Sounds like it may need a carb tune up. Although, many newer generators don't have carb adjustment screws. If this is the case, it may need to have the carb taken off and cleaned. Have you tried the basics: new air filter, spark plug, fuel filter, oil change?

Might need the valves adjusted.

You might also try a multi-weight oil vs a straight weight. Sometimes the extra "drag" caused by thick oil is enough for a no start.

You may be able to retrofit an electric starter if the issue is that you are having a hard time pulling the engine over. Another thing to consider is that since the generator is coupled to the engine you must overcome the initial resistance of the components to movement from a static state as well as breaking the lines of flux in the genny. Position your body so that you can give full pulls on the cord, they do not need to be exceptionally fast, and if you have no mechanical issues as the other posters have mentioned, it should start. Does the repair shop have any trouble starting it?

Starting the generator regularly is good but even more importantly the generator needs to be loaded to about half capacity on a regular basis to mantain it`s ability to produce electricity. Just running the engine with no load on it does little to ensure that you will have power when you need it.

The only thing "fun" about this was watching two young, strong techs have an almost impossible time getting it started. The issues mentioned have been addressed but that doesn't fix the problem. I think it is a lemon but it's too late to take it back. A neighbor mentioned the compression ratio may be off but I don't know how you fix that, except with a new engine. Electric start add on costs as much as a new generator.

Could you give more information on this gen-set? How old? How much run time? Which engine? Has it always been hard to start?

FWIW an 11hp engine is a little bigger than your average lawn mower, and takes proportionally more muscle to pull it over.

The odds of the compression ratio being "off" are so astronomical that you might as well forget that bright idea, you might however have an issue with the ignition timing if the pullstart kicks back on you.

Remember, long, steady, not incredibly fast pulls should get you going, You should probably be using your legs and back in the pull, not just your arms. You may also benefit from pulling the starter cord through a couple of times slowly just to prime the carb with gas before you try to start the engine.

Where are you located, roughly, if you are near enough to me I would come and try the generator myself.

"Starting the generator regularly is good but even more importantly the generator needs to be loaded to about half capacity on a regular basis to mantain it`s ability to produce electricity. Just running the engine with no load on it does little to ensure that you will have power when you need it."

Barbed, do you have an idea for a method to load without going through the trouble of shutting down main power and running the house load? I've only got 8 circuits hooked up and if I switch to gen power it cuts out my second floor. Bad juju with womenz in the house.

Hi,

This I take it is a petrol generator. Looks like you have not run it for a while. My guess is that the petrol has gone bad, and that your carburettor has becomed cloged with old fuel residue.

The jets are the things that get clogged. See if you can open up the caburettor and clean the insides. A good organic solvent will do the trick. Try mineral sprits available at Home Depot in the paint department. While you are there swing by the lawn mower section a buy a bottle of Stabil, petrol stabilizer, cost about $US 5.

Clean out all the parts of the carburettor then reasemble. Try and remove the old petrol by siphoning it out. Note do this outside because of fire hazzard, and try not to swallow any or even get the stuff in your mouth.

Once you have all the old petrol out. Take a clean empty gas petrol can (5 gallons) and pour in some of the Stabil, sufficient to mix with 5 gallons of petrol. Go to your petrol station an buy some fresh petrol.

Refill your generator and try to start again.

What happens is that petrol decays. In most cars this is not a big issue because you refill the tank every week. Modern petrol is made by distilation, but also from cracking heavier oil fractions. This tends to make the petrol break down faster. For lawn mowers and generators which may sit idle for a while, that petrol breaks down and forms a varnish which tends to gum up carburettors. To avoid this you can use the Stabil. What this is is a bactericide which kills of the bacteria which eats petrol and converts it into varnish. Petrol then stays "fresh" for 1 to 2 years in storage.

Hope this helps.

best, Mike.

reeldoc, you don't need to pull off circuits or use a transfer switch to exercise the generator.

Basically, you want to run some linear & non-linear loads.

When I run tests at my office, I run a UPS system, a window-shaker A/C and a lamp. Occasionally, I'll run the office fridge if they are using the lamp (it has fluorescent bulbs, the office folks think it's "cool" to be eco-green).

But...if you want to run your "house load", which I assume isn't "backfeeding", just switch over the circuits you want to use, or test the whole kit & caboodle. If you're using a transfer switch, you're without "house power" for a few seconds, at most.

Could be many things... If you can easily get to the spark plug (plugs if it is a 2 cylinder) you could try priming the cylinder(s) by dropping about a teaspoon of fresh gas in the cylinder through spark plug hole, replace plug and try starting.

I have a 10 hp Briggs powered generator that I have owned for about 10 years. It was always hard to start. It would take at least 12 pulls to get it started since new. I finally took the carb. bowl off and sprayed every opening with carb. cleaner, then blew it out with air. I have tried to start it on 3 separate occasions since and it has started on the second pull each time. This carb. has no adjustments. Just wanted to throw in what my experience was.

I also have a Genarac generator and I have had same problem. I run mine year round. When the weather in northern utah turned cold I had to change the oil to a thinner viscosity. I swear I threw my back out for a week trying to start the damn thing. Once I changed to a lighter oil it fired on the 2nd pull every time. I run5-30 full synthetic for the winter and 10-30 for the summers. Excellent generator.