INSTALLATION MANUAL. Tact the nearest Generac Authorized Service Dealer for starting, operating and servicing procedures. • The National Electrical Code (NEC.
Welcome to Your Activation / Registration Site. Your automatic standby generator requires activation in order to operate automatically. This is a simple one-time process that only takes a few minutes and will also serve as the product registration. Portable generators, pressure washers, and transfer switches do not require activation. However, we encourage you to register these products in order to receive the full range of benefits of being a Generac owner. Product Registration Benefits. Receive up-to-date product information.
Ensures accurate warranty coverage. Proof-of-purchase in the event of an insurance loss such as fire, flood or theft. Easy access to Generac's full.
Original review: Jan. 4, 2019 The first power failure the generator came on fine. The next one it failed to come on and locked up. It gave error code E1062.
The dealer reset the unit and the next power failure it did the same thing. The dealer said he could not fix and I had to get another dealer to do the warranty work. Two separate dealers have given me the runaround and they all are too busy to set an appointment.
Generac customer service says I have to call a dealer. The unit is useless as is Generac service.
DO NOT BUY A GENERAC UNIT and especially not the Synergy unit. Original review: Dec. 28, 2018 Bought the 16 kW home standby generator in 2004 because we have a lot of power outages in living rural.
Generator ran okay for several years. Had an over-speed trip problem, battery charging problem.
Generac tech repaired those at my costs. Had a slow starting problem (still do). Generac service companies (2) cannot fix it. One service company charged me $356. For the service call, 2 spark plugs, one air filter and it didn't help any at all.
Had another tripping off problem. Generac tech said it was a bad stator. I replaced the rotor & stator for $1300. Original review: Dec. 22, 2018 This unit is brand new and has never run. Zero hours on this units clock.
I have called the Generac company three times but have not been helped or given advice on how to fix this problem. The problem is I can not move the fuel selection switch from natural gas to propane. I was told there is a pin stopping the switch from turning. There are several Generac service people in New Hampshire but the few I called never returned my call. Generac never returned my calls or offered to help with this problem with the fuel selection switch, keeping in mind this unit is brand new and never has run at all. Original review: Dec.
11, 2018 I purchased the Generac EcoGen in July 2015. Home is off grid and Generac had a good sales pitch. The EcoGen was hooked up and activated on Sept 15, 2015.
It would not start so service was ordered. Generac repairman walked into my yard looked at the EcoGen saying he knew nothing about them and left. Second repair call was two weeks after. He diagnosed issue as the main motherboard. An additional two more weeks for part to arrive and two more weeks to installation. Generac has it finally turning on Nov 30, 2015.
We were building our home so usage began Nov 2017. Now on Nov 16, 2018 it shuts down during dinner and will not work. Contacted Generac Nov 17, 2018. Today is Dec 10, 2018 and so far NO Generac repairman has been to my home. Generac one day says generator is not under warranty then two weeks later says it is and now today says no warranty.
The whole issue is when DID my warranty start? When it was activated or when Generac got it running.
This is all documented with Generac, yet they are choosing to ignore. We are very disappointed with Service and support from Generac.
We also found out that Generac has discontinued this generator due to the number of problems associated with it. AND Generac knew there were such issues and didn't do a recall.
AND now they are putting this burden on the customer who paid for this device. Generator less than 200 hrs; cost $3900; repair quote $3,000!
Original review: Dec. 2, 2018 I had a 20 KW Generac Synergy model installed this summer (June 2018). I chose the Synergy model after reading that it would be quieter running and save fuel due to the capability of varying the running speed due to the load required.
I live in Central Virginia about 40 miles southwest of Richmond. We lost power for the first time during Hurricane Michael for four days (90 hours) and it never missed a beat. I was without power for 5 seconds while the transfer switch turned power on from the generator and that was it.
A few weeks later the power was out for about 8 hours. Again, after 5 seconds my generator supplied my power needs flawlessly. We had one other 5-minute outage and the system performed the same.
Total outages so far 98 hours and five minutes. Time spent without power for these three outages totaled 15 seconds. As per the claim about lesser fuel costs for LP gas used, I’m not sure what the Guardian Series uses but I was very pleased with my fuel consumption with the Synergy.
I had my tank refilled to replace what was used out of curiosity. I deducted the amount of fuel I estimate that I used to cook with and was very happy with what I used during the outages for powering the house. It was about half of what I expected it to cost. As for the noise factor, I’m very happy. My unit is just outside of my living room wall virtually 8 to 10 feet from where I sit when watching television. The sound is a comfortable level and not an annoyance at all. I cannot hear it when I move to the other side of the house and it transferred the power back to commercial feed without me hearing it turn off once because of the lower sound threshold causing me not to even notice.
I am only 5 month into ownership but the 90 hours of use is a good test and I hope it is a good omen on how it will perform in the future. I will definitely give a report if something bad happens moving forward. So far 2 thumbs up on the Synergy.
Original review: Nov. 29, 2018 I purchased a 16KW Generac Standby generator in 2006. I have maintained according to the manual all this time with no issues (other than a new battery). Our power went out recently during a snowstorm.
The generator kicked on automatically and all was good for about 5 and 1/2 hours when the generator was still running but the house was getting no power. A technician came out and they are saying they need to disconnect it and take it to their shop to replace the stator and rotor. This will be between $1,000 and $2,000.
I don't even have 400 hours of use on this motor. The repair service suggested replacement but why would I purchase another Generac based on this experience? Original review: Nov. 27, 2018 Prior to purchasing a Generac Synergy 20KW unit, we had a Bryant unit. After 12 years of flawless service we felt we should upgrade to a whole house unit. For the records our old Bryant unit is still providing reliable service for our next door neighbors, while our new Synergy model has been trouble from the start.
Shortly after install the unit failed and over a period of 4 months we worked with the local authorized Generac service dealer and customer service at Generac. The issue was a faulty stator, which required the entire unit be taken to the service dealer's shop and rebuilt. It ran on its weekly starts ups for 1 year and shortly after the authorize dealers performed annual maintenance on the unit, it failed again with the same code from a year ago. 'De-Ja-Vu' Given the features, it offered I felt it would be a good fit, however, there is a lot to be said about advertising. From reading reviews, it appears they have serious quality issues, which should be their focus.
We will see how Generac stands behind it this time, however, my sight is look at a RELIABLE alternative. Original review: Nov. 26, 2018 We installed our generator in 2014 and within a few months purchased the extended 10 year warranty.
It has been serviced by a Generac approved technician since installation. In September of this year we had hurricane Florence.
The generator ran flawlessly for the six days during the storm and afterwards until power was restored. It tried to start during the normal exercise on the Sunday after the storm and would only run a few seconds and quit. We contacted our service contractor who came and inspected the generator and told us we had severely corroded stator, main controller and electrical harness for these components. He recommended a total replacement since repairs of this nature are sometimes only the beginning and the system might not be reliable.
The cost for replacement and installation of just these parts would be about $3,000 and a whole new generator about $6,300. We hoped our insurance would cover this but unfortunately they do not and is a whole other matter. When I finally called Generac today they said “you are not suppose to operate them when rain can get sucked into the intake as that will corrode the system.
They are only meant to provide power when you lose power”. You could have driven a Mack truck into my mouth when it dropped open. I said “you mean to tell me your equipment is not designed to operate in inclimate weather which is typically the ONLY time you lose power and we are to run outside and shut the generator down because it can’t get wet when running?” Needless to say I was shocked. Not only did I find nothing in my operating manual about this and in fact the manual just says “installed in an all-weather metal enclosure and is intended exclusively for outdoor operations”. I then have been told that I can’t talk to anyone in the warranty department of Generac, only my licensed Generac dealer can. My dealer is fabulous and he has been already told the warranty will not cover this.
So what do we do now? I am not going to quietly go away.
I want somebody from Generac to call me. Generac if you are listening my serial number is 9063546. Look me up and call me. I would really like to hear from you. Original review: Nov. 19, 2018 I have a 14kw whole house generator and the rotor was wound with loose winding causing a huge damage in the stator, this caused a catastrophic damage of the rotor as well. The generator is 10 years old and usually ran 12 min a week.
I have made all the scheduled maintenance as per the user’s manual instructions. Why did this happen? Can Generac provide me with a new stator and rotor? Generac: I can send you pictures of the rotor and stator for your comments and your help with the spare parts costs due to this unit not been used for more that 400 hours since the installation.
Original review: Nov. 12, 2018 I imagined myself Peter Sellers as Inspector Clouseau as this was happening: Brand new, out of the box. I assembled the frame and followed the directions exactly. The generator ran for 3 minutes before stalling without warning and refusing to restart. I attempted to restart it for about an hour to no avail.
Being a pull start, I was exhausted so I decided to call it a night. I tried to turn the fuel cutoff switch to 'off'. While doing so, the switch handle broke off in my hand. I woke up the next day to a puddle of fuel beneath the generator from a leaky fuel line. I replaced a fuel line clamp and attempted to restart the unit.
However the lever for the choke was jammed in the 'off' position. After some coaxing I was able to free the choke up, and on only the 36th pull it roared into life. Once idling, the carburetor began spewing gasoline on the floor. No, no, no, not from the fuel line this time, from the cracked carburetor housing! So, I quickly shut the unit off before it ignited the fuel pool, as fuel was also getting on the exhaust.
Because the cutoff valve switch was broken, I had to use vise-grips to clamp the fuel line shut to prevent 5 gallons of fuel ending up on my floor. Generator.) Generac, to my estimation, is a collection of randomly assembled garbage.
The Chinese motor is more than just inferior, it's dangerous. Pot metal is used on critical parts. A new replacement factory carburetor is only $17 which tells you all you need to know.
Save yourself the pain, spend some real $ and go buy ANYTHING else. Original review: Oct. 27, 2018 I bought a Generac generator two months ago. I had a reputable Generac authorized dealer electric company license (Mathers Electric in Tallahassee Florida) and insured to install it. The generator didn't work correctly from day one. I've had nothing but problems with it.
It didn't even pass the state home inspection right after it was installed. The same day it was installed, the electricians couldn't even get the Wi-Fi to work. I had to wait 2 weeks for them to come back and they said the reason it didn't work was because of serial numbers on the generator didn't match up with what the actual serial numbers on the generator.
The electrician had to call Generac to get the correct serial numbers. We had a hurricane two weeks ago and Generator worked for two days and quit. I got a lemon is what I believe has happened. When I start it, it will work for a day or so and during that day or so the lights will flicker completely off and then come back on the generator will rev down and then right back up like a power surge.
It happens two or three times an hour and then eventually the generator just dies. When I first bought the generator you're supposed to let it run for 25 hours and then have the Electricians come out and change the oil.
The oil was changed 2 weeks prior to the hurricane. The generator people came out and decided that the generators problem was low on oil. In two days of running the generator, it burned a quart and a half of oil. There is no reason why it burn that much. I ran the generator after they 'fixed it' and still the lights are flickering on and off and the generator is revving up and down.
I lost everything in the freezer. I have used an extra propane trying to test the generator out and figure out what's wrong with it. Generac does not want to do anything about it because the generator is running even though it isn't running correctly with the lights and power flickering and the generating shutting down after running it a few hours. My advice is, think twice before buying Generac. They are suppose to be a good company but they haven't shown me that they stand behind their warranties.
They haven't honored their warranty on my generator. Original review: Oct. 26, 2018 I spent the last of my savings for a generator because we live in Florida and we keep having a lot of hurricanes. There are two elderly people that live in my house and they have to have power for their medical needs. The generator didn't work from day one. The generator would not start when we had to start it during a hurricane.
I am elderly and I was out there on a ladder and 60 mile an hour winds trying to get it started because we didn't have any power. After calling Generac and trying to get it fixed and they sent out their representative to fix it but they say it works but we're still having power surges where it will power up and and then power down with the lights going out and then the generator come back on again it's not working like it's supposed to.
Original review: Oct. 21, 2018 I had the unit installed professionally by Billy.
of CT. The unit was installed on a 3’ high brick based along with the Generac provided base in order to have the unit off the ground during snow storms. Me. maintained the unit for the 1st two years without any incidents. I continued to maintain it yearly by changing the oil, oil & air filter on a yearly basis. At 25+ hours of runtime the valves were checked & the spark plugs were changed. The unit has 38 runtime hours at this time & has run flawlessly.
I am thankfully pleased with the performance of the unit. The only complaint that I have is that I can’t schedule the unit to test run for more than 5 minutes, & I must manually turn it on for additional minutes to ensure the proper heating up of the oil. Original review: Oct. 14, 2018 DO NOT BUY THIS GENERATOR.
I had installed a 20KW whole house generator with a 3-year warranty. In its 4th year it suffered a catastrophic failure of the stator and control module (computer).
It cost $1,500 to repair, 1/3 the cost of the unit. I asked the techs if this had an hour meter, which it did, and it showed that, over 4 years, it had run a total of 228 hours-9 1/2 days. To add insult to injury, at that time they were advertising new generators with 10-year warranties.
They would not warranty this work. This is junk. If you could give minus stars I would. Original review: Oct.
13, 2018 Based on a free extended 10-year warranty, bought a 22kw standby generator from my local Generac dealer. He check and double-checked that the generator for my home was eligible for the offer. First check was in August, then in September before I paid for it. In his emails (which I have) my local dealer was assured of the offer as he ordered on Sept 8th. He was told by the sales rep Britni Trevino on Sept 13, 23, and 24th that offer would be accepted if activated by Oct 10th. It was and Generac sent me that my extended offer was declined.
I would have never ordered a Generac generator if the offer was not valid. Original review: Oct. 12, 2018 I purchased a Generac XT8000E 10 months ago and have ran it every week or two for 15 minutes or so. Pulled it out before Hurricane Florence and it was running sluggish and would barely idle. I pulled the spark plug boot off (it was very loose and came off with no effort at all) and found that a piece of the plug had broken off in the boot. Took it to an 'authorized' repair center and was notified a week later that Generac would not honor the warranty because they suspected tampering. What a flimsy pretext to just dismiss the issue out of hand.
Why in the hell would I tamper with the machine when it has only 10 hours on it? In addition to this, the gas shut-off valve hasn't worked since day one. Original review: Oct. 10, 2018 Do Not Buy!! Bought one, stayed in box 4 years. Told by company because I didn’t start it every year.
What the mechanic says is wrong with it has nothing to do with engine. The engine would be the only thing benefiting from being started once a year. Plus how damn long do they sit on a shelf before they are sold and after they have sat in a warehouse. Does Lowe’s or Home Depot take them off the shelf and start them up? Thieves who won’t stand behind their “quality” engineering!! Original review: Oct. 7, 2018 The reason we bought the 8KW automatic generator was to protect our family and pets and to make our lives easier.
Generac has failed miserably on both counts. The generator constantly fails to start up with an “over crank” warning when we need it the most. In bad weather when our safety is in jeopardy. We have to spend hundreds of dollars every year to have it repaired and if even half the complaints on this site are accurate then Generac MUST KNOW THAT THERE ARE INHERENT FAULTS WITH THE DESIGN OF THEIR PRODUCTS THAT HAVE GONE UNADDRESSED FOR YEARS. They obviously don’t care or there would have been a comprehensive re design and the complaints would have stopped. People are not making these complaints for no good reason!!! Today at 2:30 pm there is yet another overcrank error.
Generac Startup Code
Want me to stop writing that your company makes garbage? Fix my damn generator!!! Original review: Sept. 25, 2018 I purchased a Generac 5500 storm boss from Lowe's a year ago never cranked it up, then came hurricane Florence right in Wilmington NC lights went out so I plug it in pull it for the first time it fired right up.
Ha good motor I'm thinking, run it for a few hours herd it sputtering ran out through the rain to find gas all over my shop floor and the generator popping and raising Cain. So I hit the switch, turn it off and with my flashlight I find the fuel tank had melted just above the heat shield and had leaked five gallons of none eth 93 octane gas all over the place. Of course I contacted Generac. I have the girls name that I e-mailed. She said she would send it to a 'higher up.' Well have not heard a word.
Wasted money the way I see it and a real problem for people, if I don't get some feedback from these people I will stand in line to bad mouth these portable fire starters. Thanks to my friend down the street we didn't need that pos. Original review: Sept. 19, 2018 I read several reviews on this site for Generac and most are not positive. This is not my experience. I bought a Generac 22KW generator and had it professionally installed by Cape Fear Generators.
Generac Generator Codes
I also have a service contract with them. I have only had one issue and that was with the switchgear. It went out on the first time the generator was used. Cape Fear came out that night and repaired it.
# years later, it has worked flawlessly through two hurricanes. Mathew and Florence. Mathew it ran for 13 hours and powered my house perfectly. Florence, it ran for almost 4 days with the same result.
I have no complaint with Generac other than the constant emails and mailers for an extended warranty. I get one or two a month. And I have no complaint with Cape Fear Generators (The Authorized Installer). It's my experienced that both are top notch companies. Original review: Sept.
17, 2018 I had my generator installed in 2013. It's a 14 KW whole house 200 Amp Auto Transfer. In 2015 I was having a window installed near my generator and the installer made me aware of the starting problem. I called the company back that installed and sold me the unit and they spent about 2 1/2 hours troubleshooting the problem. Their answer was we can't find anything wrong, sometimes they just come off the assembly line that way.
I called Generac and they said that's wrong, they do not come off the line that way, call another technician. So I called another and long story short, same answer. Sometimes they just come that way. I called Generac again and they want me to keep trying different technicians at $100.+ per visit. If need be I can start it with a shot of ether. But I can't keep calling different technicians.
Original review: Sept. 13, 2018 Have Generac GP3300 that is brand new. Has less the 3hr on it, drain the gas when I was done with it and 6 months later I needed it for hurricane Florence, so get it out and filled it with gas and tried to start it but it wouldn't start. So called Generac customer service to talk to someone in tech support and they told me all they could do is find a service center for me. So now the family and I are going into a hurricane with a $700 new generator that doesn't work!!!
This is by far the worst company I have ever dealt with. I strongly recommend you don't by a Generac. Original review: Sept. 13, 2018 I installed a state of the art Generac 20KW Synergy from Home Depot with 200 amp trans switch plus all the whistles and bells. Three weeks after install Harvey came with high winds and incessant record rainfall. Our brand new hot rod Generac made the storm just fine, glad to say.
We shut it down every 24 hours to check oil and resume use. I filled the engine initially with best quality synthetic oil. I changed oil, used the same proper spec weight best synthetic oil made with Generac replacement filters, at 97 hours. At 107 hours (4 1/2 months old) during an exercise run it started rattling and blowing oil from the exhaust.
It had a blown engine. Generac would not warrant it because we didn't change the oil after the 'break in' period of 25 hours. I told the truth, we did not change the oil, c'mon, during a full blown record breaking hurricane just jump out there and change the oil. I used the same, best quality, synthetic oil during the change before initial, first time startup.
After 2 weeks of 'I don't care about your generator' from Generac I finally found someone to help. Took countless calls and time on the phone. I paid $800.00 out of pocket on a 1/2 and 1/2 pay deal. If this Generac goes down I will not repair it I am replacing it with Kohler because Kohler stands behind their product no questions asked.
Kohler engines need no valve adjustments. Valves are hydraulic and engines don't need babysitting. Kohler gens needs no brush replacement either.
Original review: Sept. 13, 2018 Spent over $8000 on Generac home generator that is supposed to fuel the whole house when the electric went off. Had 3 issues with it on 3 separate occasions. Twice it came on like it was suppose to and shut off a while later. Did not get ANY satisfaction from Lowe’s that sold it to us. They sent us an unauthorized Generac repairman that was replacing bad parts with automotive parts (that was confirmed by an authorized dealer that WE had to pay out of pocket). Lowe’s would not take it nor fix it with a proper authorized Generac repairman and the Generac dealer said I would have to deal with Lowe’s.
Had bad part that caused it to shut off and on another day, it was leaking gas that could have caught my house on fire. Would NOT recommend. Original review: Aug. 17, 2018 I made appointments through Generac for local contractors to come to my home to discuss their automatic home generator. I reconfirmed those appointments this morning and was assured those two companies would be arriving at my home for those appointments regarding the generator.
When the first contractor JP Electric and Sons do not do business with/for Generac, that Generac had not contacted them about any appointment with me and that they received 'many calls from other homeowners' telling them that Generac had made non-existent appointments with them too. I then called the second business (Colonial Electric ) who Generac had also assured me would arrive at my home for an appointment tomorrow.
Colonial also said they also had no record of Generac calling to make an appointment with their company for me and that they too receive at 'least 3-4 consumer calls' a week asking for confirmation of non-existent Generac appointments. Colonial doesn’t even conduct business in Boston. Clearly this is a pattern of fraudulent business practices by Generac. I wonder how many other contractors Generac tells consumers will arrive to discuss their product? For over 50 years, Generac has been making residential standby generators.
Today it also makes portable and industrial generators, fully automatic transfer switches and accessories for backup power applications. Consumers can choose from multiple fuel types for their generators and many different series and models based on their specific needs.
Generators for homeowners: Generac makes over 40 models of residential generators across six series: The Guardian, Synergy, EcoGen, PowerPact, QuietSource and Protector series. Each model in the homeowner generator category runs on natural gas or liquid propane and sits outside like a typical air conditioning unit. Each model delivers backup power directly to your home’s electrical panel, eliminating the need for extension cords, and runs on your existing natural gas or liquid propane fuel supply so you won’t run out of fuel. Generators for business: Generac offers businesses with multiple standby power solutions including gas- and diesel-fueled, bi-fuel and modular power systems. Its single generators offer up to two megawatts of power, while its paralleling systems allow for multiple units to be installed together, offering standby power of up to 7,000 watts. Mobile generators: Generac’s line of mobile generators can be fueled by diesel or gas, have a rugged, durable design and come with wheels for easy transportation across multiple types of terrain. Mobile units include generators, light towers, heaters, pumps, water trailers and government/military-used generators, which are customized for remote military locations.
Mobile remote monitoring: Generac’s residential generators come with Mobile Link remote monitoring. This feature allows you to check your generator's status from your laptop, tablet or smartphone. Pricing: Generac has a tool on its website to help you locate the nearest dealer to your location. A dealer's website site generally lists pricing for the models they carry, or you can call for pricing. Best for: homeowners or property owners wanting reliable backup power. At ConsumerAffairs we love to hear from both consumers and brands; please never hesitate to.
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