Back up whole house propane generator

[yanmars]

Generac Guardian whole house generator. A friend has one he is not going to use anymore. Have interest but it is about 15 years old and I think it is a sold lifter unit and not the newer hydraulic lifter type. For the little they run how often and how much of a hassle is it to adjust the solid lifters? Probably more wear on start up, that might only be once a month just to keep it maintained so to speak.
Again any of you that may have used such a unit, let me know. Other issue as this is a used unit and even without that I hear maintenance, repair, parts from a Guardian installer is often impossible if they did not sell and install originally. Hope to hear from actual users of same. Thanks

 

[Sergei1]

First to be helpful we need the model number. Are you getting the panel also?

 

[yanmars]

I will try to get that info but the owner is out of town for awhile. I know it is a 17KW unit and has a transfer switch, wiring etc with it.

 

[grsthegreat]

If its 15 years old, its an older style pre nexus style generator. Manual adjusted valves, but only need adjusting once every 4 years. Easy to do, not too much of an issue. There not as reliable of a generator as the newer evolution controller generators. Things like the fact if the voltage regulator fails, the generator puts out 350 volts to house and doesn’t shut itself off .... new ones would.

They exercise for 15 minutes once a week, without transfer actual power to house. If it doesn稚 have a transfer switch, a newer style switch would work with minor adjustment. That generator needs a separate battery charger which is not included in current switches. Current generators have chargers built within the controller unlike this one.

This unit will not have a hour meter (those were added around 2008 I believe) so who knows how many hours.

If its free...go for it. When I find these older units I can’t seem to give them away. Cases are usually rusted badly, look real rough.

Get some pictures.

Oh...I am a Generac service tech

i work on any GENERAC unit whether or not I install it

 

[workinonit]

I have several of them in the 12 kW range. I buy them from auctions where the telephone company is required to change them out every few years regardless of condition. They all have about 400 hours of runtime, mostly test runs every week. I started buying them to change the one out at my mom's every time the last one craps out, which is pretty often considering and it is cheaper to replace it than to fix the old one. Out of all of them I don't think I have ever heard of having to adjust lifters or even having lifter issues. What I can say is that if mom and dad had not already had that thing in place I would not have gone to the trouble of replacing it and I would never install another LP standby again.

 

[grsthegreat]

I have several of them in the 12 kW range. I buy them from auctions where the telephone company is required to change them out every few years regardless of condition. They all have about 400 hours of runtime, mostly test runs every week. I started buying them to change the one out at my mom's every time the last one craps out, which is pretty often considering and it is cheaper to replace it than to fix the old one. Out of all of them I don't think I have ever heard of having to adjust lifters or even having lifter issues. What I can say is that if mom and dad had not already had that thing in place I would not have gone to the trouble of replacing it and I would never install another LP standby again.

The reason they probably started failing is because you didn’t adjust the valves. Its usually the exhaust valve that gets tight allowing for loss of compression. A simple 30 minute adjustment would have probably fixed the crapping out generators. Its all in the owners manual.

 

[PILOON]

The reason they probably started failing is because you didn’t adjust the valves. Its usually the exhaust valve that gets tight allowing for loss of compression. A simple 30 minute adjustment would have probably fixed the crapping out generators. Its all in the owners manual.

Yep, was once given a supposedly trashed generator with 800 hrs on the tach.
Had 0 compression.
Well I turned out that it was simply valves that remained open and it took all of 5 mins to get it fired up again.
Heck the battery was even good enough to start it.

 

[grsthegreat]

i have repaired many , many generators over the years with a simple valve adjustment. one guy in particular i remember. he called and wanted me to replace his old 10yr or so older gen with a new one cause engine was trashed. wanted quote on new generator. i asked him is i could do a service call to check out unit. he at first did not want to spend the $$ on a service call cause another gen service guy told him unit was trashed. i finally convinced him to check it out. had near zero compression. adjusted valves (both exhaust tight). thing fired right up. i now service it every year. that was maybe 5 years ago. still works great

 

[workinonit]

The reason they probably started failing is because you didn’t adjust the valves. Its usually the exhaust valve that gets tight allowing for loss of compression. A simple 30 minute adjustment would have probably fixed the crapping out generators. Its all in the owners manual.

Nah, the engines didn't fail. The electronics is what we had issues with. Engines all still ran fine.

 

[Sergei1]

If its 15 years old, its an older style pre nexus style generator. Manual adjusted valves, but only need adjusting once every 4 years. Easy to do, not too much of an issue. There not as reliable of a generator as the newer evolution controller generators. Things like the fact if the voltage regulator fails, the generator puts out 350 volts to house and doesn’t shut itself off .... new ones would.

They exercise for 15 minutes once a week, without transfer actual power to house. If it doesn稚 have a transfer switch, a newer style switch would work with minor adjustment. That generator needs a separate battery charger which is not included in current switches. Current generators have chargers built within the controller unlike this one.

This unit will not have a hour meter (those were added around 2008 I believe) so who knows how many hours.

If its free...go for it. When I find these older units I can’t seem to give them away. Cases are usually rusted badly, look real rough.

Get some pictures.

Oh...I am a Generac service tech

i work on any GENERAC unit whether or not I install it

As stated if the voltage regulator does goes bad the output could go really high. To be safe add a surge protector to the transfer panel, generac has one for about 100 dollars, cheap insurance. I have surge protectors on house panel, shop and transfer panel.
Part Number 7300