Generator questions

I too have a GENERAC 5500. (2001) It is hard (time-wise) to start up even in warm weather. Do NOT have it crank longer than 15 seconds (says the owners' manual) or one might overheat the starter. They say it...I do it. It takes a good 3-4 tries until it starts. And I notice the starting RPM increase the closer it gets to starting. The it fires up...and I wait about 20 seconds before putting any kind of load on it. My unit, however, when the temp gets below 30 degrees will not start no matter what. Crank and crank forever...no start. So I just leave it alone until the next, say, 40 degree day.
I start the genny and the motorhome engine every two weeks during winter storage. Run both for about 1/2 hour, Some here on the forum say "don't bother", but I feel better...at least keep the oil flowing and the batteries charged. Then, if no snow (or chemicals) on the ground I take it out for a short run maybe once every month and a half .

Thanks for the quick replies. Good to know everything is as it should be with the generator.

My standalone 10hp, 5000w, generator always starts on the 1st or 2nd pull.

I always turn the fuel off and run the carb dry.

I have several gasoline engines at home (snow blower, lawn mowers, 2 riding lawn mowers, 2 generators, log splitter). In cold weather, all of them are a little more work to fire up. My push mower is the best example. In the Summer, one pull and it fires right off! Never misses. In the winter, I may have to pull the starter rope 20 times before it fires (if it fires at all).

Those machines that have a gas turn-off (petcock), I'll turn the gas flow off and then let the engine run dry until it starves itself for fuel. This way, gasoline will not have a chance to gum-up the carburetor.

Also, I have found keeping Sta-Bill in the fuel tanks helps also, starting in cold weather. I have one riding lawn mower, when it gets below a certain temperature, it simply will not power up. The battery will run dead before it fires. I give up on that one in the coldest weather. When the temps warm up above freezing, it will fire up just fine again. It' just the nature of a small gasoline engine.

Basically, what you are experiencing is pretty typical. Bottom line, the colder it gets, the more difficult they start.

In warm weather the Onan 5500 in our 96 Southwind takes 10-20 seconds of cranking to start after it's been sitting for a month.

Colder weather may take a few seconds longer, but not much.

I try to run it every 4-6 weeks for excercise.
I plug in a 1500 heater and leave it run for at least 1/2 an hour.

Make sure you change the generator fuel filter and the air filter is clean.

I would not call 20 seconds long , for a month long wait in cold weather
The carburetor was probably dry, and had to be primed by the fuel pump

Somebody else will probably say something else