A storm-bought generator sat for 2 years — the bigger danger may be what's in the tank

One homeowner who bought a generator after a storm knocked out power for a day left it sitting in a garage for more than two years. 

They're now asking what it will take to get the generator running safely again. But, at this point, the biggest problem may be the fuel left inside.

Here's what to know

The homeowner posted their situation to Reddit's r/Generator community, and described a Generac GP8000 that had seen only about 8 to 11 hours of use before spending more than two years in a garage.

Their uncertainty centered on the oil still inside the engine. The original poster wrote, "It still has the break in oil it came with. I imagine I gotta change the oil before I use it again, but would it be a problem seeing as I didn't break it in for 20 hours before? What else would I likely need to do to get it running again?" 

Because the machine never reached the full 20-hour break-in period, they asked whether an oil change before using it again could create any problem. Low runtime does not always mean low risk if gasoline has been sitting in the tank and fuel system.

People replying saw the fuel system as the bigger immediate concern. 

One commenter wrote, "I see the OP has not used it for two years - with E10 fuel that could be a big issue - even though they stated they drained the fuel to 0 there is still fuel in lines and in the carb… These portables are 'required' to be started and run every 30 days for a short time to keep them running correctly and at the top of their performance."

Another added, "If/when/once you get it running, do yourself a favor and start that thing once every 3 to 4 weeks. Google how long to let it run for so it will get the condensation out of the oil."

A third recommended, "Replace the oil, you'll be surprised at how much 'junk' [is] in the old oil, and only fill partly with gas. Carburetor should have been drained before storing."

More background

Portable generators often spend most of their lives in storage, coming out only when severe weather or grid problems interrupt service. That stop-and-start pattern can make neglect easy and expensive.

Old gasoline, especially ethanol-blended fuel, can degrade over time and leave behind varnish and moisture-related problems that make engines hard to start. In many cases, stale fuel causes more trouble than the machine's hour count.

If a generator has been idle for years, handling the maintenance before storm season is safer than waiting until the next outage. Even with limited use, changing the oil is a sensible first step.

But for many people, a battery backup system is more dependable than a gas generator and safer and better for the environment.

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