Starting the generator after a long period of inactivity
From our section: Tips and tricks for gasoline-powered inverter generators – fuel problems Why won't the gasoline generator start, or why does it keep revving and running unevenly? It's fall. The generator you used in the summer for your hobby, such as your garden, camping, or parties, is neatly stored away in the garage or basement. After the short, cold days, you want to start up the inverter again. Suddenly, the device behaves completely differently than usual. The gasoline-powered generator, which ran perfectly last time, no longer starts or runs very unevenly, and the engine keeps revving up and down.
Fuel and carburetor
This problem is caused by the fuel. In general, gasoline evaporates very quickly. It is said that the good gases are volatile. This means that small amounts of gasoline quickly lose their ability to ignite. This depends, of course, on the amount of fuel, but also on how much air comes into contact with the gasoline. Gasoline can be stored indefinitely when tightly sealed, but when stored in an open container, it only lasts a few months before it loses its ignitability. In our case, this means that residual amounts in the carburetor of the inverter generator degas relatively quickly, and you have to pull the pull cord starter more often when starting the inverter. With FME generators with electric starters, i.e., E-starters, the starting process is naturally much more pleasant. But even here, you have to keep trying to start the engine until the old, non-flammable gasoline has been removed from the carburetor and new fuel has flowed in. If the fuel remains in the carburetor for a longer period of time, it first evaporates and then even begins to bind with moisture in the air. This is due to the fact that we always have a certain amount of so-called biofuel in our gasoline. This causes the carburetor to become clogged. In this case, it is necessary to open and clean the carburetor. We will explain how to clean a carburetor in our videos. The extent to which the carburetor is clogged depends on how often old gasoline has been in the carburetor and, above all, how long it has been there.
Cleaning the carburetor
Most carburetors only need to be cleaned. However, there are also carburetors that are so heavily contaminated that they need to be replaced. However, it should be noted that cleaning or replacing a carburetor is relatively quick and easy. In such cases, however, the problem lies with our fuels and not with the generators. There have also been attempts to circumvent this issue with fuel injection systems, but the problem remains. However, it is much easier to clean a carburetor than a fuel injection system.
Problem solution
To prevent a carburetor from becoming clogged, we recommend simply closing the fuel tap during the last run of the generator, thereby allowing the carburetor and hoses to run empty. Alternatively, you can open the drain screw on the carburetor and allow the remaining fuel to drain out. If you prepare your generator in this way for a longer period of downtime, you will not have any problems with the fuel and will be able to put the device back into operation quickly and easily.
Here is a summary of what you need to bear in mind with regard to fuel.
-Drain the gasoline from the carburetor or drain it through the drain screw on the carburetor. -Close the tank cap and set the ventilation to “OFF.”
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