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OT’ers with Generac’s

Posted on 5/14/24 at 9:24 pm
Posted by Yaboylsu63
Member since Mar 2014
1532 posts
Posted on 5/14/24 at 9:24 pm
Bought a house with a 22kW generac recently.
It’s come in handy as our power is still out from the storm.

It’s been running for roughly 24 hours straight now. Putting as little load on it as we can. Just AC and fridge.

Should I shut it off for a few hours to let it cool down or is it okay to let it keep running?

I did change the oil, spark plugs, and filter on it just last week. So it went into this outage in good shape.
Posted by ScopeCreep
In the thick
Member since Jul 2016
643 posts
Posted on 5/14/24 at 9:25 pm to
No. Let it run. You don’t need to do anything until you get to 100 hours of run time. Then you should shut it down, change the oil, and fire it back up.
Posted by Mr Roboto
Rural Mississippi
Member since Jan 2023
1338 posts
Posted on 5/14/24 at 9:26 pm to
Generac’s are shitty. We’ve got a Taylor
Posted by ruzil
Baton Rouge
Member since Feb 2012
16960 posts
Posted on 5/14/24 at 9:26 pm to
Air cooled or water cooled.

If air cooled I would google the specs for how ofter for oil changes and continuous operation perameters.
Posted by Giantkiller
the internet.
Member since Sep 2007
20503 posts
Posted on 5/14/24 at 9:26 pm to
Whole-home Generators are miracle inventions. Having said that…
quote:

It’s been running for roughly 24 hours straight now.

Enjoy that extra $400 on your entergy bill.

Eta: I was just kiddin around. It's a minimal cost and well worth it.
This post was edited on 5/15/24 at 5:58 am
Posted by SlackMaster
Baton Rouge
Member since Jan 2009
2661 posts
Posted on 5/14/24 at 9:27 pm to
Hard to say what's best. I've read that you should shut it down every 24 hours and change the oil -- especially with a Generac. However, others say you should be okay if you use a quality synthetic oil. I guess it depends on how safe you wish to play it.
Posted by rltiger
Metairie
Member since Oct 2004
880 posts
Posted on 5/14/24 at 9:28 pm to
Let it run.

Mine ran for 8 days straight one hurricane. It has a low oil shut off so you don’t need to worry about burning it up.



Posted by SlamNGo
Denham Springs
Member since Sep 2022
29 posts
Posted on 5/14/24 at 9:32 pm to
I have same generator. I run it 70-100 hours straight. Seems to work for me. I change filters/oil. Let her eat again.
Posted by Ben Hur
Baton Rouge, LA
Member since Feb 2013
895 posts
Posted on 5/14/24 at 9:32 pm to
Shut it down for 1 hour every 24 Hours running. Check the oil before starting back up.

Oil change every 200 hours (or every 2 years if you do not hit that).

Got through 11 days after Ida with that routine.
This post was edited on 5/14/24 at 9:39 pm
Posted by greenbean
USAF Retired
Member since Feb 2019
4686 posts
Posted on 5/14/24 at 9:35 pm to
With the frequent oil changes, I'm assuming the plug is a valve with a hose attached to it to facilitate easier/quicker/less messy changes?
Posted by GOMD78
Ox Bow Lake
Member since Oct 2017
387 posts
Posted on 5/14/24 at 9:36 pm to
If it’s been properly maintained you can let it run 36-48hrs before needing to shut it down. Check the oil level and change if needed. Like someone else said it has a low oil shutoff built in so you should be good.
Posted by scrooster
Resident Ethicist
Member since Jul 2012
37786 posts
Posted on 5/14/24 at 9:47 pm to
Yours was probably manufactured here in Trenton, SC .... not far from me.

I have a couple that I've had for over a decade that cycle on and off once a month. Neither of them have over 200 hrs total on them and I haven't had to use them for a prolonged period since I installed them.

I've got two Predator 9500s in series that I've used more than the Generacs. I've also got a large solar/battery back up system.

Gas vs Propane vs Paul Diesel (inside joke) vs Solar.

I know two guys who work(ed) at the Trenton Plant. Both have told me, multiple times, that it's all about the maintenance. Both insist that changing the oil every 80 hrs is the rule and both insist on using magnetic drain plugs.

That's all I know to contribute to this thread.

I'm looking for a big Chinese Diesel.
Posted by SG_Geaux
Beautiful St George
Member since Aug 2004
78093 posts
Posted on 5/14/24 at 9:48 pm to
Ran for about 10 days after Ida.

I shut it down late afternoon each day for about an hour and checked/topped off oil.

Changed the oil once during that time
Posted by Havoc
Member since Nov 2015
28690 posts
Posted on 5/14/24 at 9:50 pm to
In similar situations, i often shut down for a few hours, usually mid morning, but for no real reason.
Posted by Gee Grenouille
Bogalusa
Member since Jul 2018
4958 posts
Posted on 5/14/24 at 11:20 pm to
The 100 hour oil change is imperative. Check your oil everyday too. Don’t blindly trust the low oil shutoff.
Posted by stuckintexas
austin
Member since Sep 2009
2230 posts
Posted on 5/14/24 at 11:28 pm to
If it was well-maintained before you bought it, it's fine. If you've kept up maint. on it, it's fine. Just running AC and a refrigerator is a fraction of it's total capable load. You can run a lot more than that unless you're worried about fuel availability. If the gas isn't an issue, live your life. It's why you have a generator.

Generac installer here. Especially if it's one of the smart generators and you have the mobile link app. It will tell you if you have a maintenance concern.
Posted by TSmith
New Orleans, La.
Member since Jan 2004
1659 posts
Posted on 5/15/24 at 6:39 am to
Ran the same unit for 11 days after Ida. Oil and filter change 5 days in, as I had performed maintenance before the storm. Then changed oil, filter & air filter at the end of the event.

Long story short, I only shut it down once for maintenance. And I ran the house as normal. Generators of all types and sizes like and need a load.

Just be mindful of leaves and vegetation on the ground near the unit. Ours almost started a brush fire on about day 4 or so. Just thoroughly rake everything away.
Posted by baldona
Florida
Member since Feb 2016
20550 posts
Posted on 5/15/24 at 6:40 am to
This can be a somewhat stupid analogy but it helps me with my boat justifying maintenance when it doesn’t seem like it’s been very long. I understand cars are different…but let’s say you drive a car at 60mph then 40 hours is 2400 miles, 60 is 3600 miles, and 100 is 6000 miles.

Posted by lsujunky
Down By The River
Member since Jun 2011
2279 posts
Posted on 5/15/24 at 6:40 am to
You better shut it down and check the oil.
Posted by Cracker
in a box
Member since Nov 2009
17777 posts
Posted on 5/15/24 at 7:44 pm to
It’s not a muscle it’s a machine let it run
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