Resting a generator

[ls99]

I don't empty my 12 KW gen's tank. It holds about 10 Gal.. I do run it every 3 or 4 months for an hour or so with a couple of 1500 W heaters for load. A month or so ago had major power outage, almost 3 days, after huge storm. Cold too. Gen started on the 3d pull of the cord, as usual.

Typically it has a quart or so Stabil in the tank. Had this routine for the last ten or so years. I dump reguar pump gas into tank. Though before shutdown I turn off the manual gasoline shut of valve and let it stall as carb empties out of gas. It does have an electric starter, but the damn starter rusts, won't turn, besides the battery has been dead for years.
I do keep a 5 gal. jug of gas as backup, it came haady as gas stations within reasonable driving distance were inoperative. The tank had about 3 gallons left when utility power was restored. The next day I filled tank and added a small jug of Stabil.

YMMV

 

[Car-Guy]

+1 on using Stabil with small gasoline engines that are only run a few times a year

 

[Jerry1]

+1 on using Stabil with small gasoline engines that are only run a few times a year

Agree 100%. I’d use Stabil if I didn’t have the ethanol free gas close by. In my other house, it was further away and I used Stabil.

 

[Texas Proud]

Getting the whole house generator is not just to save on what is in the fridge or freezer... it is also COMFORT...


I had my family over on Christmas eave for our Christmas dinner... while sitting around the power cut off... I said wait a few secs... and the house lite up again.. we cooked the turkey and ham and heated up all the other items... we had HVAC... we had a great time...


The electricity was off for a few hours... without the generator we would not had Christmas...


I am willing to blow the dough for my comfort... and if you think about it so is everybody else that has an HVAC system... you are paying big money so the inside of your house if either warmed or cooled for comfort... and I bet it is not cheap... I am just willing to pay more just in case of a power outage...


BTW, they are coming more frequently...

 

[NW-Bound]

With my solar+battery storage system, my highest draw from the grid is during the summer month of July, and it averages 27 kWh/day.

If I have a long power outage, then a 2-kW portable generator running non-stop will produce a max of 48 kWh/day, and this can substitute for the grid.

The key point here is that with my large lithium battery as a storage buffer, my total inverter capacity of 9.6 kW will handle the peak load by drawing from the large battery. The small generator only needs to match the average consumption.

The above concept is the same as using large reservoirs to store water for usage in between rainy days.

I am still working to increase the capacity of my solar+battery system. Currently, in spring and fall I don't need the grid at all. With more capacity, I will reduce the draw from the grid in the summer and winter further.

Even with the solar system, supplementing it by running a small generator continuously will burn 6 gallons/day in order to produce 24 kWh. It's not a simple matter to keep feeding this small generator for several days on end. Luckily, I have not had the need to do this.

This is taken from the Web page of my utility account:

Your service address has experienced 2 outages in 36 months for a total of 2h 14m.

Tue, Jul 26, 2022 : 0h 54m duration
The outage was needed for an SRP maintenance crew to make repairs or upgrade equipment.

Tue, Oct 5, 2021 - 1h 19m duration
The outage was caused by power lines down in the area.

The above incidences happened during daylight hours. I only happened to notice that the power was out when I tried to turn on the living room light, whose circuit I left on the grid as a check. The rest of the home was running on the solar+battery.

I bought a 2-kW inverter generator a few months ago, and still have not gotten around to fill it with gas and fire it up for testing. This reminds me to do it, to see if the thing even works.