Generac generator

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Ratchet

Member
Location
Kentucky
This is a Generac Centurion 16kw generator. When the main house breaker is thrown, the generator does not come on. Nor does the generator come on for its weekly ten minute test run. The generator is seven years old with less than thirty run hours. The battery posts have been cleaned and the oil still has a honey color. Any ideas of where to start looking?
 

Dennis Alwon

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Chapel Hill, NC
Occupation
Retired Electrical Contractor
Throwing the main may not turn the generator on depending on how it is wired. Is the transfer switch wired after the meter and before the main panel? Is the wiring on the transfer switch wired to the correct terminals?
 

qcroanoke

Sometimes I don't know if I'm the boxer or the bag
Location
Roanoke, VA.
Occupation
Sorta retired........
If it has operated correctly in the past and now it won't and you have changed nothing you probably have a dead battery, locked out on a shut-down or a number of things could be wrong.
You probably should call a Generac authorized technician. He will know where to start.
 

templdl

Senior Member
Location
Wisconsin
This is a Generac Centurion 16kw generator. When the main house breaker is thrown, the generator does not come on. Nor does the generator come on for its weekly ten minute test run. The generator is seven years old with less than thirty run hours. The battery posts have been cleaned and the oil still has a honey color. Any ideas of where to start looking?
Of course after you first contacted geneerac what did they say? If general failed to support you then the rest of us would like to know about it.
 

JFletcher

Senior Member
Location
Williamsburg, VA
Shouldnt a 7 y/o generac have more than 30 hrs runtime just on self-tests? 15min x 1/week = 13hrs/year... even a 10 min test is 8+ hrs/year. What do the error codes read?
 

Ratchet

Member
Location
Kentucky
It was a failed battery. A new one fixed the problem.

Yes, the total number of hours is more than the original post. The test run time was omitted.
 

JFletcher

Senior Member
Location
Williamsburg, VA
If it has operated correctly in the past and now it won't and you have changed nothing you probably have a dead battery, locked out on a shut-down or a number of things could be wrong.
You probably should call a Generac authorized technician. He will know where to start.

Give the man a cigar. Occam's Razor proven once again.

Glad the OP found the problem, and ty for clarifying the run time.
 
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