How often do you start your portable standby generators?

[Gunny]

During summer months I keep one 5 gallon can o stabilized gas on hand for my generator, during winter months I keep three cans, just in case.

I keep the generator under a cover in the garage with a 1500 watt heater plugged in and try to do month runs, sometimes it'll stretch out to six weeks. I turn the gas valve on, fire the engine up and let it idle for a few minutes, then turn the heater on to put the generator under a load and let it run for 10-15 minutes, then I'll walk back in, turn the heater and gas valve off to let it run dry.

I've been doing this for right around five years and the generator always starts, sometimes it'll take two rope pulls, occasionally it'll hit and run on the first pull.

We've never had an outage since I bought the generator, but with my luck - if I didn't take some steps to make sure it runs, if I didn't, we'd have a major outage and the generator wouldn't start.

I do change oil every spring, just more insurance and doesn't cost much at all to do it,

 

[PILOON]

LOL, not often enough but then we seem to have enough outages that scheduled exercising is not needed.
I do however use only non alcohol gas and my battery lives connected to a 'keeper' charger. (the intelligent kind)

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Every time I run my tractor I'm running my generator, BECAUSE my tractor also powers my generator.

That's how I know my generator is ready to go any time I need it!

When hooked to the generator, my tractor sits there and hums away, powering my whole house on 1 gallon of diesel or less per hour and I can't even hear it running when I'm inside my house...

SR

 

[rustyshakelford]

I use my miller bobcat 250 efi for a back up generator. Try to start it once a month. It had a battery mindr on it so it’ll always be ready.

Brett

 

[Aquamoose]

Mine is a tri-fuel but I run it on NG. Maintenance is virtually almost zero. It lives in a climate controlled garage on wheels.

 

[HillStreet]

A lot of folks use MOGAS or AVGAS obtained from local airports. Many carry but some don’t. There is no ethanol so it lasts forever. I used to use it but have since gone to a whole house propane that test runs weekly. No start failures in almost three years. Knock on wood