1 wire fed the battery.

She said when it exercises, it doesn't generate any power.

So, based on that, I was dead wrong. The built-in generator charges the battery from the mains. I was wrong.

[trader_4]

If, given the context, she means the generator doesn't charge the battery during the brief weekly exercise, she's doesn't know WTF she's talking about. Which is probably the case, since she apparently doesn't know the difference between 120V and 12V. Good person to have on the gen hotline. And reinforces my dim view of Generac.

It generates power to charge the battery, to run the engine ignition. It's just not connected to the house to power it.

[Danny D.]

trader_4 wrote, on Mon, 22 Dec 2014 13:05:14 -0800:

This is what she said. She was clear. But, it was also clear she didn't realize 120VAC doesn't directly charge 12VDC, nor that it takes more than that one T1 wire.

So, I'll call again tomorrow and hopefully get someone who knows a bit more. Or I'll ask them to ask someone who knows.

[Paul]

Thank God she can't be convicted on USENET hearsay.

[Smarty]

As I posted earlier, my Generac works as you now state. It only charges the battery when not running, and when the electric company power is available. I did go to the authoritative site for Generac repairs, Ziller, and did learn that some of their products do indeed have a winding on the generator coil which provides a low AC voltage for rectification / making 12VDC.

The distinction of which Generac has or does not have this "charge when running" feature is thus model specific, and getting a schematic for your specific model would be the way I would research it if the Ziller experts had no opinion, (an unlikely scenario).

[trader_4]

I'm 99% certain you're wrong on that. The Generac I'm familiar with charges either from AC or when the generator is running. It would be pretty dumb to have a design where once power is lost, the generator battery can't be recharged. Even D's generator clearly has a charging circuit off the generator itself. If you have a link for a schematic to your generator, I'd be happy to see it.

So far, the one you say you have is the only one I've heard of where the generator isn't capable of charging it's own battery.

[Smarty]

Read this thread and other similar ones. You will then begin to understand something you clearly do not yet appreciate:

[trader_4]

I scanned through the first page or so, nothing there that's even a hint of proof that the generator doesn't charge the battery. An aimless thread doesn't prove anything.

As I said, if you have a schematic, maintenance manual or similar for your generator, that shows what you are saying, I'd be happy to see it.

[Danny D.]

Oren wrote, on Tue, 23 Dec 2014 12:20:19 -0800:

:) (lost my coffee on that one!)

I was wondering. Glad you're ok. I saw that idiotic thread where a troll disparages you. I felt badly for you, but didn't want to feed the troll, so, I ignored it. Glad you're still around!

[Tekkie®]

Danny D. posted for all of us...

That was suction of air in the boot. Get a spark plug boot pliers. Also look at the part numbers on the old plugs.

[Danny D.]

Tekkie® wrote, on Fri, 09 Jan 2015 16:19:34 -0500:

Actually, in hind sight, the metal cap on the boot was stuck so tightly to the spark plug by friction alone, that the boot was "stretching", which, when I let go, allowed it to "snap back".

The old spark plugs were nearly pristine on the ends, as there was no corrosion whatsoever on the ends so the boots were clearly watertight.

I did put some dielectric grease in there anyway, along with anti-seize sacrificial-anode paste on the spark plug threads.

Power went down twice more since this thread was started, and everything worked just fine.

[Tekkie®]

Danny D. posted for all of us...

No, your kid will have a memory for life. I still remember the time my dad spent with me. Not much but...

[Tekkie®]

Danny D. posted for all of us...

Then why have the generator? I love the thought of going out on a blizzard night when the power goes out, the garage door won't open and the car battery is dead. Oh wait, I have to put that on hold because the pipes are freezing. I can't think over the noise of the wife letting me know what I should have done.

[trader_4]

It's mitigated by the fact that Danny lives in northern CA where the climate is more moderate. He does say the power seems to go out a lot though. If it were me, I'd agree, having an older battery that the shop tested and said was on the last 25% or so of it's life, I'd just replace it. But where he is, if it won't start, not too likely he'll have to deal with it in a blizzard or hurricane. It also depends if it;s where you can pull the car up and easily jump it. But like you, I wouldn't want to deal with that even at 9PM in the dark, when a new battery doesn't cost that much.

[Tekkie®]

Oren posted for all of us...

Did you say something?

[Jim Philpot]

replying to Danny D., Jim Philpot wrote: THIS IS WAY OVER YOUR DATE POSTED BUT I HAVE RJ12YC PLUGS IN MY HAND AND I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THEY GO TO....