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MAINTENANCE&OILINFORMATION
Q:
Can I perform maintenance myself?
A:
Always check your owner’s manual to confirm specific maintenance intervals for your particular model. Any-
one can perform maintenance, but we recommend a sale or service dealer, as some aspects are very tech-
nical. Dealers can also make sure everything else is in order. Most units with an OHVI engine will require
maintenance every two years or after 200 hours of use.
Q:
Are there maintenance kits available for my home standby generator?
A:
Maintenance kits and parts can be purchased from any sales or service dealer, through our part distributors
(GPCs) or online at ordertree.com. Only Generac-brand maintenance parts should be used. We don’t rec-
ommend and don’t have cross-reference numbers for other brands like Fram or Napa.
Q:
What kind of oil and coolant do I need to use?
A:
Air-cooled units will come with some SAE 30 wt. oil from the factory. You will want to check the level and add
more if necessary during the installation. Liquid-cooled units are shipped with oil and coolant. No additional
oil needs to be added during installation.
Q:
What is the recommended oil to use?
A:
Always check the manual for each specific model as oil recommendations change depending on the model.
Our oil recommendations are based on climate or temperature. Cold weather kits are required when the
ambient temperature falls below 32 degrees F. These kits include the recommended synthetic oil.
Q:
Why use synthetic oil?
A:
Oil recommendations are based on temperature, but synthetic oil is a good option because it doesn’t
degrade or “sludge” like standard oil. It also has better lubrication properties and stands up better to high
temperatures in the engine.
Q:
What is the break-in period for my home standby generator?
A:
Current model air-cooled units do not require a break-in period. They can be switched to synthetic or any
weight oil immediately. Please check your owner’s manual to see if this was required for the particular unit.
OPERATION
Q:
How do I open an air-cooled standby generator?
A:
Air-cooled home standby generators manufactured in 2008 or later require a key to unlock its two locks
before opening the lid. The unit is locked when shipped. To open the lid for the first time, the customer may
need to apply heavy pressure on the lid above each lock while turning the key at the same time.
Q:
How long can I continuously operate my home standby generator?
A:
During an outage, we recommend the generator be shut down every 24 hours to inspect the air filter and oil
level. Let the engine cool for approximately 15 minutes to get an accurate reading on the dipstick. A com-
plete oil change will need to be performed after every 200 hours of operation for air-cooled units, or every
100 hours of operation for liquid-cooled units.
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