Portable Generator

[OhioGuy]

A little off topic maybe but....

I bought a Generac gas powered generator, Model 7000 EXL in August 2003 from Home Depot, it failed in the first use (power outage) after about 1 hour. It just stopped producing power. It was exchanged for a new one that I readied for use and it has sat since then. I was going to fire it up last light just to exercise it and again, no power. What a terribly disappointing piece of equipment. Two failures in an hour and ten minutes. No breakers were tripped, this second one just produced power out of the box long enough to test. When I called their 800 number, they told me it had probably lost it's residual magnetism and I should call a service center to find out how to restore it. OK, it's not April 1st, so I call and explain what I'm looking for and the guy on the other end is almost laughing too hard too talk to me! He puts another guy on the phone that says, "yea, thats the first thing they tell ya to do but it never works". The procedure is to disengage the gas engine from the alternator and with a electric drill, run the generator backwards. I think you're supposed to be standing on one foot and chanting something also! I know a lot of TBN'ers must use generators, are they all this horribly reliable? If I knew what a pain this was going to be I would have done a PTO version.

What up!

Believe it or not, I got up this morning and the power was out.

It's always something!!!

Curt

 

[shvl73]

I think I'll start mine this evening & check. It's a Briggs & Stratton brand from Home Depot. I'm not sure who really makes it but, obviously I know who made the engine at least. It hasn't been started since early this spring, we'll see about this residual magnetism.

 

[MicroPilot]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( ....they told me it had probably lost it's residual magnetism and I should call a service center to find out how to restore it. ...)</font>

Strange, I just read an article about this yesterday. This article described how to restore the magnetism, and it didn't involve a drill. Here is the link: RE-ENERGIZING DEAD GENERATORS . This is a kind of wacko site, but actually has some good information, like what a clear hose level is and how to use it, and this article among a few others.

This article also mentions that generators need to be ran periodically to maintian there magnetism. I thought the Generacs ran once a week to keep things going. I think I would do a whole house test once a month where I disconnected the power lines and ran everything off the generator for a couple of hours.

 

[shvl73]

Some of the whole house, hard wired, generators have a self-test mode but, he's got a portable.

 

[ByronBob]

Geez I just bought the B&S model myself. Haven't run it yet. I need to get my butt moving to at least let it run. Now I'm worried. I hope you got the lemon because these things aren't cheap.

I'm wondering what HD will do for you?

 

[OhioGuy]

When I bought the generator, my intention was to do a monthly test, run it for an hour or so. I just missed the first 8 or 9 months /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I think just running it with a smaller load plugged into the front panel would accomplish much of the same thing, didn't do that either. They mention a procedure for storing the generator for long periods (up to two years) in the manual. No mention of a stator problem there.

Curt

 

[OhioGuy]

After talking to Generac, my plan is to try and talk the HD folks into letting me exchange it for another Model/brand. This was a good sized generator 7Kw, 12Kw peak and was around $1100. If all else fails I'll get it repaired under warranty and be sure and run it regularly. It mentions nothing about a demagnetization problem in the manual.

I'll post whatever I found out at HD or through the warranty repair.

Thanks,
Curt

 

[shvl73]

You got me concerned enogh to go outside & fire it up. Plugged in my skilsaw & no problem, the juice was there. Could it be brand specific?

 

[texbaylea]

I have never heard of this problem with generators unless it has to do with some of the new magnetic materials. I have a PTO generator that I use about every 5 years or so. Never fails to generate power. Of course it is about 20 years old and has good old iron magnetics. All I have to do is push the button that energizes the exciter coil and I have power. It is an orphan now so if I have a major problem it is junk.

Vernon

 

[LedgeMagnet]

I lived without electricity for 7 years, as did everyone else on my hill. We had all sorts of generators. I had a big Dayton that ran on LP and a small Honda. Others had Onans, Kawasakis, a WWII vintage rig that ran off a Continental 4 cyl, etc, etc.


The Honda generators outlasted everything else we all had by a WIDE margin. I mean WIDE, as in they never broke, period, no matter what. Sorry, but everything else is junk by comparison, and the B&S- powered units were the worst.

No surprise that Hondas are about all you see in commercial use.