Generac Break-in Oil & First Oil Change

[UNC049]

I have a new whole house NG Generac 22kW generator. Although I can change it, the installer left the weekly exercise set to the default 5 minutes. The manual states to leave the mineral break-in oil for 25 hours before switching to full synthetic 5W-20. It's actually unlikely I'll ever need the generator; it's just insurance. 5 minutes seems insufficient to get fully warmed, especially in freezing winter temperatures. I can set the exercise time anywhere between 5 & 20 minutes weekly, bi-weekly or monthly.

If I only ever use it for 5 minutes per week, it will take 5.8 years to hit 25 hours. Obviously, that's not a good idea. The Generac at my previous house had a 10 minute weekly default. Even that would put me at 2.9 years. 15 minute runs times would take 1.9 years. Generac recommends 2-year oil change intervals, but I'll probably go with one-year intervals.

Seems I should switch to 15 minutes weekly, at least until the first oil change, then go with 10 minutes weekly from there. Any recommendations out there? Thanks.

 

[Mainia]

Yes. 100%. I would follow your exact plan with the exception. I would run the unit with your complete house on it with a good load for 6 hours if it was me. I guess I would do the full break-in of 25 hours, with an oil change in the middle of that.

 

[fozzdesy2001]

I would have to use it when it was still under warranty, and the power was on, just to see what it can really do. This would possibly find any problems, complete the break-in, get the maintenance figured out, and just be ready to use it before you really need it. I would have a hard time running 5W-20, but that's just me. (EDIT) Mainia beat me too it

 

[fantastic]

I have a new whole house NG Generac 22kW generator. Although I can change it, the installer left the weekly exercise set to the default 5 minutes. The manual states to leave the mineral break-in oil for 25 hours before switching to full synthetic 5W-20. It's actually unlikely I'll ever need the generator; it's just insurance. 5 minutes seems insufficient to get fully warmed, especially in freezing winter temperatures. I can set the exercise time anywhere between 5 & 20 minutes weekly, bi-weekly or monthly.

If I only ever use it for 5 minutes per week, it will take 5.8 years to hit 25 hours. Obviously, that's not a good idea. The Generac at my previous house had a 10 minute weekly default. Even that would put me at 2.9 years. 15 minute runs times would take 1.9 years. Generac recommends 2-year oil change intervals, but I'll probably go with one-year intervals.

Seems I should switch to 15 minutes weekly, at least until the first oil change, then go with 10 minutes weekly from there. Any recommendations out there? Thanks.

25 hours is close to my Harbor Freight generator's 30 hour break in time I noticed. Started sounding different and fuel consumption went down. That's probably why they want it in for 25 to get you broke-in before switching to synthetic. I'd not put a full load on it during break-in as others suggested. Wait until after then you could full load it.

 

[fantastic]

Ideally generators need to run for longer times to heat up etc. like you mentioned. 5 minutes isn't going to cut it. 15 minutes a week seems ideal or 30 minutes every 2 weeks at least.

 

[Mainia]

25 hours is close to my Harbor Freight generator's 30 hour break in time I noticed. Started sounding different and fuel consumption went down. That's probably why they want it in for 25 to get you broke-in before switching to synthetic. I'd not put a full load on it during break-in as others suggested. Wait until after then you could full load it.

I guess I would say he does need a full load of his house because I have a 11,000watt portable inverter and had everything on my small rambler and 24x48 ft garage one and it was barley past 1/4 draw. The 2 ton a/c with no soft or hard start was the only thing that dented it to 3/4 load for 2 seconds. He has double what mine is and would need a 25 room mansion with everything on to even thinking of denting his into any stress scenario. I highly bet he is way way over powered for his house. You have to load the rings with at least 1/2 load. I had to add 2 space heaters and 2 dehumidifiers to get a 1/2 load. With all out eco friendly electronics we don't have that much power when do a load test of total draw you actually use. I wish I would of bought the 8,000 watt and just put a hard start on my AC unit and in 3 years I will be installing a central air inverter unit. At least the inverter reduces rpm to need so I am not running a high rpm.

 

[repairman54]

My previous place 10 yr old Generac and current one have 10 min. exercise run times. You want the oil and engine in winter to get hot enough to cook out condensation, especially in winter.
Want to break it in, trip the main breaker and let the gen. run with minimal house load on it during daylight.
I do oil changes by the default 2 yr timer. Even then it comes out like it was just changed. Had to paint the dipstick to even see it on the stick. Only way I would change oil sooner is if I had a long run like a week straight.

 

[UNC054]

18kw Generac here, did my first oil & filter change at 4.5-5 hours, ran plain ole Valvoline white bottle 5w30 after speaking with a Generac Rep on the phone. At 25 hours I switched to 0w30 Mobil 1 ESP (I don’t have the filter warmer cold kit) so the 0w30 helps just a bit. I do yearly changes now unless I get an extended outage necessitating a change.

 

[UNC049]

I highly bet he is way way over powered for his house. You have to load the rings with at least 1/2 load.

You would win that bet. Yes, I knew I was overpowered. While I was skeptical, it was what the online calculators suggest. I have an app that provides the numbers. My baseline is 1kW. On a typical day I'm usually under 5kW peak. Rarely, will I hit 10kW peak. I charge the PHEV from midnight to 3 am and run the dishwasher from 3 am until 5:30 am. I rarely use the lower level AC but have two refrigerators and two dehumidifiers running 24/7.

Why did I knowingly overpower? The cost differential wasn't big relative to labor, transfer switch, etc. I could be wrong, but I also assume if it runs for a period of days or weeks, it will run at half RPM, reducing wear & tear as well as NG fuel cost.

Can you further explain how loading the rings to at least half load affects me? Thanks.

 

[Mainia]

You would win that bet. Yes, I knew I was overpowered. While I was skeptical, it was what the online calculators suggest. I have an app that provides the numbers. My baseline is 1kW. On a typical day I'm usually under 5kW peak. Rarely, will I hit 10kW peak. I charge the PHEV from midnight to 3 am and run the dishwasher from 3 am until 5:30 am. I rarely use the lower level AC but have two refrigerators and two dehumidifiers running 24/7.

Why did I knowingly overpower? The cost differential wasn't big relative to labor, transfer switch, etc. I could be wrong, but I also assume if it runs for a period of days or weeks, it will run at half RPM, reducing wear & tear as well as NG fuel cost.

Can you further explain how loading the rings to at least half load affects me? Thanks.

Is the unit an inverter?

Because that is a good safe range to break the rings in. That is where my 11,000 watt unit wanted my break-in at. I assume yours would too. I did it at about 60% to 40% varying for 20 to 25 hours. I can remember as it was last year.

 

[UNC049]

@Mainia, I don't know if it's an inverter. It's a standard Generac 22kW NG standby generator. The Generac app does offer a "Quiet Test Mode", where the unit runs at a lower speed during exercise to reduce noise & fuel consumption. The installer recommended not using that mode (assuming a 5-minute run). Are you suggesting I use that mode? Thanks.

 

[repairman54]

Food for thought, how many old units are out there that have been run loaded up with no issues from day one ?
My current unit came with the house, my previous unit I installed and did a little break in running before changing the oil. Old unit was 10 yrs old and current one is at least 10 years old, no issues in the last 2 years I've had it and by the looks of it, it hit the ground running.
Don't over think it, its just a air cooled mower engine running at 3600 rpm.
Over sized unit will just hum along at its fixed rpm with way less throttle to maintain rpm and voltage vs marginal unit that will lug down every time a decent load comes on line. If you have ever used a smaller portable gen set you know what I mean.
Don't use the quiet mode, boiling a pot of water to make some Ramens probably uses more gas than the maintenance mode at normal speed.

 

[Mainia]

@Mainia, I don't know if it's an inverter. It's a standard Generac 22kW NG standby generator. The Generac app does offer a "Quiet Test Mode", where the unit runs at a lower speed during exercise to reduce noise & fuel consumption. The installer recommended not using that mode (assuming a 5-minute run). Are you suggesting I use that mode? Thanks.

I would not, I would go by what they say on that. Once it is older maybe. I myself would run it for at least 20 minutes in the summer and 30-40 minutes in the NY winters to try to reduce condensation and moisture problems. 5 minutes would never get the oil up to temperature. I find that kind weird they chose 5 mins. When I run our backup rotary screw air compressors at my work, I run them for 30-45 mins because it takes 10 mins just to get the oil up to 190F where water just starts to flash off. They are far different then a piston engine like yours. They are basically a small Roots style compressor like a funny car dragster, compressing oil and air and shedding the oil to deliver air at high volumes.