Oil change a Ryobi generator? (Noob)

[Oj0]

at the current loadshedding rate you will probably be servicing your genny every 2 months or so

I think you mean weeks? Even the large ones say oil change every 100 hours. At 6-8 hours of running per day (call it an average of 7), that's 14 days.

Buy a 5liter

I do, it's waaaaaaay cheaper than pints.

 

[Switch]

At 6-8 hours of running per day (call it an average of 7), that's 14 days.

That's if your substation didn't blow up to leave you without power for days in a row.

 

[Oj0]

That's if your substation didn't blow up to leave you without power for days in a row.

Living where I do, that's not even remotely funny

 

[Gogg4456]

The two items above the plugs look like light indicators, not switches.

He is referring to the switch (should be marked as "AC Switch" on the unit) between the two plugs and the AVR unit/meter on your picture. This should be off when you are starting the generator, and only flipped up (ON) when you are ready for current to start flowing from your generator to the house. When this switch is in the OFF position, the generator may run, but will not supply electricity to the two plugs.

The correct way to shut the generator down is to first flip this AC Switch to the OFF position (to stop the current being supplied from the generator to the house), and then switch the generator/engine off (using the main switch on the generator body, on the far left, with the key on your picture). If you just shut the generator/engine down without flipping the AC Switch OFF, the AVR unit may be damaged due to improper shutdown steps being followed. Hope this helps,

Thanks so much for the info. I can't seem to add a photo of my gennie; it has a digital meter (with "AVR" written underneath it; to the right of that there is a circuit breaker switch; and then to the right of that the AC plugs. So is the circuit breaker what you're calling the "AC Switch"?

The two items above the plugs are definitely not light indicators; the guy who sold me the gennie said you would use them for charging via DC but I may have that wrong or he may be mistaken!

 

[Gogg4456]

Bettween the avr and the plug is a AC on switch for the plugs. Must be off before startup and shutdown. Also after startup wait a minute before flipping switch to on.

As per my other post - the switch in this position on my gennie is labelled "Circuit breaker". Same thing? Thanks

 

[[AKO] MatthewGhost]

OP are you sorted?

My brother owns the Joule and they use the same spares he can definitely assist you here even if it's just some guidance.

@JarrodGerms please assist a fellow carbie <3

 

[Gogg4456]

The two items above the plugs look like light indicators, not switches.

He is referring to the switch (should be marked as "AC Switch" on the unit) between the two plugs and the AVR unit/meter on your picture. This should be off when you are starting the generator, and only flipped up (ON) when you are ready for current to start flowing from your generator to the house. When this switch is in the OFF position, the generator may run, but will not supply electricity to the two plugs.

The correct way to shut the generator down is to first flip this AC Switch to the OFF position (to stop the current being supplied from the generator to the house), and then switch the generator/engine off (using the main switch on the generator body, on the far left, with the key on your picture). If you just shut the generator/engine down without flipping the AC Switch OFF, the AVR unit may be damaged due to improper shutdown steps being followed. Hope this helps,

Tnanks so much. Thought I responded earlier but it doesn't seem to have posted. My gennie has a switch labelled "Circuit breaker" between the AVR and the plugs. Is this the AC switch that you're talking about?

 

[blueowl]

Tnanks so much. Thought I responded earlier but it doesn't seem to have posted. My gennie has a switch labelled "Circuit breaker" between the AVR and the plugs. Is this the AC switch that you're talking about?

It's difficult to say without seeing the picture. Circuit breaker usually serves a different purpose than the AC switch on the generator. It is to switch the power off in case of overload, while the AC Switch doesn't have any sensors/limiters in terms of how much amperage to let through, but it is only to switch the power going from the generator to the house.

I suppose the safe thing to do would be to use that "Circuit breaker" switch in place of the AC Switch on your generator, just to be safe, if there is no other such switch. See if you can check the manual for your specific model, or take a pic of your generator and post it here?

Edit: after looking at the pic you posted Gogg4456, it does look like it's the same switch (what is now called Circuit breaker), so I would suggest using it as the AC Switch described above.

 

[Gogg4456]

It's difficult to say without seeing the picture. Circuit breaker usually serves a different purpose than the AC switch on the generator. It is to switch the power off in case of overload, while the AC Switch doesn't have any sensors/limiters in terms of how much amperage to let through, but it is only to switch the power going from the generator to the house.

I suppose the safe thing to do would be to use that "Circuit breaker" switch in place of the AC Switch on your generator, just to be safe, if there is no other such switch. See if you can check the manual for your specific model, or take a pic of your generator and post it here?

Edit: after looking at the pic you posted Gogg4456, it does look like it's the same switch (what is now called Circuit breaker), so I would suggest using it as the AC Switch described above.

Thanks a mill

 

[celopot]

ooooops - sorry to hear that about your AVR.

I have the Ryobi 6900K model and also didn't change the oil initially; it was pitch black when I finally did manage to change it. Yes, the bolt at the bottom is for draining the old oil out - I lifted my generator on bricks a bit (as I didn't have a pan, but a jar which was high, and tilted it slightly, to make sure all the old oil is out).

I also managed to get the manual from Ryobi via e-mail, as I couldn't find it on their web site. I attach it here if anyone can use it - it is at 5.97 MB file on MEGA

I used the Castrol oil 5W30 from Makro; this specific generator needs 1.1 liters of such oil (the Ryobi guy said over the phone it can be "SAE30 or SAE40").

Hope this helps to someone for more visit my site Safepowering!

A question though - what do you do with the old oil? Is there some place where you can drop it off?

I bought a Ryobi generator a quite a few years back and used a few times, maybe 10 hours in total and its been standing for the last 3 years. Now that Eskom is starting load shedding again I want to get it running again so I drained the old petrol/oil/etc.

My question is related to what oil to use for the refill, the manual indicates SAE 10W30/10W40 and I initially filled it with Shell helix HX5 (15W40 - now R35 per 500ml at Shell) on recommendation from the salesman. I still have a can of Castrol Magnatec (10W40) from my wife's car service in Dec2017. Can I use this instead as it is closer in SPEC to the recommendation or should I keep using the Shell Helix? I do not want to damage the engine and shorten it's lifespan. Also the oil drained looked almost brand new.

 

[blueowl]

I bought a Ryobi generator a quite a few years back and used a few times, maybe 10 hours in total and its been standing for the last 3 years. Now that Eskom is starting load shedding again I want to get it running again so I drained the old petrol/oil/etc.

My question is related to what oil to use for the refill, the manual indicates SAE 10W30/10W40 and I initially filled it with Shell helix HX5 (15W40 - now R35 per 500ml at Shell) on recommendation from the salesman. I still have a can of Castrol Magnatec (10W40) from my wife's car service in Dec2017. Can I use this instead as it is closer in SPEC to the recommendation or should I keep using the Shell Helix? I do not want to damage the engine and shorten it's lifespan. Also the oil drained looked almost brand new.

I believe either will do just fine; the difference between 10W and 15W is minimal and won't be significant enough to affect it in any way. The way I see it, it is more important to check the oil level regularly and change if needed, than a difference between 10W and 15W oil.