Generac generator crapping out

Honda is the best

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Westinghouse and champion

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He’s talking about whole home generators, I’m fairly certain. And that answer to the question is Cummins and Kohler. If you can stretch for the Cummins liquid cooled, that would be your best bet.

Engine crapping out

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Generator crapping out

Two totally different issues. Generac is known in the industrial world for being kinda crap anyhow- but they made this home standby genset market and have provided many people with easy access to something that was once very difficult to do.

What gets me is when they put their own brand of engines in them. Generac would have absolutely zero collective genuis in designing/copying/tooling up/assembling engines. I understand they have problems with bent valves- but that could have been addressed.

In the end you get what you pay for. A 26kW Generac is like $5000. The industrial equivalent 30kW diesel unit is nearly $15k.

People think this air cooled little natural gas engine in a plastic box on their house is going to be able to run 24/7 for weeks- but they just aren’t made for that. There are going to be more stories like yours.

Neighbors generac for 2 days then quit working on them.

500 hr warranty on the Generac generator sets, 3 week warranty

They know they are selling shite

Air cooled will struggle when its 90 degrees.

Change air filter, oil filter, spark plugs every June, you can get a kit on Amazon for $25. Change the oil at that time. 5W-30 Full Synthetic. Oreilly has their own brand for $6 a quart.

Change oil after every 96 - 100 hours of use. During an extended outage like this, that means every 4 days.

I shut it down every morning around 6AM while most the house is still asleep to check the oil and add more if necessary. Take the front off and leave it off all day with the lid open. Before bed, I put the front back and close it so its quieter at night.

If its an oil alarm try changing the sensor. It's a easy fix. It recently happened to a family members Generac that was well maintained.

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Change oil after every 96 - 100 hours of use.

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Just yesterday the OT said 200 hrs. Anyone got a link to a manufacturers recommendation?

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What the hell are they made for then?

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Look up the term “Duty Cycle” if you are not familiar with it.

Generac is first and foremost an entry-level line.

They are primarily designed & built* to be used for brief periods at a time; e.g. like a working day at a jobsite rather than 24/7 as folks without household power use them.

Marcia Ball said it “The right tool for the job”?

The choice comes down to upgrade or deal with Generacs being relatively unreliable.

*remember this is cheaply designed and built

Most of the dealers say do it every 100 hours. The 26kw and below are the worst units. Lots of them burnt up in Lake Charles for Laura. While people buy them for this type of event their not going to hold up. It’s like running a lawn mower or car for 24 hrs a day for 3 weeks non stop. Gas engines just aren’t made for that. Run it overnight and give it a break for 2 hours in the morning. Top off oil then run it until 2 hrs before bed. Let’s say 7:00 and break for 2 hours and top off oil and then start it back at 9. Like others have said Kohler and Cummins are better but more expensive.