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Generators are work horses, which means they don't get much love. Your generator sits in the back of the shed or garage until the power goes out.
When your power does go out, you pull it outside, gas it up, start it, and let it run for as many as 72 hours. When the power's back, you likely just roll it back to the garage and forget about it.
Without proper maintenance, your generator won't be reliable. And what good is a generator if it isn't reliable?
Check the Oil
Because generators run on air-cooled engines, they burn through their oil quite rapidly. If you're running your generator for extended periods of time (i.e. 3 days straight), it's important that you check and refill your oil levels. If you're running it daily, I recommend you add oil each time you refill the fuel.
* If your generator stops running after a few days, it's likely because you don't have enough oil in it, and the low oil shutdown has shut it down to prevent damage. Add more oil, and it should be good to go.
Change the Filter
After every 100 hours of operation, your electric generator will need a full-blown oil change. They get dirty much more quickly than a car engine because they're air-cooled instead of liquid cooled. Therefor, every 100 miles, drain the oil, replace the oil filter, fill the generator with clean oil, and replace the spark plugs and air filter.
* To save money and time, get a Maintenance Kit with everything you need.
When your power does go out, you pull it outside, gas it up, start it, and let it run for as many as 72 hours. When the power's back, you likely just roll it back to the garage and forget about it.
Without proper maintenance, your generator won't be reliable. And what good is a generator if it isn't reliable?
Check the Oil
Because generators run on air-cooled engines, they burn through their oil quite rapidly. If you're running your generator for extended periods of time (i.e. 3 days straight), it's important that you check and refill your oil levels. If you're running it daily, I recommend you add oil each time you refill the fuel.
* If your generator stops running after a few days, it's likely because you don't have enough oil in it, and the low oil shutdown has shut it down to prevent damage. Add more oil, and it should be good to go.
Change the Filter
After every 100 hours of operation, your electric generator will need a full-blown oil change. They get dirty much more quickly than a car engine because they're air-cooled instead of liquid cooled. Therefor, every 100 miles, drain the oil, replace the oil filter, fill the generator with clean oil, and replace the spark plugs and air filter.
* To save money and time, get a Maintenance Kit with everything you need.