
Reasons Why Portable Generators Can Fail
In this article we will discuss some of the obvious reasons why portable generators can fail. Portable generators are a great solution to a temporary power outage or the lack of electricity when away from home. Unfortunately, portable generators can also fail when they are needed the most and leave the person without any source of power. There are several common reasons that this might happen and they can usually be avoided.
Most of the time, a portable generator will fail due to some type of problem related to the fuel. It is important to keep in mind that the generator will be supplying the necessary energy when there is no other source of power to run electrical appliances, heat, and lights. Therefore, it is important that the right amount of fresh, high quality fuel be used. Unfortunately, if fuel prices are high, people will often choose to buy the lowest quality of fuel because it costs less.
Another way that they might avoid paying a lot for high quality fuel is to purchase larger quantities of it when the price is low and store it until they need it for their portable generator. Using fuel that has been sitting around for a while can cause the portable generator to fail because the fuel could be stale or contaminated.
The final problem that relates to fueling the portable generator is the need to have enough fuel readily available. This is not as difficult as it might sound. To be sure that the fuel does not become stale, the person can periodically use the fuel for their vehicle or other compatible motor and store a fresh amount for the portable generator when it is needed.
There are also problems related to storing the portable generator that can cause it to fail. Storing the portable generator improperly can cause it to fail. The motor could become waterlogged or moving parts might rust in place. In addition, portable generators are likely to fail if they have been left sitting too long between uses.
Of course, a portable generator is meant to be used whenever a need arises, but if this does not happen very often the generator might not be primed and ready to produce the amount of energy that is expected. In order to keep it ready to function properly, it is best to start a portable generator every month and let it run for a few minutes. This will lubricate the motor so that it does not seize up and it will flush out any fuel that has been sitting in the carburetor since the last time it was used.
The last two common reasons for a portable generator to fail have to do with the electricity. It is important that the generator should not be overloaded beyond its intended wattage. It cannot handle powering everything in a home that is run on electricity and trying to do so will damage the generator and leave the person without any power. In addition, a portable generator should never be plugged directly into a wall outlet to supply energy to the home because it could cause electrocution.
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