re: 5 yr Old Generator Never Been Used - Anything I Need to Check?

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Impossible for gas to gum up the carb if it’s never had gas in it.

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True, hence my clarifying statement

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If you have run it at least once

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I missed that it was still in the box

Oops. Here is the link.

Carbon Monoxide detector

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Impossible for gas to gum up the carb if it’s never had gas in it.

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I don't know, that ethanol is some evil shite.

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Always weird stories of how people die because of something they didn’t think about. Some freaky way the exhaust got in the house.

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This. I've heard of carbon monoxide getting drawn in through a window a/c. I've also heard of it leaking into house from a faulty whole-house unit. Definitely worth getting the detector.

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Once you do use it you need to run it once a month with a load on it to keep it in good running condition

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This is important, and most people don’t know it. The capacitor will lose it’s charge if it’s not run under load every couple months. Once that happens, it won’t produce electricity. This can also happen if it shuts down under a load. Never start or stop a generator (or let it run out of gas) under a load.

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Basically still in the box. Anything I need to be aware of?

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Where were you storing the box? Outside shed? Be sure to inspect the box and the generator to make sure that rodents or insects haven’t gotten into it. Sometimes rats are attracted to the wiring for some reason, and insects might have made nests.

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Also are there any good website calculators for what u can power given the power capacity of your generator?

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You can google this easy enough.

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I have a covered patio on my back porch so I just planned to put it out of the way under it. I assume that’s well ventilated enough.

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I would put it out into the yard away from the house.

Make sure that the exhaust is blowing awAy from the house and you’ll be fine

Fill crankcase with oil. Put in gas. Pull the spark plug. Put a little oil in spark plug hole. Pull rope slowly a few times This will put some oil on top of piston and lubricate the cylinder wall and rings. That way you don’t have to wait for it be running to lubricate.

I did the same thing. Ordered a generator next day air from amazon as Hurricane Isaac (2012) was bearing down on Baton Rouge. It got delayed in NOLA so I didn't get it till after the hurricane passed over. So I stuck it in the garage boxed up till the floods in 2016. Opened it up filled with oil and gas and it started right away. Still works fine as I run it for about an hour every year. The key is to get that 4 cycle gas in a can. Pour it in when you want to run it dry. That way any residual fuel left in the carb is the canned stuff that can last several years. Starts on the first or 2nd pull and its 8 years old now.