Generator won’t restart after running earlier tonight

[andrewkw]

You are correct I turned it upside down. I did at least remember I have hydrogen peroxide and potatoes so that will help with another all night manual aeration. I have about 30-45 more minutes of daylight so o will hopefully try the generator again before then.

 

[TheOne]

You are correct I turned it upside down. I did at least remember I have hydrogen peroxide and potatoes so that will help with another all night manual aeration. I have about 30-45 more minutes of daylight so o will hopefully try the generator again before then.

Yes, pull start it without the airfilter on. If it doesnt start then you have other problems.

 

[TheOne]

Also if you have wd40 spray a shot into the carb before cranking over. I've done it lots of times on an old Chevy Nova drag car we had.

How old was the gas in it? Ive taken apart carbs with gas so old it gummed up like jelly. Your not going to run that without a good cleaning.

 

[BZOFIQ]

Here are a couple of tips for generator owners - I follow these and knock on the wood never had a problem with any of my gasoline powered equipment.

Start your generator few time a year and let it run for 5-10 minutes with small load - not if your garage or shed of course. This allows it to burn off any moisture plus confirms that the thing still works should you need it.

Change your oil annually, even if you didn't get to use it this year besides the occasional starts. Once the oil is out of the bottle and used, it brakes down even as it sits.

If you have a starter - charge your batteries with trickle charger few times a year to make sure its good to go.

Use only highest octane gas available so go for premium vs regular. Use Sta-Bil or similar fuel stabilizer in states (or places) where ethanol is added to fuel if you dont use your equipment on daily basis. Ethanol is terrible for small engines and gums up fuel system when in storage.

Use choke only on a cold engine. Once the generator is stopped, dont choke it if engine is still hot or warm.

...and the last and probably most important - close the fuel valve to stop the engine. Let it run out of fuel and sputter leaving nearly no fuel in carburetor. I use this method on ALL of my portable equipment - never ever had an issue starting things up even after a year in storage between seasons.

 

[andrewkw]

Gas was old but it ran for a few hours yesterday. I removed all (most) of the gas but putting new gas didn’t help.

Unfortunately it’s already dark so I don’t think I can get it going. I have no idea where the spark plug wrench is or if I even still have it.

I probably should have learned all this stuff when I got the generator 3 years ago..

 

[TheOne]

Gas was old but it ran for a few hours yesterday. I removed all (most) of the gas but putting new gas didn’t help.

Unfortunately it’s already dark so I don’t think I can get it going. I have no idea where the spark plug wrench is or if I even still have it.

I probably should have learned all this stuff when I got the generator 3 years ago..

Sorry, Unfortunately if its just set up then you are probably better off taking it to a small engine repair shop. They see it everyday. It's the price we pay for wanting cheap gas. I run stabil and non ethanol in all of my small engines. Like above its best to turn off the fuel line and let the carb run dry for any extended time.

I hope your tanks pull thru. Any friends with a generator to loan?

 

[315wall]

Also always try to run pure gas with no ethanol it plugs up the carb, been there done that. Costs a bit more but less issues and its usually only a few gallons.

 

[KenRexford]

My new generator ran for several hours then stopped. I called a buddy and he spotted my error immediately. The foam air filter on mine needed to be soaked in motor oil and then squeezed out before use. The oil helps catch crud but it also reduces air flow. Too much air was causing the generator to shut down.

 

[andrewkw]

I will set an alarm for every 90 minutes since I probably can’t stay up all night again today. I didn’t use hydrogen peroxide and potatoes yesterday but will today so that should take care of the oxygen.

I have to keep the house hotter than what is comfortable but i can maintain 74 degree water temp. Using a Kent scraper makes a nice wave the only downside is it’s run on manual labor.

My fish are certainly getting a lot of sleep the past few days..

 

[andrewkw]

Power is back! I am so happy but realize it can go at any time. As long as it lasts a few hours I will survive another day.

Definitely going to get a better backup backup power supply for the future. Given that tomorrow is new years eve I probably can't get my main generator serviced until next year but we'll see.

 

[andrewkw]

Another day, another power failure...

 

[andrewkw]

So I changed the spark plug but once I tried to start it, it exploded! Sound was so loud. Not sure what that means other then my repair skills suck...

 

[Mr4000]

Possibly just built up gas in the cylinder. Take the air cleaner off, spray a little starting fluid in choke it and make sure the gas is turned on. It should fire up. Don't spray too much starting fluid in as it will lock the cylinder up. Also if its too cold you will have a hard time starting it also if its down to 0 out. Mine will not start without being heated up if its too cold.

 

[LegendaryCG]

So I changed the spark plug but once I tried to start it, it exploded! Sound was so loud. Not sure what that means other then my repair skills suck...

Fouled spark plug might not have been creating enough heat to ignite the fuel in the chamber and when you changed it you caused a backfire...

 

[ca1ore]

...and the last and probably most important - close the fuel valve to stop the engine. Let it run out of fuel and sputter leaving nearly no fuel in carburetor. I use this method on ALL of my portable equipment - never ever had an issue starting things up even after a year in storage between seasons.

This is key! I do this with all my small engine machines. Hasn’t failed me yet ......

 

[andrewkw]

So the plug isn’t done? I got scared after the explosion I’ve been cleaning the old plug with rubbing alcohol.

 

[Paleozoic_reefer]

@andrewkw I don't mean to hijack your thread but how are you using H2O2 and potatoes to keep your tank aerated???

 

[andrewkw]

@andrewkw I don't mean to hijack your thread but how are you using H2O2 and potatoes to keep your tank aerated???

The potatoes break down and cause a reaction to make the hydrogen peroxide release the oxygen. The king of diy has a really old video that explains it well. Same thing happens when you use it on a cut.

So the airline is in the water bottle but not actually in they peroxide. It’s just a trickle into the tank but it’s oxygen not air. In the past I kept fish alive for 3 days like this and that wasn’t even due to a power failure. I was visiting my sister for Easter weekend and everything was closed but the grocery store. I had bought fish earlier in the day but forgot my air pump at home.

 

[Paleozoic_reefer]

@andrewkw that is an amazing hack!!! Thanks for sharing it!!

 

[andrewkw]

I FIXED IT!!!!

Thank you for all the suggestions. Never in a million years did I think I could get it going. 3 days ago I didn’t even know what a spark plug looked like. I just went and got more gas so I have more then 20 gallons on hand and more extension cords so I can plug in non fish stuff to and have some normalcy while I wait for the power to return.

Thanks again for all the support I am seriously so relieved to hear the generator outside and not my little battery powered air pump inside.