Thanks to our dear PHCN generators have become the hottest home appliance there is and like everything else,it won’t respond if not properly managed and that can be extremely frustrating.
The good news is you can actually do it yourself instead of wasting your time calling technicians who by the way, are on standby to rip you off.
Now, about that generator that won’t start. First of all, keep in mind that fuel goes bad after about 90 days. It attracts moisture (which will not burn) and clumps up (which plugs up the filters and jets within your generator).
The two most common symptoms are that the unit won’t start at all or it stalls out when you open up the choke.
Here’s what to do:
1) Drain all old fuel out of the tank and replace it with at least a gallon of fresh fuel.
2) Check the starting procedure.
Open the fuel valve located under the tank.
Turn the Engine Switch on the control panel to ON.
Set the choke to the START position.
Pull the starter rope slowly until it engages, then pull quickly three or four times.
3) Check the oil level. Add oil as needed. The correct oil level is that you should SEE the oil in the filler hole about two threads up with the generator on a level surface.
4) Try starting the generator again.
5) If it still doesn’t start, remove the air cleaner cover and the sponge elements. Spray starting fluid directly into the throat of the carburetor. If the starting fluid causes the generator to run for a few seconds, you know that spark and compression are working properly and it is a fuel problem.
6) Next, try to figure out where the blockage is in the fuel system. Locate the drain screw on the carburetor bowl. Make sure the valve under the tank is OPEN. Place a tin can under the carburetor bowl and open the drain screw. If fuel just dribbles out slowly or not at all, you will need to determine where the clog is. Remove the valve from under the gas tank and inspect the filter. It is a yellow or white tube, about 2″ long made of screen material. It can be rinsed with gasoline, or the entire valve can be replaced.
7) Check the rubber hose that runs from the fuel valve to the carburetor to see if it is kinked, worn or plugged.
8) Clean the carburetor.
Generally, a good cleaning of the fuel system is all that is needed.
To prevent clogging in the future we suggest that you run the generator for a few minutes every month. Further, keep track of the age of the gasoline. After 90 days remove the gas from the tank and replace it with fresh fuel.
If all this fail, you need to call a qualified technician as the problem may be more technical than you can handle.
