Generac GP5500 Generator Engine

[TWG1572]

Farm and Fleet was having a Black Friday sale on these for $499, so I picked one up. We live in the country and have some power outages. Our neighbors a mile down the road had power knocked out for over a day last winter during a nasty snow storm. I know that's nothing compared to some of the more major natural disasters we've seen, but freezing pipes become a real concern here during an extended winter blackout.

Anyway, the engine is some sort of chonda. I've never owned one of these before - how does one go about cross referencing parts like filters, etc? There's a parts manual online, but it looks like it's just for the generator and not the engine.

It's not like I need to do anything now, and I know these engines are designed to be pretty much disposable, but I'm just curious how you might even go about figuring what equivilant parts might be.

 

[Finz]

There should be a bunch of places online where you can cross reference

Maybe this one?

generac parts

A bunch came up on Google

 

[LC]

This may help you.
http://www.searspartsdirect.com/partsdir...96/0430/0702250

 

[TWG1572]

Doh! Facepalm. I had just tried Partstree, and the website didn't recognize Generac as brand name. Or maybe I typed it wrong or something. They are usually pretty comprehensive, so I didn't look further.

Thanks guys!

 

[eljefino]

If you think this'll fire your boiler, wire up the transfer switch ahead of time and test it out.

Something about the electric eye (that monitors the flame) logic needing proper power that a generator can't always deliver.

Long story short, try it before you trust it.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

I think I have a 6500, fires the burner fine. And I just run a 12ga flat wellpump wire and plug it into the drier circuit. Runs the big tube TV and the drilled well pump(2hp?) and the fridge and 5 lights. Power is better than the grid (if you count RF noise and waveform notches as distortion). The chonda seems to like Valvoline racing syn. - hates normal ILSAC oil - motor will start knocking after an hour on 10w30 PCMO. The is no oil filter on mine and the air filter is washable foam.

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
If you think this'll fire your boiler, wire up the transfer switch ahead of time and test it out.

Something about the electric eye (that monitors the flame) logic needing proper power that a generator can't always deliver.

Long story short, try it before you trust it.


Interesting. Yes, power quality from many of these "generators" is horrid at best. Sensitive electronics would be well served to be fed through an UPS or something else to clean it up. Wouldnt want to run anything with electronics in it for very long on anythign short of a large, high quality generator or an inverter generator of smaller size (which is what we have, as 1700W is more than enough for us).

 

[R80RS]

Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite
And I just run a 12ga flat wellpump wire and plug it into the drier circuit.


Do I understand correctly - you feed the output from your portable generator into your home through a cable attached to a drier plug that is plugged into the drier receptacle? I've never heard of this. Do you open the main breaker at your panel to isolate the house from the utility feed when you do this?

 

[TWG1572]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
If you think this'll fire your boiler, wire up the transfer switch ahead of time and test it out.

Something about the electric eye (that monitors the flame) logic needing proper power that a generator can't always deliver.

Long story short, try it before you trust it.


Good to know. It's actually just running a propane furnace, but I'm assuming the logic behind the flame sensor might be the same. Our HVAC guy's coming out Friday, I'll have to ask him what he thinks. Worst case scenario, if we could at least get the blower going it could help distibute heat from the one room with a fireplace.

 

[TWG1572]

Originally Posted By: R80RS
Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite
And I just run a 12ga flat wellpump wire and plug it into the drier circuit.


Do I understand correctly - you feed the output from your portable generator into your home through a cable attached to a drier plug that is plugged into the drier receptacle? I've never heard of this. Do you open the main breaker at your panel to isolate the house from the utility feed when you do this?


This is the "old school" way of doing things. It works. It's also frowned upon because if you aren't dillient about opening the main breaker and locking it out you run the risk of backfeeding the power grid. That can hurt/kill linemen.

 

[JR]

Before even thinking genset i pull the main right out of the service and flip the meter. that assures no back feed.
i power through by drier plug too. has worked for me my family and friends for years.

ken

 

[R80RS]

Originally Posted By: TWG1572
Originally Posted By: R80RS
Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite
And I just run a 12ga flat wellpump wire and plug it into the drier circuit.


Do I understand correctly - you feed the output from your portable generator into your home through a cable attached to a drier plug that is plugged into the drier receptacle? I've never heard of this. Do you open the main breaker at your panel to isolate the house from the utility feed when you do this?


This is the "old school" way of doing things. It works. It's also frowned upon because if you aren't dillient about opening the main breaker and locking it out you run the risk of backfeeding the power grid. That can hurt/kill linemen.


Yeah, that's what I thought regarding backfeeding the utility service. In addition to the danger posed to linemen as you mentioned, there are serious voltage surge problems and frequency synchronization issues when the utility service is restored if the main breaker is closed while the portable generator is hot. Too many potentially very serious problems to even consider doing something like this. Plus, if the energized drier plug becomes removed from the receptacle when the generator is operating the plug prongs will have exposed hazardous voltage.

 

[TWG1572]

I've got to ask. What's "flipping the meter"?

I'd planned on going with the pull the main and backfeed through the drier/oven plug route, since I have a 220 well that would be handy to cycle on and off every now and then throughout the day. Then my FIL caught wind of this plan and gave me a lecture on the dangers. Which has me now considering the transfer switch option.

 

[AandPDan]

Forget the transfer switch, look for an interlock.

If your panel manufacturer makes one they're usually inexpensive. Mine was $39. The aftermarkets ones are a lot more.

Backfeeding your welder/dryer outlet is an accident waiting to happen and illegal.

 

[Picky1]

I 2nd the interlock, it is a lot cheaper than a transfer switch and is fairly easy to install.

Check out the following website:

http://www.interlockkit.com/

 

[jhellwig]

Originally Posted By: R80RS
Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite
And I just run a 12ga flat wellpump wire and plug it into the drier circuit.


Do I understand correctly - you feed the output from your portable generator into your home through a cable attached to a drier plug that is plugged into the drier receptacle? I've never heard of this. Do you open the main breaker at your panel to isolate the house from the utility feed when you do this?


YES YES YES Open the main.

It sounds like you could use some guidance doing this. If you are unsure of what you are doing get help. You can kill people if you do it wrong. You can be diligent all you want but all it takes is forgetting to do something one time to cause problems.

I do have to say that all the shortcuts being offered up here are just that, shortcuts. Yes, people do it all the time and have no issues. Just remember that being the only light on will raise eyebrows and if you do just back feed a dryer plug or something and the power company wants to throw a fit about it they are in their right to.

Doing it properly also will make it easier to instruct someone else how to hook up your generator if need be.

 

[cancov]

$499 is a great deal. This generator typically goes for $689 online. I wish I could have had a copy of the sale. I couldn't find it on theblackfriday.com.

 

[R80RS]

Originally Posted By: jhellwig
Originally Posted By: R80RS
Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite
And I just run a 12ga flat wellpump wire and plug it into the drier circuit.


Do I understand correctly - you feed the output from your portable generator into your home through a cable attached to a drier plug that is plugged into the drier receptacle? I've never heard of this. Do you open the main breaker at your panel to isolate the house from the utility feed when you do this?


YES YES YES Open the main.

It sounds like you could use some guidance doing this. If you are unsure of what you are doing get help. You can kill people if you do it wrong. You can be diligent all you want but all it takes is forgetting to do something one time to cause problems.

I do have to say that all the shortcuts being offered up here are just that, shortcuts. Yes, people do it all the time and have no issues. Just remember that being the only light on will raise eyebrows and if you do just back feed a dryer plug or something and the power company wants to throw a fit about it they are in their right to.

Doing it properly also will make it easier to instruct someone else how to hook up your generator if need be.



I want to make clear I'm not asking how or advocating to backfeed power into a house via a drier receptacle. I had never heard of this before and was surprised to hear that it is being done. It is beyond a bad idea, for the reasons I and some others cited earlier in this thread, and is almost certainly against code.

The only responsible guidance to offer is to advise not to do it at all. Standby generator power should only be fed into a home through a transfer switch or an approved interlock installed on the main panel. Preferably installed by a competent (licensed) electrician.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

Backfeed? ON AC? Of course you open the main breaker. This is not a procedure for idiots, but I guess the world is full of them. Im scottish and polish so i wasnt willing to spend more money again on top of the generator on a dedicated breaker and xfer sw. Lower the price of this low tech stuff and i will reconsider.

 

[TWG1572]

I do like the interlock idea, not because it does anything magical that I wouldn't be doing manually anyway, but it does make it a no brainer. That would be useful if I was out of town on business and we had an issue and my wife had to figure out how to hook things up.

I suspect that a properly installed and UL approved one would also be useful if that one in a million freak occurance happened and there was an issue. It seems like not having one would be a great reason for our home owner insurance to duck out of any libility claim.

How is the power feed set up on an interlock system? I'm assuming there has to be a 220V plug installed outside? Since I'm sure the double male "suicide cords" are frowned upon, is there a pigtail hanging off the wall or ?