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Tool Talk Discussion Forum

Gas Generator Storage

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Obie

01-18-2005 10:04:51




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I have a question about a 10 H.P. Gas Generator. I bought this generator new 4 years ago it has oil in the gas engine but it has never had gas in the tank and has never been started or running. Its just stored in the barn and I"am wondering should I fire it up and run it once in a while using that gas stable additive in the gas or just not put gas in it till I need it, then start it up. Its a Coleman about 6K watts at 120-220 volts A.C. I got a good deal on it and have a small farm and if we loose power I can use it for the well pump to get water..
Thanks
Ron

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Bus Driver

01-18-2005 18:41:34




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 Re: Gas Generator Storage in reply to Obie, 01-18-2005 10:04:51  
I do not disagree with the advice given by bo, but for other reasons, I do mine differently. I have two generators, each 4400 watts. One cold day, I shut one of them down and later when trying to restart, the carb float had stuck and it was badly flooded. Tough to repair outside in below freezing weather. Another time, I took all the cans I could round up to buy gasoline for the generators and apparently one of them had some water in it. The gasoline went past the water in the filter fine until it froze during a shutdown period. So now, I have extra filters on hand and I only fill the tank with what I will use at that time. I let it run until the tank is empty. No flooding that way. If not to be used again for a few weeks, I change the oil and store it under a dust cover.

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bo

01-18-2005 19:21:56




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 Re: Gas Generator Storage in reply to Bus Driver, 01-18-2005 18:41:34  
Yeh...water will do that. I keep my tank full just so that water doesn't condense in the tank. It's also steel and keeping it full will prevent rusting.

Problem with water is that you can get it with a fresh load of fuel and then you have a problem.

Anyway...been setting up mine the same way for years and no problems yet....knock on wood.



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bo

01-18-2005 19:21:16




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 Re: Gas Generator Storage in reply to Bus Driver, 01-18-2005 18:41:34  
Yeh...water will do that. I keep my tank full just so that water doesn't condense in the tank. It's also steel and keeping it full will prevent rusting.

Problem with water is that you can get it with a fresh load of fuel and then you have a problem.

Anyway...been setting up mine the same way for years and no problems yet....knock on wood.



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MarkB_MI

01-18-2005 17:49:39




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 Re: Gas Generator Storage in reply to Obie, 01-18-2005 10:04:51  
If you do start it up, make sure and shut off the fuel and run the carb dry. Otherwise the carb will gum up with varnish for sure, and you'll have a bigger problem than you're trying to solve now.

I always run a mixture of gas and Marvel Mystery Oil through my generator engine to keep the upper cylinder and valves lubed. "Fogging oil" used for outboard motors should work as well.



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Chris Brown

01-18-2005 15:36:22




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 Re: Gas Generator Storage in reply to Obie, 01-18-2005 10:04:51  
I found out by accident that 2 cycle oil mix is a very good fuel additive.I had an old dirt bike that I ran out of gas and put in some saw gas to get home. The bike got scrapped and tossed out in the field for several years (4 or 5) . A buddy needed a carburator and he took mine off and took it apart and it was in mint condition and full of pretty blue gas. Since then when I let something sit for a long time I dump in some chainsaw gas,generator,tractors everything.I am sure sta-bil works fine,but 2 cycle mix is something I always have around handy and it works for me.

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BobR

01-18-2005 15:05:51




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 Re: Gas Generator Storage in reply to Obie, 01-18-2005 10:04:51  
I start my generator monhtly, Keep tank full, change oil every spring, keep it stored in the dry, no problems!Bob



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Rockin' Farmer

01-18-2005 13:15:39




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 Re: Gas Generator Storage in reply to Obie, 01-18-2005 10:04:51  
Obie,

I start my generators up and run them under load at least half an hour every month. That way I know they will start and work when I need them. Some alternators will loose their magnetism after sitting a long time, and won't produce juice.

I'd gas that baby up, run it under a light load for a couple of hours to break in the engine, change the oil, then run it for a while every few weeks. Keep the fuel tank full, and I guess Sta-bil wouldn't hurt, even though I've never used the stuff.

.02

Rockin' Farmer

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Oldster

01-18-2005 12:52:54




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 Re: Gas Generator Storage in reply to Obie, 01-18-2005 10:04:51  
My home generator - 5500W w/6500W surge - says to run every 60 days or sooner with approx 50% load on the generator, to keep the generator active. Maybe yours doesn"t need running like that or perhaps it is set up so you can "flash the field".



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bo

01-18-2005 10:31:28




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 Re: Gas Generator Storage in reply to Obie, 01-18-2005 10:04:51  
Fire it up. Fill it with gas, toss a little Stabil in and fire it up. See if it works.
There after, once a year, fire it up and run it til it's good and hot, shut it down, take the old gas out and burn it in a tractor or car, refill with new gas, add some Stabil, change the oil, even though it looks clean, fire it back up and get the stabil...ized gas into the carb..if you have a shut off valve on the gas line, shut it off and run the gas out of the carb. Wait for it to cool down a bit, take the plug out and put a table spoon of oil into the cylinder, pull the piston over a few times to distribute the oil on the cylinder wall, put the plug back in and put it up for the year...do it every year. Also,,,,buy an extra plug and duct tape it to the frame somewhere...$2 just in case. Keep it full of fuel...stops condensation in the tank and you're assured of having fuel when needed.

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buickanddeere

01-18-2005 11:11:15




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 Re: Gas Generator Storage in reply to bo, 01-18-2005 10:31:28  
Amen.



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Mike M

01-18-2005 10:23:53




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 Re: Gas Generator Storage in reply to Obie, 01-18-2005 10:04:51  
While it is hard to keep the gas from turning to varnish,there is no way short of starting it up to know if it even works. When you need it the most it will be too late. I really like having my generator set to run on propane as it is always fresh.



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Farmered

01-18-2005 19:00:28




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 Re: Gas Generator Storage in reply to Mike M, 01-18-2005 10:23:53  
After I had to get up in the night in a fierce blizzard to refill the tank every two hours I converted my coleman genset to propane. It works so well I havn't had to use it. Ed



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