What should I do about generator exercising?

Specularius wrote:
on my 2000's I just drain the carb after use and never exercise it until I'm ready to use it the next time.

Exactly but I drain the tank too. That gets it back to the way it was when new. They don't get exercised sitting in the box waiting to be sold.

Dick

I have two "vintage" Honda generators: A Honda EX650 and a Honda EX1000.

I never exercise them - just start them up and run them whenever I need them. Both are in pristine condition and both start right up like the day they were new.

I'm not sure I'd be too concerned about not exercising old Hondas ... just keep Stabil in the gas in their tanks.

It's our motorhome's built-in Onan generator that I exercise regularly. I load it with an electric heater (winter), or the RV's air conditioner (summer) while it's running.

Wa State (wet side) is why I run mine (ONAN) once a month.

RAS43 wrote:

Executive wrote:
Personally I wouldn't worry about not exercising it. Do it again when it's possible...worry about the weather, worry about the economy, worry about what to have for dinner....don't worry about the genset....Dennis

X2 Mine sits all winter, is 10 years old and I have never had any issues with starting, running or bad fuel.

A friend has an Onan 4KY genset to power his summer place on an island. It runs a LOT for 4 or 5 months a year and isn't touched the rest of the year. After 20 some years it still starts and runs flawlessly every spring.

My Onan 4KY doesn't get started till it's needed, that's sometimes 6 months, it too runs and works just fine.

OP here...Thanks everybody. The gen has been good to me and don't want to mess up anything.

My mother has a Honda at her house and only uses it when the power goes out or when one of us thinks of it. It's about 10 years old and starts every time even when it often sets for 6 months.

One month would not worry me. I havc an older Honda E3500. It has been stalwartly reliable and all I have ever done is follow the owner's manual.
It and most of the old Hondas have a screw in the carburetor to drain the fuel. Turn the fuel off and do that. Then grab the rope and pull it up to compression and leave it alone. Now the carburetor is dry and the valves are closed, so those parts won't rust.

This is all in the owners manual.

Matt

I wouldn't worry about missing 1 month.

I have a Honda 2000 that sat for 4-1/2 years without starting that was stored a long ways from home. It took 4 - 5 pulls to start on the gas that was in it. Have used it a couple of times since then, it works fine.

Exercising a generator once a month is optimum, but look at all of the generators that are stored some place far from where the owner is most of the time. They only get started every six months if they're lucky. I'm mainly referring to all of the MHs stored in AZ. The snowbirds arrive in late fall to pick them up, use them all winter, put them in storage for the summer, and fly home again. It's not the end of the world.

Bill

Executive wrote:
Personally I wouldn't worry about not exercising it. Do it again when it's possible...worry about the weather, worry about the economy, worry about what to have for dinner....don't worry about the genset....Dennis

X2 Mine sits all winter, is 10 years old and I have never had any issues with starting, running or bad fuel.