Generators; How Level is Level?

If you can comfortably stand on the ground, it's level enough for the generator.

Bill

If the gen will run, it's level enough (it has nothing to do with how comfortable it is for you ;)). The problem arises when it's so far out of level that the low oil sensor is tripped.

My nephew has an ocean boat with the Yamaha, it's anything but level,works fine
Btc

Trackrig wrote:
If you can comfortably stand on the ground, it's level enough for the generator.

Bill

Thanks for that, Bill, but being a backpacker, hiker, (not to mention rock climber), I'm pretty comfortable on some quite un-level ground. Could you be more specific? I might notice it if I had to lock one knee and unlock the other to stay upright, but that would probably put a generator sitting on that ground several degrees out of level.

I'm guessing this is an issue of when the lubricating system can't cycle, or the carburetor can't dispense fuel efficiently that would limit it's off-level capabilities. It needs someone with knowledge of the internal design to really know the limits.

ScottG wrote:
If the gen will run, it's level enough (it has nothing to do with how comfortable it is for you ;)). The problem arises when it's so far out of level that the low oil sensor is tripped.

Wow, so you're saying it's idiot proof? It won't start if it's too out of level? That's great, because I've proven myself to be a pretty big idiot a couple of time RVing.

weasel4 wrote:
My nephew has an ocean boat with the Yamaha, it's anything but level,works fine
Btc

Hmm, that's very interesting, but it makes me wonder if it's something like RV refrigerators. They will get damaged if they run out of level (whatever that is) for too long, but going down the road, the constant swaying prevents that.

double post, sorry

I have been running a Yamaha for years with out a level. Only one time has it shut down because it was way off from level. After I finished digging the high side enough to get the trailer mostly level I dug out a flatter spot for the generator. Hunting camps are not level and paved, and with electric hook ups so lots of run time.

A generator engine is not inherently different from any other small engine. A few degrees off kilter certainly won't cause any problems. If it's level enough for a log splitter or pressure washer or lawn mower or whatever, the generator should also be all right. (Of course, if the ground slopes enough that the generator constantly wanders off due to its own vibration, you kind of need to do something about that.)

Leveling mainly is a concern to keep the oil in the right parts of the crankcase and, to a lesser extent, to keep the carburetor bowl filled to the proper level. There's nothing that would cause cumulative damage over time from small amounts of being out of level. Lack of lubrication, from being quite tilted, would of course cause rather rapid engine damage. The electrical parts of the generator will work at basically any orientation whatsoever.

Rmack1 wrote:

Trackrig wrote:
If you can comfortably stand on the ground, it's level enough for the generator.

Bill

Thanks for that, Bill, but being a backpacker, hiker, (not to mention rock climber), I'm pretty comfortable on some quite un-level ground. Could you be more specific? I might notice it if I had to lock one knee and unlock the other to stay upright, but that would probably put a generator sitting on that ground several degrees out of level.

I'm guessing this is an issue of when the lubricating system can't cycle, or the carburetor can't dispense fuel efficiently that would limit it's off-level capabilities. It needs someone with knowledge of the internal design to really know the limits.

OK, let's try this. If you put your camp chair sideways on the slope and could set in it for a long time without a lot of bother, then the slope isn't going to bother the generator.

I own a Coleman 1750, 3 Honda 2000s, a Champion 4000, a Briggs & Stratton 6000, a Kohler that's so old I don't know what size it is, and an Onan 7500 - the only thing I worry about is if they're level enough to refuel.

Bill