Excercise Generator

[g1g]

Does anyone excercise their Generator while it is in storage?

[markopolo]

I try to

Ran mine for an hour 2 weeks ago. It was hard to start and a bit smoky at first but it settled down.

Then I remembered I should have been running it with a load....... oh well - too late.

Anyone here just put in a fuel stabilizer and forget about it until Spring?

[Bobbi]

Harold puts the stabilizer in the gas and he starts the generator up every two or three weeks till Spring.

[Barman]

I make sure that I run our generator under load every few weeks for no less than an hour when ours is in winter storage. Sometimes as long as two hours. I have a small ceramic electric heater that I run with the generator on for its load. I put fuel stabilizer in the fuel tank just before I put it in my garage for the winter. Then as I run it every month, the stabilizer stays in the entire system. I also run the Chevy engine for 30-45 minutes about every 6 to 8 weeks over the course of the winter. This seems to keep all systems in pretty fine condition. Our generator has always started fine and runs smooth, and so far we have not had the kind of issues I read about on the different forums where folks are un happy with their generators.

[bobojay]

This is what I've been doing also. Except I drive the van for 8-10 miles every 3 weeks or so. So far so good.

[Steve_Guelph]

Only thing I would add is that you should always top off the gas to the full mark and add more stabilizer if you are going to run anything during the storage period. If the tank is not full and there is gas in the tank condensation will build up and that is not good. If you run your motor for an hour that leaves enough room for moisture to build in the tank. Also for people that start your van and just let it run you could do more bad than good. You should drive it to bring the engine to operating temps. In most cases just sitting in the driveway will charge the battery but the engine doesn't really get operating temps. Your van is fine to sit all winter without starting it if you have a full tank of fuel with stabilizer and the battery(s) removed. Just like the generator, always top off the tank with fuel and stabilizer before parking it again if you choose to run it.

Steve