Sneakers
Just sneakin' around....
Yeah, yeah.... he's talking about generators again.....
Just a few bits of info that I've come across lately, just passing on. Nothing worse than a backup generator that won't run when you need it. Talking primarily about Champion here as I have a new one, so kind of keeping tabs on problems and servicing.
The Champion dual-fuel generators with electric start have a couple of bugs related to gasoline usage. They use a fuel solenoid on the carb to shut off the gasoline. The default position is off, and is turned on by the position of the selector switch AND battery power. If the starter battery goes dead, the normal thing to try is the pull cord. But without the battery, it will not start because the solenoid will not open. Without knowing this, you could spend a lot of time chasing ghosts. This might apply to any dual-fuel with a carb solenoid.
The solenoid can also stick in the off position. Champion Support says to give the carb solenoid a gentle tap while starting to release it.
Myself, and apparently many others, got a dual-fuel with the intent of never introducing gasoline into the tank/carb to prevent carb fouling. Turns out that with nothing in the gasoline system, the carb bowl and passages can degrade, rust/oxidize. Champion Support strongly recommends using both stabilized gasoline as well as propane periodically to prevent the rusting. I suspect the rusting is from atmospheric humidity and improper storage. My plan is to pull the bowl and check it during the periodic service/oil change/etc... and keep an eye on it rather than put gasoline in it.
Bonding - tying the generator ground and neutral together, something almost always overlooked. As a general rule, if you use a 240v cable to directly connect to your home breaker panel, your generator should be FLOATING, not bonded. The breaker panel will provide the bonding. If you use extension cords to run power to individual devices, the generator should be BONDED, not floating. Most generator manuals will tell you if it's floating or bonded, and how to change it.
Ok.... end of sermon.
Just a few bits of info that I've come across lately, just passing on. Nothing worse than a backup generator that won't run when you need it. Talking primarily about Champion here as I have a new one, so kind of keeping tabs on problems and servicing.
The Champion dual-fuel generators with electric start have a couple of bugs related to gasoline usage. They use a fuel solenoid on the carb to shut off the gasoline. The default position is off, and is turned on by the position of the selector switch AND battery power. If the starter battery goes dead, the normal thing to try is the pull cord. But without the battery, it will not start because the solenoid will not open. Without knowing this, you could spend a lot of time chasing ghosts. This might apply to any dual-fuel with a carb solenoid.
The solenoid can also stick in the off position. Champion Support says to give the carb solenoid a gentle tap while starting to release it.
Myself, and apparently many others, got a dual-fuel with the intent of never introducing gasoline into the tank/carb to prevent carb fouling. Turns out that with nothing in the gasoline system, the carb bowl and passages can degrade, rust/oxidize. Champion Support strongly recommends using both stabilized gasoline as well as propane periodically to prevent the rusting. I suspect the rusting is from atmospheric humidity and improper storage. My plan is to pull the bowl and check it during the periodic service/oil change/etc... and keep an eye on it rather than put gasoline in it.
Bonding - tying the generator ground and neutral together, something almost always overlooked. As a general rule, if you use a 240v cable to directly connect to your home breaker panel, your generator should be FLOATING, not bonded. The breaker panel will provide the bonding. If you use extension cords to run power to individual devices, the generator should be BONDED, not floating. Most generator manuals will tell you if it's floating or bonded, and how to change it.
Ok.... end of sermon.
