How Many Hours

[Moxxi]

is too many hours on a gas-powered generator? (We looked at a MH this weekend. The generator had 591 hours on it.)

Is ONAN the generator to have?

[Mr_D]

Better to be used than not.

If used and not abused a diesel generator will go 25,000 hours. Abused (not run enough) maybe 1,000 hours.
Gasoline should go 5,000 to 10,000 hours under the same conditions.

[triplewide]

No expert here, but I would like to see at least 50 hours per year of age on the generator.

We don't use ours a lot and have accumulated about 100 hours per year.
If maintained properly, more hours are better than less.

Like Mr D said, use it or lose it.

[twinboat]

That's a myth that more hours is better. What is gained by wearing something out.

There are thousands of emergency vehicles, in the volunteer fire service, that are running 10 to 20+ year old, low hour equipment. There are specialty trucks that sit for 6 months or more.

As long as it works as built, less hours is better.

When I bought my 2000 MH in 2014, the generator had " 6 " hours on it. It started the day I bought it and still does, with 500 hours on it now.

If your looking at units with over 1500 - 2000 hours, then there may be some concern. If it wasn't serviced properly, ( Oil changes, Valve adjustments, De-carbonized ) then there can be problems down the road.

[Bob Hyatt]

Originally Posted by twinboat

That's a myth that more hours is better. What is gained by wearing something out.

There are thousands of emergency vehicles, in the volunteer fire service, that are running 10 to 20+ year old, low hour equipment. There are specialty trucks that sit for 6 months or more.

As long as it works as built, less hours is better.

When I bought my 2000 MH in 2014, the generator had " 6 " hours on it. It started the day I bought it and still does, with 500 hours on it now.

If your looking at units with over 1500 - 2000 hours, then there may be some concern. If it wasn't serviced properly, ( Oil changes, Valve adjustments, De-carbonized ) then there can be problems down the road.

Can you spell E10 and phase separation? That is just ONE reason why more is better than very little. I have seen gas tractor motors (farm tractors) with 15,000 hours on 'em and they are running rock solid. I have seen a couple that have sat idle for a year or two and won't even turn over (with good battery). Same is true of outboard motors on boats. Too few hours is almost always worse than too many. If it is being used, you know it is working.

[twinboat]

Originally Posted by Bob Hyatt

Can you spell E10 and phase separation? That is just ONE reason why more is better than very little. .

Phase seperation happens when E gas is left in the carburetor to long. That has absolutely nothing to do with engine hours.

Many high hour, heavy use, generators have that happen while in storage for over a month or two.

[WeatherTodd]

ut oh... my 2005 Onan has 2700 hours on it!

What should I do?? I wont even mention what my 2017 Honda EU 2000 has on it (1800 hours)

Use it to make electrical power. Ive seen campers with 30 year old generators working just fine!

[Steve737]

My 2014 QG 7000 has just under 600 hours. Been real reliable up until now the fuel pump just went out. I just changed it out and all good again. IMHO I think it’s less about hours and more about not letting it sit for long periods of time. Varnishing in carb is a real issue. According to Onan it can happen is as little as one month. Hours would not scare me as long as it’s working. Good luck Steve

[Bob Hyatt]

Originally Posted by twinboat

Phase seperation happens when E gas is left in the carburetor to long. That has absolutely nothing to do with engine hours.

Many high hour, heavy use, generators have that happen while in storage for over a month or two.

So if you don't run it very often you are STILL running it often enough to avoid phase separation? Please think about it. You do NOT want a genset sitting for long periods of time. Friend of mine spent a ton of money 20+ years ago to add one to his house. After 2 years he had a power outage and it would not start. Had not been run. That was my point. Onan recommends starting the genset once a month and running for at least 30 minutes to an hour, longer the better.

People see this same problem play out with boats / outboard motors. Someone will find a boat that has been sitting in an enclosed garage for 5 years after the owner died. Widow decides (finally) to sell it. Won't run. Won't crank. Needs a good bit of expensive work to return it to operational status.

If a generator has 200 hours in two years it has been running. One that has 20 hours over 6 years is questionable. Note that this is simple extrapolation. One can assume a high hour generator has been used regularly, but that is just an assumption - albeit a reasonable one. One can assume an extremely low hour generator has been sitting a lot, which is also a reasonable assumption. Either can be wrong, but not in the majority of the cases.

[homerbw]

18 plus years using our generator and we sit 4-5 months at a time without using it. Works great.

[jvanick]

Our '02 bounder has about 700 hours or so on the genny... when we got it, the generator hadn't been used in several years and wouldn't start, and the carb and fuel pump and filter needed to be replaced... I replaced all the fuel lines to it at the same time as I figured whatever junk was in the lines wasn't too good to go into the the rest of the motor.

since then, we run it at least a few times a month when we are traveling, nice to have the ac running to keep it comfortable.

this past winter I stabilized the gas with Pri-G in the coach, let everything run through the gas lines (put about 15 or so miles and 2 hours on the generator). I just started the genny and coach last night, and no problems at all... both started right up.

[Craig1960]

I agree with Twinboat, we have generators that will sit for a year or more then go to a job and run continuously for months only shutting down for services. We don't start the generators until we know they are going to work then we just start it to check everything. I just sent a generator that we hadn't used in a couple years to the auction that had over 20,000 hours and was still running strong.

[vettenuts]

Originally Posted by Moxxi

is too many hours on a gas-powered generator? (We looked at a MH this weekend. The generator had 591 hours on it.)

Is ONAN the generator to have?

I would not be concerned with those hours as long as you have documentation that it was properly maintained.

[ArgoPilot]

If the thing runs smoothly and does what it's supposed to, then don't worry. Service it once you buy, and maintain it.