Roast away if you must, but we bought a Generac portable generator from Lowe's before one of the ice storms came through 2-3 years ago. It's one of the 6500-Watt units that are $899 and go on sale from time to time.

We haven't even opened up the cardboard box as we didn't lose power that year and have not since.

Did I screw up and ruin the generator by not using it? If so, is it a DIY project to flush anything out that may need to be flush to get a clean start?

Thanks for any help!

No. If it's been in the box this whole time, minus dust, it should be 100% fine.

Maybe some gaskets or rubberized seals aren't great, but that is hit or miss.

Once you do put gas in it don't let it sit another 2 years....I made that mistake recently ( it was always on my to-do list) and when Milton came through I had a heck of a time getting it going.

I have the same one you are describing and after draining and cleaning out the carb I did finally get it running and was able to use it for a few days

AZAG08 said:

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Once you do put gas in it don't let it sit another 2 years....I made that mistake recently ( it was always on my to-do list) and when Milton came through I had a heck of a time getting it going.

I have the same one you are describing and after draining and cleaning out the carb I did finally get it running and was able to use it for a few days

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So much this.

The reason my bigger one didn't run is precisely because I didn't drain both the tank and carb of gas after I ran it last time and that was a long time ago. I wanted to kick my own ass Fight Club style because I was 'tarded and it cost me a lot of stress and time and the ire of the missus.

It now has a new carb and a fuel shutoff valve that I use to shut fuel flow off so when it does run, it runs the carb dry. This weekend I'm putting a tee in the fuel line with another valve so I can drain the entire tank before putting it up for storage, because I know myself well enough to know for a fact I will absolutely not take it out every other month and run it like it should be done if you have fuel in it.

I was on such a kick that I added a fuel shutoff bypass to my Predator 3500 deer lease generator so it now runs the carb dry as well. Hopefully that eliminates some future problems with the carb gumming up.

Would Sta-Bil solve the mystery?

I never remember to use this stuff but it's supposed to work.

If you have time, many generators have a prescribed break in procedure in the directions. Most don't have oil filters so I suggest changing the oil frequently the first 100 hours to make sure you remove all the little metal slivers that tend to work themselves out of the engine.

If you plan to use it long term, I suggest changing the oil pan bolt (for draining) with a valve so you no longer have a mess every oil change.

Something like this Fumoto has worked great for me. Just make sure you get the right thread and size for your unit.

Fumoto F103N with LC-10 lever clip FN-Series Engine Oil Drain Valve, 1 Pack https://a.co/d/36Est1A

I have one still sitting in the unopened box from 4 years ago.

Centerpole90 said:

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You've received lots of good advice here OP. If it puts your mind at ease, I bought a 17kw Generac after Hurricane Dolly in 2008. I dodged many bullets and installed it in 2020 (you read that right) Just in time Hanna. It ran like a top. Like others have said though, the REAL maintenance starts once you pop cherry on it.

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I actually bought one after evacuating for Rita in 2005, that I didn't touch (other than moving 4 times) the ice storm in 2023 where we lost power for a few days! Added oil and gas, started right up. Drained it and ran dry using the fuel cutoff.

Generator is going to be useless. Repairing it will not be worth its value. You will be lucky to get scrap metal value for it. I will do you a favor and offer 150$. Due to the nature of this generous offer, I think you would need to deliver though.

Jack Squat 83 said:

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Would Sta-Bil solve the mystery?

I never remember to use this stuff but it's supposed to work.

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I have not verified this myself, but I have heard that Sta-Bil is not a petroleum product and is lighter than oil, therefore it settles to the top and does not mix with the gas. Also, Sta-Bil is strictly for stabilizing gas only.

A better alternative in my opinion is Sea Foam. It will stabilize and clean, and prevent mousture(or so it claims to). I like to put a strong mixture (2oz per gallon) into my generator , and run it once a month for about 10 minutes. The gas in my generator is currently about 14 months old and is not having any issues starting. I have never drained the carb between starts. Also have never used ethanol free gas.