Portable Generators Can Be Helpful
In this post we’ll explain what happens when you let a portable generator run out of gas. That’s not to say that portable generators aren’t helpful.
Summertime in Myrtle Beach means it’s time to start thinking about hurricanes. Atlantic Hurricane season runs June 1-November 30, and coastal South Carolina is no stranger to hurricanes, tropical storms, and flooding. One of the most economical ways to weather a storm-related power outage is with a portable generator.
With the announcement of a possible storm, portable generators, refillable gas cans, and extension cords will inevitably fly off the shelves of every Home Depot, Lowes, and Wal-Mart. As long as you can live with power to a few appliances, these tools will work.
The problem is the constantly fuel monitoring and refilling. So what happens if your portable generator runs out of gas? Is it safe to run your generator until it stops?
Running Out of Gas is Risky and Damaging to Your Portable Generator
Portable gas-powered generators should not be left to run until they are out of fuel. Allowing your generator to put out significant power until it runs out of fuel can be damaging to your generator, and possibly some of the appliances in your home.
Running out of gas may cause your generator’s coils to lose their magnetism. This happens because the appliances being powered drain the residual magnetism of the generator when the load is abruptly stopped.
The result is that with out a small amount of magnetism in the coils, your portable generator will not restart. Although recharging the coils is fairly inexpensive, it does create an additional problem that may be difficult to fix if Myrtle Beach is in evacuation mode and many businesses are either closed or working on emergency calls.
A Standby Residential Generator Means No Constant Refueling
A portable generator will require you to turn it off to refuel every 4-8 hours. It also means you’ll need a stockpile of gas cans stored nearby, which can be difficult to obtain in a hurricane.
On the other hand, a residential generator system from Cooper Electrical Services is a permanent fixture to your home. Residential generators tie directly to a fuel source (like 250-gallon propane tank underground) and connect to your home’s main electrical panel via a transfer switch.
Instead of filling a portable generator, connecting extension cords, and constantly monitoring, your residential standby generator automatically transfers to generated power at the first instance of utility disruption.
Additionally, a permanent residential generator offers the following benefits:
- Electrical Power to Whole Home (Lights, Outlets, and Appliances)
- HVAC Cooling and Ventilation Power
- Fully-powered Security and Wireless Systems
- Convenience of Automatic Start/Shut-off
- Low Noise for Comfort and Sleep
Are You Ready to Move from Portable to Permanent?
As we’ve mentioned, portable generators can be helpful resources in emergency situations, provided you follow the directs and always turn them off to refuel. That said, Myrtle Beach is no stranger to powerful storms, and power outages are nearly an annual occurrence.
Cooper Electrical Services provides reliable and dependable generator service to residential customers in the greater Myrtle Beach area. The Cooper team has been serving the Grand Strand’s power and electrical needs since 1989.
If you are ready to upgrade from your portable generator to a residential generator system, the Cooper Electrical Services team is happy to answer your questions and help you find a backup power solution that’s best for your needs. Call Cooper today!
Looking for a permanent Generator
Please call our office at (843)626-3689 to discuss all the options we have to offer.
I disagree with this person on shutting off gas, i have champion 4000 i bought about 17 years ago i use it problemly 125 150 hours a year . I turn switch off so it not generating power then i turn gas off everytime ! And that generstor start cold in two pulls every time when warm or hot one time . So maybe new one some problem but my old one work great its lighter than my 3000 Honda electric start I would rather use my champion than Honda any day champion pull real easy to.
This isn’t 100% true. Some manufacturers advise letting your gen run out of gas for storage while others say never let it run out of gas. I have no idea why this is, but to say never is not correct when many say to let it run out in their manuals. Any reason why?
They are trying to say do not let your generator run out of gas while you are producing an electrical load. It is good to unplug every thing and let it idle down. Then after a few minutes can shut of fuel to let it run out. Especially four long term usage.
I am an EE. I disagree that letting the generator run out of gas is bad. It’s basically the same as shutting the engine off. The electrical generator is turned by the gas engine. It doesn’t know or care if the engine is shut off or stops turning because the fuel runs out.
I have a Briggs&Stratton 7500 watt an they tell me to not turn off the gas until you turn the generator off first, don’t let it run dry because there is a little gas left that might gum up. What’s the difference between a lot or a little ? Also they say to leave the battery trickle charger plugged in 24/7. Can I pull start it even if the battery might be dead. What do you think ?
Fuel gets old and will gum up the jets in the carburetor. Good to use a fuel stabilizer with your generator if you use it on seldom occasions. Fuel can oxidize in as little as 3 months. Rule of thumb for most generators is you should not let the generator die for any reason while it has a load. I found a device that cuts power to your devices if the voltage drops below a certain threshold. Google voltage protector.
I called Honda Power Equipment tech support and they said there was no problem at all with letting a gen run out of gas.
Well then, I must have the best EU2000 ever made! I bought mine, eleven years ago, and put hundreds of hours per year on it. It powers my 36 foot motorhome for half the year when home from commercial fishing. With a 7000 watt inverter, it is used mostly for keeping the 6, 6 volt batteries charged, and to run the AC unit in the back, like I am right now. Running the charger-converter only, I get 9 hours of run time on a tank. I burn 2 gallons per day, and let it run out every night, as I sleep on the battery bank alone. In the morning, I refuel, and restart with no more than two pulls. I hope this will ease your mind about running it out of gas! I change oil, every 300 hours, just as I do on the boat.
U dont want to let gen run out of gas with s losd on it nor start it with a losd on it. U will either burn out tbr auto voltage regul8or ot lose ur residual magnetic field that MUST be present to gener8 power. Sometimes u can get field back by hookin field by hookin brushes to a car battery.
But unhook from voltage reg.1st or u could mess up voltage reg if it was not messed up.
Ran my Generac gp5500 out of gas . Refueled a couple of days later , now it won’t start . Replaced carb. , still won’t start . What did I DO WRONG !!! Still get a spark from the plug .
Disconnect all loads on the generator before starting, and before shutting it down. Then run the genny out of gas if you wont be using it for the next week; unless it is propane fuel. Any liquid fuel remaining in the carb jets will evaporate and leave deposits in the low idle jets. Choke the engine as it runs out of gas to make sure every drop of fuel is consumed.
I have owned my. Generac 5000 ,since 98′ it has run empty a few times… Never been an issue…. So far…. 24 years used regularly during the winter season.
Engine may have partially shared a fly wheel key. It still gets fire at the plug but at the wrong time. I see this post is old, but did you find the problem?
my generator has run out of gas plenty of times and never once had an issue. the only thing you need is a surge protector built into the transfer switch in order to prevent a power surge when restarting or stopping. In fact just about all portable generators recommend when using gasoline that you turn the fuel off and run it our of gas while under load. be it that they claim low load. This sounds like a sales pitch for a standby but my portable generator powers my whole house as it puts out over 20kw so no stand alone is needed. I now how have mine powered by propane where I use automatic changeover regulators just to cut down on interaction. Also it is connected to an eaton ATS and uses the ST plug in where I wired using a male connector the generator to the transfer switch to start/stop the generator automatically. perhaps this was written with old portable non electric start generators in mind?
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I currently turn the gas valve off and let my generator, lawn tractor, and heavy duty weed whacker all run of gas. My mechanic that replaced the carburetors and all three of them said to always let them shut down, draining the gas from the lines. I did not used to do that and they all clogged up. Now they run fine and start up on first try every time. I do pull the power cables from the generator first to drop the load and avoid spikes to my equipment. An option that I found to work is if you don’t mind expensive gas, use the 100 octane 4-cycle engine gas. I will clog up if sitting idle for a long time.