11/10/2021
Is your Generator Prepared?
Storm Season is coming, and your generator has been sitting in the shed, garage or under a tarp all summer. Will it run when you need it?
Let’s begin with a few easy steps to ensure that you have the emergency power you need in the event of an unforeseen outage.
Engine Preparation
1. Check and top up or replace your engine oil if required.
2. Clean and charge up your battery if equipped.
3. Drain your fuel tank and replace it with the highest-octane fuel available. Many gas suppliers do not add ethanol to this fuel but ask your supplier to be sure.
4. Run it up and ensure that everything is operational.
5. If equipped, shut of your fuel valve, and run the engine until it dies so fuel doesn’t sit in the carburetor.
6. Test run your generator monthly to keep it exercised.
Fuel Supply
Fuel supplied at a service station is designed for automobiles with an expectation that what is pumped into your tank will be used in 30 days or less. This presents challenges for small engines and the storage of fuel for them over a longer period.
OK here is where the game changes. Its wintertime on the west coast and many of us have generators as a backup power source and we need to store enough fuel for them to get us through an outage of a few hours or few days.
Here is what you can do to mitigate the issue.
1. Decide how much fuel you need?
2. In the fall, fill your fuel cans with fresh high-octane fuel and ad a fuel stabilizer to them.
3. Use this new fuel to fill up your generator, and
4. Store your cans in a dry area, and keep your lids tightly closed to help slow down moisture absorption into the fuel.
High octane fuel with the correct amount of fuel stabilizer in my experience can last up to six months if stored properly. Taking the above steps should ensure that you will have a trouble free start up in the event that you need emergency power.
Station Small Engine Repair
