Tips for generator inspection; how to spot a bad one

Writer: Derrick Shaw
Published: Updated:
CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication

A lot of people are selling generators online now that Southwest Florida is out of Hurricane Dorian’s cone, despite its trek toward Florida’s east coast. Many sellers say they are brand-new, some of them used. Now is probably a good time to save money on a generator purchase, but what do you need to inspect when buying one from someone else?

We came up with a few tips to follow for personal inspection of a new or used generator:

  • Make sure it runs. Any owner should be able to get it running for you: Listen to how it sounds; bad generators make horrible sounds, and you can tell if something is messed up inside
  • Check the battery and spark plugs
  • Look at how many hours are on it
  • Check the oil level and consistency of the oil: It will tell you if the previous owner took good care of it or not
  • Check the gas: People put these generators away for months, sometimes even years with gas in them. While it’s not bad, sitting gas will eventually go bad. And you have to dump and flush the tank

Check out our Facebook post, where we want to hear about more tips for generator inspection.

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