exercising an emergency generator

[Jim Elbrecht]

Most folks I know who have emergency generators run them once a month or so.

I just got one [lost power for a week last week] and note that the manual says once a *week*. [Briggs and Stratton 5500 watt Storm Responder]

That seems like a CYA suggestion. I run Stabil in my gas and will probably go for once a month under load. What is a good load? An electric space heater that draws a constant 1500watts or so? Power tools that draw a surge?

I'm also going to build a little shed/doghouse for this thing. Has anyone seem some good ideas for a 4x5 structure that blends into the landscape? [I've been thinking of a scaled down chalet- a gingerbread house- or a fake boulder as possibilities.]

Thanks Jim

[AZ Nomad]

That sure sounds excessive. Do they think the motor is a real piece of shit?

Just starting it is probably enough. Once a month w/ a load sounds fine.

[ransley]

It needs it once every 6 months so the generator doesnt loose residual magnatism, if you ran it dry of gas you would have no worry of gumming the carb, stabil helps, but empty is best.

[Frank]

I probably only run mine every 2-3 months. No load, just let it warm up. I've had it maybe 3 years. I wheel in and out of garage where fortunately my panel is connected just a couple of feet from end of garage. Over hang keeps rain off and if needed, I can close garage and leave generator connected outside.

[RBM]

I've had a Cummins Pro 6000E gasoline generator for about 10 years. It has a

9 gallon tank on it. I exercise it for about half an hour every couple of months, under varying loads. I use Stabil in the fuel, and I religiously dump the fuel twice a year and fill with fresh gas. Never had a problem

[hallerb]

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I suggest you keep it indoors where the temperatures are moderate and moisture doesnt cause grief and rust.

[Pete C.]

I have a Generac L5000E that I've had for an eon or two. I used to exercise it regularly, but these days it just gets exercised when I need it, typically quarterly or so. I use Sta-Bil in all my fuel stocks, I use Mobil 1 oil in all my engines and I never have a problem.

As for a shed, any old pre-fab garden shed would do the job to shelter it. Realize that no small shed will do much to quiet it. The only way you can accomplish that to any extent would be with solid masonry, plywood or similar just makes a sounding board.

[Pete C.]

Add to that, I do always run the carb dry after each use, disconnecting the load, closing the fuel valve and letting it run until it stops. If you don't do this and store it any length of time, even with Sta-Bil the carb will gum up.

[ransley]

A load has to be put on the generator for a few minutes every 6 months, even just 100 w to keep the generator magnitised

[Twayne]

IME, most of them say weekly and certainly it wouldn't hurt anything. I try to make mine at least monthly, shoot for every two weeks, more often if I think of it and am around the genset. I originally only ran it monthly though, for the first few years. They always say to let them warm up to operating temp too, which makes sense to me. Besides, mine is electric start and it keeps the battery topped off with a 15-20 minute run. I do believe weekly is best though: when the fuel bowl deveoped a pin-hole leak, I found a lot of sticky, gooey gunk in the bottom of the bowl and on the float. Couple years later the fuel pump (pulse type) quit, and when I broke it open, it had a good buildup of the same gunk inside it. So, more often than once a month is probably good advice if you want max longevity out of your machine.

I usually just go flip the Transfer Switch and let it power the house as if there was an outage but occasionally will use two electric heaters, just to let it run in a reasonably balanced/known load scenario. Also instead of the little batteries most of them come with (lawn tractor batteries, really), I started just recycling my used/weakening car batteries on it. I first did it because it was all I had around and I wanted to genset to work, but it worked so well I left it on. Got 8 years out of the last one! If someting happens and you have to start it a few times in quick succession or it gets hard to start as when you overestimate the amount of Stabil it needs , you don't get a low or dead battery nearly so fast. In fact, I've never run it down with the genset; they'll last almost forever compared to the smaller tractor battery in my experience. A can of starter fluid is also nice to have handy as long as it's stored safely. Oh, and watch the age of Stabil, starter fluid, things like that too. It seems if you go beyond around 5 years they aren't likely to have much "punch" left in them.

HTH

Twayne

[Stormin Mormon]

Mine gets run yearly, if that. Mostly cause it's such a PIA to drag it out. If you build a shed for it, please put in vents on the side, and a ceiling exhaust fan to pump heat out. Like a bathroom fan.

I just put in a splash of gasoline, pint or so. Run the engine dry. The last time, was in 2006 when I ran some friends sump pump and furnace, during aftermath of an ice storm. It was seriously cold in their house when I arrived. I'd forgot they had electric stove, or I'd have brought a camping stove.

[Twayne]

...

Where did you come up with that? I've often wondered how they lost their flux, but never found anything in writing. Supposedly, and I have no prejudice either way, time isn't an enemy. As long as there's "something" there, they'll build up magnetism quickly and run fine. Even the manufacturers didn't have much to say about it. One tried to explain to me how it can weaken thru humidity, etc., things I had NO confidence in! And, since you might know, is there a "weakening" effect, or is it a

0/1 kind of thing w/r to output current? It either is or isn't; no in between? I suspect a 0/1 situation since all it takes to remagnetize is a hit from a lantern battery according to the manual. I've never come across anyone had to remagnetize the poles.

Regards,

Twayne

[Stormin Mormon]

Want you to wear out the engine and buy another?

[Stormin Mormon]

Brand of gasoline is important, and also deciding if you wan to burn that

10% ethanol stuff. My sense is that ethanol is a bad idea in small equipment. I know that my vehicles get more than 10% mileage decrease on ethanol. So, the actual usage of petroleum goes up when I tank up on ethanol gasoline.

I'd like to hear about your religious gasoline dump. Are you using the old gas for a burnt offering at an altar, for example? Do you call a priest for the ceremony, or perhaps a couple of witches? Is the semiannaul fuel dump mentioned in the holy writings some where?

[Stormin Mormon]

Now, that's religious. Store your generator in Heaven, where grief doeth not steal, nor moth nor rust corrode.

I was thinking about the 6,000 watter with nine galons. That sure would be nice, have a bit of extended run time without having to top it off.

[Stormin Mormon]

Bunch of fiberglass insulation for sound deadening? But like you say, not much going to help. Pipe the loud exhaust into a drywell?

[Mortimer Schnerd, RN]

Suppose you went too long without starting it. How do you go about getting it generating again? (I don't know that I have a problem yet.... will have to go start it first to find out. It's been a while.)

[Red]

With a 115/220v generator, does each leg need a load to keep it magnetized? I run mine every 3-4 months with a 100w flood light plugged into each leg for a load, but have often wondered if that was necessary.

Red

[hallerb]

well in pittsburgh with heavy moist air and winter temperatures near zero occasionally I would much rather try starting a generatoir thats not at 15 degrees. plus everything in my 16 by 20 foot shed rusts, no doubt from trapped moisture and temperature swings. so my generators live indoors. I have 3, for redundancy:) two smaller ones and one 4000 watt unit

as to your 6000 watter fuel consumption is larger with a bigger generator even at low load, and bigger often means noiser.

my 1000 watt inverter and 1000 watt gasoline generator get the most use here. havent needed the 4000 watt one for years thank goodness.

by carefully rotating loads you can use little fuel, and be reasonably comfy.

last summer we got a new furnace with AC, previously we used window units.

well I kept one 5000 BTU window unit for emergencies, during the summer.its living in a closet in case we ever need it

remember gasoline may be in short supply, you dont have to light up your home like a baseball stadium, get have some warmth, light, and keep your freezer cold..

its a good idea to have a few spare watts for your neighbors, during a emergency if they have a light provided by you, they are unlikely to complain about the genrator running:)

[hallerb]

ll have to go

I frequent a used tool company, hamilton tool beaver falls pa, A fascinating place..have bought 4 or 5 broken generators there, me and a buddy fixed and gave them away or sold them till harbor freights prices got so low,.

My buddy was the brains of repair retired with electroinics degree from CMU pittsburgh........

many broke ones were ID as lost magnetism, never found a single one with that problem.

blown boards, bad commentators or brushes, sagged springs causing low RPM =3D low voltage output, and the killer bad start windings.

I think the lost magnetism is a urban myth