Servicing and transfer testing a 24kw Generac standby generator

[@anthonyzarcone8696]

A good idea to tuck the negative and positive between the battery strap and the battery,also check for gas leaks to the right of the battery where it enters the generator with soapy water. Good job

[@ArtDonna84]

Thank you for your demo on servicing the Generac Guardian 24kw. I purchased one in Sept 23 and feel much more relieved having it just in case here in Texas.

[@MaynardFamilyHomestead]

Glad to help, thanks for watching!

[@midgainc]

watching your aon be right there with reminds me of me and my daddy 45 years ago. There wasnt one thing that i didnt help him do. its great that you and him are working together.

[@COZNA]

Thanks for the great video! You have one cute little helper there! He's going to be a very knowledgeable young man, as you are teaching him so much just by having him by your side.

[@MaynardFamilyHomestead]

Thanks for watching!

[@TXpete]

Just got me a 24kw Generac a few days ago. Can’t wait to get it installed this week. This last Hurricane had a lot of us without power in TX for days. I ran my old 9000 w Generator and it kept us good but running out looking for gasoline was not my favorite thing to do. I just couldn’t give up on my grandkids like that. I feel much better knowing the next time they’ll be nice and comfortable here with Grandpa.

[@MaynardFamilyHomestead]

You will love it!

[@sugardaddy9992001]

Yeah! It's worth the investment for gulf coasters like us. They are just noisy little devils. Make sure you get a top of the line acid free battery.

[@tonydavis4957]

I did the same in 2020 had mine installed here in Louisiana. I made my home a sanctuary for safety for my older kids and grandchildren even help the elderly couple across the street that need to keep medicine warm. Blessing for all

[@Spinonemaster]

Retired builder here ... really cute helpers you got there ... definitely good training for them to start learning basic, tools, maintenance, etc ... i run a portable generator with a whole house hookup,... I've contracted and hooked a few up (via certified generac installers) ... funny how you mentioned running unit with the fuses out first ... had a really wealthy rich Wall Street guy ... built him a house and he wanted 2 units (redundant) because he lost power a lot in the country ... showed up one morning after a storm and he was livid, lost power and neither unit stayed on ... both ran and didn't power the huge house ... tech came out, checked boards, okay, checked fuses, both blown ... he had good luck with them afterwards ... but boy was he pissed that day ... probably 50K invested on both ... i watched the install video's .... as a shade tree car mechanic, I would have removed the battery terminals and cleaned (wire brushed) ... bad connections and bad grounds kill batteries prematurely ... other than that I like that you checked and cleaned everything ... that's the way I was taught

[@MaynardFamilyHomestead]

Thanks for watching! Yep those fuses will get you every time. That’s good to know about the battery ground, thank you!

[@terencescott3957]

That's a good idea to let fresh oil flow while the plug is still open. I'm going to start doing that to my vehicles once a year or so. I've always been concerned about that residual oil left behind.

[@RBB73]

I so love my Generac 20kw! I've had it installed now going on it's forth year, and while the first year and a half it wasn't used to supply house-hold power, the past year and a half it's been used nine times - two of those times for six plus hours each. I'm still on the maintenance plan from the installer for another two years, but after that I'll most likely switch to self-maintenance as it doesn't seem to be that difficult. Thanks for sharing!

[@MaynardFamilyHomestead]

They are definitely worth the money when the power goes out! 😜 Thanks for watching.

[@FireManTTSOM]

One of the few that actually shows the air filter change, thank you.

[@YooTooobJeff]

Pro tip: write the date on the filter with a Sharpie for no-guess status of the unit, great for car filters and others as well

[@jaspreetsandhu3186]

Little helper is so cute

[@terrybolt1409]

I watched all your impressive professional generator installation videos. Now I know how one is installed properly. All I need is a helper like yours when it needs servicing!😉 Couple of helpful suggestions I should mention, which many mechanics will agree. To prevent oil starvation in the first moments when the engine is first started after replacing the oil filter, fill the filter with as much oil as possible but not enough to spill out when reinstalling the filter. And, since baking soda is a base, if any should get into the battery cell the acid will weaken. When I install a battery or clean up the corrosion on a battery I put axle grease on the battery post and clamp to prevent oxidation. 🙂

[@MaynardFamilyHomestead]

Thanks for watching! My helpers have spoiled me for sure! I use the oil filter trick, but haven’t heard of the battery terminal grease before. I’ll have to give that a try, thanks!

[@NaijaTion]

I just bought mines, definitely getting an electrician, but its good to see your videos so if I do have questions, I'll get similar answers based on your video!!

[@johncosgrove2738]

I've had my 20kw Generac Guardian about 9 years. It is connected to a 1000 unit lp gas tank. I do my own maintance and it is easily done as done as you are showing. Mine has been trouble free and reliable and i would definitely recommend it. Thanks for your great video.

[@TheSiriusEnigma]

Hold to your generator like gold. The newer generations have issues.

[@maxwellcrazycat9204]

@@TheSiriusEnigma Just like cars.

[@stephenjackman6163]

1,000 gal tank is a much better starting point. I can’t imagine only having 250 or 500 gallons. In a serious emergency refills will be impossible

[@2manycardz]

Good morning farm families going to pour my pad today for my 24kw in a couple weeks hopefully install the generator. Watched your video on that too. Awesome keep it up Brother.

[@MaynardFamilyHomestead]

Awesome, these generators are definitely a wonderful modern convenience! Thanks for watching brother.

[@flyingjeff1984]

thanks to Rainman Ray, I now know that the oil returns through the small holes and, therefore, is the better place to fill the cartridge.

[@bill8235]

Hello from Foxfire, NC Thanks for the tips! i have the same one 22k now I can do my own service !

[@MaynardFamilyHomestead]

Awesome, glad to be of help! Thanks for watching!

[@colinkessler7948]

I just watched you do a voltage check on the battery. 13.6 volts is because it still has the battery charger attached since that isn't controlled by the off switch. Correct voltage testing should have had the cables disconnected. A carbon pile load tester should have been included.

[@NotMuchHere]

on batteries voltage is one measure but for an accurate test it should be voltage under load (a resistor) ... there is test equipment that does better for that than a voltmeter. Thanks for the walkthrough

[@MaynardFamilyHomestead]

Great idea, thank you!

[@dsonyay]

Maintenance is very easy on these units

[@Japplesnap]

You didn't check the battery voltage, you checked the charging voltage. The battery is constantly being trickle charger by utility power. You have to disconnect a battery cable or pull the fuse to check battery voltage.

[@hardymichael533]

Good idea EMP-proof

[@huntershortrepairs]

I've enjoyed watching the Generac videos, after Hurricane Sally hit us direct in 2020, we've been greatly considering one of these, we are in hurricane alley, so better safe than sorry, we also have random power outages and severe thunderstorms often enough to justify the need.

[@MaynardFamilyHomestead]

We appreciate you watching! The generator has definitely been a blessing to us over the last year and a half. It’s priceless when the power goes out. I have a feeling we are going to see some hurricanes this year, we’re over due.

[@huntershortrepairs]

@@MaynardFamilyHomestead I know what you mean lol, I'm in south Alabama, its been 3 years since Sally, so we are due for sure

[@iflyu2]

Wasn’t near as loud as I thought it was gonna be. Thanks for going through all the details. Love be your helpers! Blessing to you all!

[@moboutmen]

I had my oil pressure switch blow on me last week. Oil shot everywhere. Scared hell out of me. Thought the engine had bought it. Engine stops when the oil drops below a certain pressure. Cleaned up everything, 34 dollar part. New oil and filter. And started right up. Whew!

[@talltimberswoodshop7552]

Thanks. My 24K will need annual maintenance in about a month. It looks easy.

[@dhansel4835]

I always label the oil filter with the date of replacement. I also put a computer hard drive magnet on the back of the oil filter. These neodymium magnets are very powerful.

[@MaynardFamilyHomestead]

I’ve marked my filters before, but never heard of the magnet trick. That’s awesome! Thanks for sharing.

[@dhansel4835]

I use the hard drive magnet but you can get any magnet that is about 2-3 inches across. Make sure you tape the magnet securely to the filter as there is vibrations that could make it fall off. Microscopic particles will be held in the magnetic field.@@MaynardFamilyHomestead

[@Fireinahorn]

​@@dhansel4835 shouldn't the filter catch that anyway?

[@dhansel4835]

@@Fireinahorn It probably does but I heard people putting magnet oil plugs in cars to catch any metal shavings. These computer magnets are very strong.

[@ifly64s]

Looking to get a 20kw soon. We have our entire house on LP. Heat, stove, hot water and clothes dryer. We have an in-ground 500 gallon LP tank on auto fill with the LP dealer. We just had a power outage of 8 days. Wouldn't the gen run through our entire 500 gallon tank running 24/7 for 8 days? I was surprised that you went with a 250 gallon tank. Am I just doing the burn rate math wrong?? Thanks for all your helpful videos.

[@edwardberwind8544]

The manual calls for 5W-30 oil not 5W-20. You may want to measure out the 1.9 quarts before guessing the amount.

[@sugardaddy9992001]

Our 24KW takes 5W30 oil. If youre under warranty then you MUST use generac's branded oil. I guess its formulated for the generator. Oil filter can be a comparable cross referenced brand. We love ours.

[@raulgarcia528]

Buen trabajo amigo, muy profecional y muy bien explicado todo. Gracias

[@EnochMarshall]

Great job

[@OneManand5acres]

I need a generator for my house as well. Ive been looking into one but i was thinking of installing it myself i do have electrical experience but i sometime question myself to much at times.. we have natural gas so that would be the way to go for me.. thanks for sharing this.. as always god bless and stay safe from the buckeye state..

[@cqlove12]

This ain't something you wanna be questioning yourself about...best know it

[@YooTooobJeff]

Pro tip: at the minimum spray WD-40 on the clean battery terminals and clamps to prevent corrosion... Or use the spray coating available for that

[@MaynardFamilyHomestead]

Great idea, thanks!

[@CRISTIAN-n8h2j]

I just watched all 3 videos on the generator , great videos . i just have a quick question . What is the other set of wires coming out on the bottom of the sub panel that seem to be going inside the house ?. For a second I thought those were the feeders.

[@scottwheaton9689]

The battery cables/terminals had a ton of corrosion & only removed it from the outside of clamps & terminal but never removed the battery cable to properly clean the battery terminals & inside of battery csbles cable clamps with a wire brush or sandpaper to avoid a no start situation when you need the generator most. If put a small amount of wheel bearing grease orotund where the battery terminals protrude up thru the battery case prior to reinstalling the cleaned battery cables that will stop the acid from weeping thru that area causing the white/green corrosion too. Lastly the voltage was good on the battery as you stated but you may not be aware a std good cond flooded or new maint free lead acid 12v battery has an idle fully charged voltage (off the maint charger for a few hrs) of 12.6v-7v & a newer Gen more expensive AGM 12v battery has an idle fully charged voltage of 12.9V. Hss as port Wrenching Genracks.

[@MaynardFamilyHomestead]

I’ve never heard of the grease trick, I’m going to give that a try thank you!

[@rudyrivera7426]

Thanks for the tips! Have a great one! 👌👍

[@MaynardFamilyHomestead]

Thanks for watching brother!

[@jaye9300]

Great video!

[@noegutierrez6463]

thank you for shearing it is very helpful ... keep up the great work

[@bws1205]

I have an opportunity to buy a Generac 24KW generator with the transfer switch, but wanted to know what it would cost to install. Most of the work you did I can do; the pad, instal of the transfer panel, wiring, etc. that said, Generac site says it can cost about $5k to have it installed. They go on to say that’s you need an electrician certified to work on Generac to do the final adjustments to make it run properly. Is there a lot of adjustment needed once installed? Appreciate you doing these videos.

[@MaynardFamilyHomestead]

I personally haven’t had to do any adjustments on mine. Even so it’s a lot cheaper to have someone come service than it is to pay them to install it. It would definitely cost a couple thousand dollars for a complete install. .

[@zrorypierce]

Had mine installed July of 23. $2500 for the install plus about 1000 because they had to reconfigure my solar interconnections and add a fused ac shut off for each of my arrays.

[@dsonyay]

You may want to have the valves adjusted.. that startup took too long…. Also it appeared you over tightened the oil filter. Just half a turn after o ring makes contact is more than enough.. over torque can cause o ring to fail. Were you using 5w-20? Shouldn’t it be 5w30?

[@condor5635]

Great video. Can you explain how you would configure it to be completely manual and not use the ATF. If I wanted to manually turn it on and off manually how would you do that? Sort of like running it like you had an interlock.

[@MaynardFamilyHomestead]

Generac makes a manual transfer switch as well. It comes with everything and it’s easy to hook up.

[@condor5635]

@@MaynardFamilyHomestead good to know I’m more of the I want to control when it comes on and what circuits it has powered. The automated transfer makes things quite complicated. You have to size it much bigger to accommodate the automatic transfer. I would just assume go out and flip a couple of breakers and push a start button then have an automatic system do it for me. But that’s just me. That way, I could get a smaller unit, which uses less gas and cost less in the first place. I don’t need some automatic switchover to make my life seamless as if nothing has happened outside…. Like a hurricane. If I leave town, maybe then I would leave it in auto

[@johnwehunt4305]

Speaking of oil. The Generac oil probably has zinc in it. Most all modern synthetic oil is void of zinc. There are zinc additives that can be added to oil.

[@ypbbro6119]

Unit needs a valve adjustment just by the way it was starting up like that. Also you should check your cca on your battery not just voltage!

[@GunfighterWyo]

The one thing you forgot to do with the remove the terminals on the battery and clean them plus the posts. Good job otherwise. How big is your propane tank?

[@MaynardFamilyHomestead]

I realized that later lol. It’s 250 gallons.

[@terencescott3957]

I have the 24KW and I use the app to monitor the voltage.

[@skipmars7979]

Perfect video.

[@edgarfigueroa5707]

Good video thanks !

[@OO-by2jl]

I'm thinking about the 24kw. It's probably more generator than I need but I read that a 22kw uses more fuel than a 24kw

[@MaynardFamilyHomestead]

The 24kw is definitely the way to go.

[@CleberLRamos]

Good job

[@maxwellcrazycat9204]

5W20 oil? Because it's very cold where you are at?

[@TheSiriusEnigma]

There is soo much unsaid: 1-Generak requires maintenance every 100h. This maintenance should be done every 100h. So it’s yearly only of you don’t need your generator and only put 8h a month on it. There is 168h in a week. Meaning, if you run your generator 24/7, you need to do this twice a week. I never saw any other engine with such a short useful life. Most modern generator are like this. 2-dropping water and bicarbonate on both battery poles creates a closed electrical circuit. That’s not how you should clean battery poles because you have no control over the amount of current in play. Also, if the bicarbonate fall in the battery, it will neutralize the acid, killing the battery. 3-testing a battery is tricky. Voltage tells a lot but not everything. A 12V car battery will sit between 12.2 V and 12.6V at rest. If it just came off the alternator charge, it should sit between 14.2V and 14.6V. It will not maintain this voltage for long. Every cell in a 12V battery is 2V. Meaning, at rest you get 12V, 10V, 8V… having 13V, 11V, 9V is highly suspicious. It only happens if you test the battery after a discharge event and fail to charge it back. See point 2. 4- To properly test your battery, use a battery load tester, like car mechanics use when testing your battery. This insure that it can produce the necessary current to start the engine. 5- regularly charge your battery. Car batteries are not meat to hold a charge for months. It takes at lest 20mn to charge.

[@BarryGrueter]

Cool video tutorial my friend. I have a couple questions. Did you get a 22 or 24 kv generator? My house is approximately 3k square feet with 2 ac units single story house in Houston area. Also how often do you manually operate the generator per year for general maintenance? Thanks again and I’m glad I found your channel.👍 19:01

[@MaynardFamilyHomestead]

I’m glad you found us! We have a 24kw, I think I messed up and said 22kw at some point. It has a 100amp breaker. We have a single 5 ton AC, plus a 50 gallon electric water heater. Ours doesn’t bog any while under full load. It starts automatically every week to “exercise” which is about 5-10 minutes long. I do oil change and filters once per year.

[@BarryGrueter]

@@MaynardFamilyHomestead ok thanks for the reply 👍

[@ThomasHess-x8v]

FYI, Generac requires 5W-30 synthetic oil. Not 5W-20 as you were using for the oil change.

[@13littlet13]

Sounds like it could use a valve adjustment, startup was kinda rough

[@MillsElectric]

Are these whole home generators good to run the whole house as the name implies? From what I hear you have to do the standard house calc just as you would for the service. Thinking about getting more involved in this field for work.

[@MaynardFamilyHomestead]

Ours runs our whole house. We have a 5 ton HVAC unit, 50 gallon electric water heater, and everything else a normal home has and it runs it all without any problem. It doesn’t bog or anything. I initially turned everything on, including the water heater and well pump and put an amp clamp on each line coming into the house and it was only about 40 A per leg. Startup will have a spike but it wasn’t enough to be a problem.

[@MillsElectric]

@@MaynardFamilyHomestead That’s great news. Thanks for the response!

[@OO-by2jl]

They ordered my generator 8/11 they tell me 2 weeks to get it then 3 more weeks for installation I got the 24kw. I could of got by with the 22kw but it would be cutting it closer

[@MaynardFamilyHomestead]

You will definitely be happy with the 24kw.

[@fjcook]

Can you provide more info on why you had to add a ground bar to the transfer switch?

[@waterboy74]

I think you mean the breaker panel…. He had to separate his grounds and neutrals there since the ATS is now the first means of disconnect and is where ground and neutral are bonded. They can’t be bonded anywhere else. As the breaker panel is now downstream of the ATS and is no longer the first disconnect, it could no longer have ground and neural bonded and had to have a ground bar added.

[@900bcy6]

How many spark plugs?

[@bobbysmith1439]

Were you using Kirkland Oil in that?

[@terencescott3957]

I've been hooked up for 15mos and I have yet to experience an outage. We've had one or two but I wasn't home and My generator was off.

[@durdicamac9662]

Can someone tell me ball park cost of Generac 24kw unit and their installation in the Atlanta area. And if I should go through Costco or calling them directly?

[@davidhinn4857]

How to raise great kids!

[@gamingwithmr.fregles8802]

my neighbour has a generac and i swear i hear that thing once a month they must do monthly maintnence

[@MaynardFamilyHomestead]

Yep you can program the exercise times. Mine starts up once per week. It’s just to run the engine and make sure it stays in good working condition for when you need it.

[@brucethoel3636]

Why such light oil. Your temperature doesn't get that cold.

[@MaynardFamilyHomestead]

I was questioning the light oil as well, but that’s what the Generac manual recommends.

[@CarsAndTech23]

You cannot do battery maintenance without disconnecting the battery charging cable. It makes you volt test invalid and could also cause harm

[@Fireinahorn]

Why are so many of these batteries corroding

[@gamingwithmr.fregles8802]

will it turn on if there is a brownout

[@MaynardFamilyHomestead]

It has a 20 second delay before starting up. It will transfer once up and running.

[@gamingwithmr.fregles8802]

@@MaynardFamilyHomestead a brownout is when there is partial power, ex you have 80 volts wrather than 120 volts

[@u12play007]

It is a 24kw not 22.....!

[@MaynardFamilyHomestead]

Correct I messed up a few times while talking.

[@brianparramore1104]

You didn't explain to your son what you were doing and why. Nor did you involve him in doing the actual work. I do not mean to be critical, but i would have done this.

[@jerrycarlson7369]

Pay some attention to your child. He was trying to communicate with you. You ignored him totally.