My generator is a Honda EU2000i.
There are many cheaper ones out there but they aren’t small, quiet, or fuel efficient. When I see how much gas people with the cheap generators use, I’m so thankful I bought this one. It think it’s supposed to run up to 20 hours on one gallon of gas.
I’ve had it for 5 years. I use it to charge my batteries on my solar system when the sun doesn’t shine.
For a while now, when it’s cold, it has been starting and then as soon as I go inside it dies. I have to start it like four times before it stays running.
I always add stabilizer to my fuel because my fuel sits for so long.
Last year I tried adding some Heat to it. That improved things a little but not much.
This year I bought some octane booster and added it to the fuel. I don’t remember what kind but I think it said “barely legal!” on the bottle. The generator runs perfect now. Problem solved.
What is the longest that you have left it running? Is it quiet enough to leave it indoors while it is running?
yeah is this ok to leave indoors?
Jeff: Due to carbon monoxide dangers, I’d -never- advise using a gas generator indoors!
No way is it okay to leave it running indoors…it would be like sitting in your garage with your car running… you’d be dead.
The cabin has outlets all wired to one outdoor plug that I plug into my generator outside. Then all the outlets work once I start my generator.
The longest I have left it going is probably 6 hours or so. I know a guy with this same generator who leaves it going all day long.
watch out with heet and other octane boosters. the higher the octane level, the hotter the combustion temps.
in extreme cases, this can cause the internatl parts to melt. check out the owner’s manual if you still have it. there should be an octane rating in it somewhere. since heet basically increases the octane level of gasoline, i don’t use it. if a higher octane is all that is required, i prefer simply purchasing the more expensive gasoline. at least then you get an accurate measure of what octane level you’re introducing to the engine, and it costs less ounce for ounce than actually purchasing heet, as well.
keep warm with that thing!
Okay, thanks for the heads up. It seems like the owners manual said that I could burn cheap gas.
Old men always tell me to buy the expensive gas but since I only see one gas truck delivering gas for the whole station and it all comes out of one pump, I don’t trust that I’m getting better gas. I suspect I’m just paying more—But I’m probably wrong.
The generator doesn’t supply me with warmth it recharges my solar system batteries when the sun doesn’t shine.
I bought the Honda 1000 when they first came out many years ago. I used it to power up a light, fan and cable TV when the power was out for three weeks after Ike. Sure was better than sitting in the dark. I ran it until it ran out of gas and refilled it. I have never had a problem starting it or have it run ruff. I have never put stabilizer in it. I just run it once every three or four weeks. I wish I could say the same for my Honda trail bike.
I don’t have any problem starting it. It starts great. Unless it’s like -30, then I have to bring it inside to warm up for awhile.
The problem I was having was it starting and then stopping like a minute latter.
I use stabilizer in the fuel because my fuel sits for months at a time. I use to think that you didn’t need to use fuel stabilizer but I have had to have too many small gasoline engines worked on because I didn’t use it. So I have learned: if the fuel is going to sit for a long while, but stabilizer in it.
Stabilizer is a good idea, even better if you can purchase a 6 month fuel supply or less. Have you checked the Spark plug? Sounds like it might be fouled. Also, might want to make sure that the fuel tank is being properly vented (make sure the gas cap isn’t screwed down too tight). Even with Stabilizer it’s a good idea to start up the engine for a few minutes at least once every other week.
Just wondering, how many batteries do you have? What kind of inverter? And how long does your 2000i genny take to charge them up?
I have two 98 amp hour gel batteries. I have a little cheap inverter but I don’t use it much.
My laptop runs off DC current and I have a 12 volt LED light bulb that I wired directly to my batteries.
I don’t use the light much, usually just to find my headlamp.
Charging all depends on how low I let the batteries get.. It’s usually a couple of hours.
Here is the link to info about my system: http://asthecrowflies.org/2007/03/15/the-technology-that-gets-me-online/
And the post about my lamp http://asthecrowflies.org/2007/11/20/a-new-era-begins-the-age-of-light/