Do you change the oil on your whole house generator yourself?

[dennis thompson]

I just got a call from the company that installed my whole house generator that they will be coming out on Tuesday to change the oil in my generator.
I also got a bill for $400 to do the oil change once a year and to come out one more time to test the generator.
I looked at my warranty and in an amazing coincidence, the 5-year warranty expires TODAY! June 10.
I would guess the generator has run for about10-20 hours over the last year, we haven't had any extended blackouts.
I can buy the oil and oil filter for $45. It looks pretty easy to change the oil & filter.
Do you change your oil on your generator yourself?
Any tips or suggestions will be appreciated.
Thanks

[Dwayne Watt]

You got a bill before they showed up to do any work? And it is $400! I want that oil change gig.
Regardless, changing oil on a small engine is not exactly rocket science. Messy, perhaps, but nothing more. I'd be willing to wager they will "find" something wrong on Tuesday as well given your warranty expires today. Testing a generator should be nothing more than switch off the main breaker at your meter and seeing the generator fire up within a few seconds. Personally, I would tell them to take a hike.

[Bill George]

My guess they are doing more than an oil change, test run checking frequency and so on.

[Jim Becker]

While it's not uncommon for the installer to provide these maintenance services, $400 is a bit steep for an oil change and plug replacement, which is what is normally done for the maintenance interval on a whole house generator. While it's not a difficult job, it certainly takes some labor time to do the work. THey usually do also look at diagnostics, etc. There's no reason you can't do it yourself if you want to. Just be sure you use the specified fluid or direct equivalent and the correct spark plug(s).

[Bill Howatt]

If it's out of warranty, I'd certainly do the plug and oil change myself at that price, in warranty, I'd have them do it to keep arguments out of the warranty validity.
Remember the time factor in the price is when they leave their facility and return, not when they arrive at your house.
I googled a gas furnace cost for an annual inspection and it looks like around the $100 mark but that would be a very rough estimate and changing the oil, filter and plug might be a bit more effort.
Any chance you observed exactly all he did at a previous trip so you know what else, if anything, to do. I know I'd be checking the time-to-start and the voltage output as well. Hopefully you have or can get some preventative maintenance information for your model.

[Bruce Wrenn]

Our whole house generator is a portable, that I made stationary. Oil change (it doesn't have a filter) means taking cap off, adding a section of drain pipe, opening drain valve and let it drain into waste oil can. Refill with fresh oil. Total time, including letting engine warm up before oil change, less than 30 minutes. My engine uses 36oz of oil in a change, so I open a quart (32 oz), plus have 4 oz measured out into another bottle. Both bottles have spouts from grease bottles on them, so pouring it in is easy. Thankfully in last few years, run time during the year is almost always the run time during monthly tests, less than 3 hours.

[Bill Dufour]

On our old rototiller draining oil was messy job until..I got short length of hydraulic hose that threaded into the drain port. A pipe cap on the far end and the job became clean. Stationary engine copper pipe would be fine for such short run time. Copper pipe will crack from excess vibration but not in a few weeks of 24/7 running.
On my lathe similar situation for the headstock gearbox. I added a ball valve and an elbow pointing down for that. I changed out the elbow for a tee to hang the drain bucket on.
They make spring loaded ball valves to replace car engine drain plugs. The out port can be left as is or a rubber tube attached. I added a rubber 90 degree piece so flow is straight down. They even make remote cable operated valves.
Bill D.

https://www.fumotousa.com/f110n.html

https://www.amazon.com/Fumoto-F110N-.../dp/B079RP4L36

[Tom M King]

I would put a Fumoto valve on it and leave a hose on the valve. I use them everywhere possible. Cleanest oil changes ever.

[Rod Sheridan]

You got a bill before they showed up to do any work? And it is $400! I want that oil change gig.
Regardless, changing oil on a small engine is not exactly rocket science. Messy, perhaps, but nothing more. I'd be willing to wager they will "find" something wrong on Tuesday as well given your warranty expires today. Testing a generator should be nothing more than switch off the main breaker at your meter and seeing the generator fire up within a few seconds. Personally, I would tell them to take a hike.

As someone who looked after standby power generation equipment for decades, testing a standby generator and transfer switch certainly isn’t as simple as you think it is.

Regards, Rod

[Ralph Okonieski]

I do not change the oil myself. But, the amount we pay (~half of your cost) is part of a maintenance agreement.

[Brian Runau]

I just got a call from the company that installed my whole house generator that they will be coming out on Tuesday to change the oil in my generator.
I also got a bill for $400 to do the oil change once a year and to come out one more time to test the generator.
I looked at my warranty and in an amazing coincidence, the 5-year warranty expires TODAY! June 10.
I would guess the generator has run for about10-20 hours over the last year, we haven't had any extended blackouts.
I can buy the oil and oil filter for $45. It looks pretty easy to change the oil & filter.
Do you change your oil on your generator yourself?
Any tips or suggestions will be appreciated.
Thanks

I sign a 3 year deal, includes a new battery every 3 years, oil change and check up once a year. Less than 400. Shop around for a service agreement in your area. Brian

[Jack Frederick]

My generator reported its test running per schedule and would show any errors as well as run hours . Yes, I changed my oil, filter and plug. On my single cylinder Generac the price issue is valve adjustment. Check the service manual for things other than oil, filter, filter and plug and decide when to call them.

[Tom M King]

Adjusting valves on a small engine is a pretty simple job.

[dennis thompson]

As someone who looked after standby power generation equipment for decades, testing a standby generator and transfer switch certainly isn’t as simple as you think it is.

Regards, Rod

Rod
Would you then recommend I retain my generator company?
Thanks

[Rod Sheridan]

Rod
Would you then recommend I retain my generator company?
Thanks

Dennis, I would first request a detailed itemization of the work to be performed.

A small generator has less consumable items, however labour can be similar.

Aside from routine mechanical checks ( I don’t know if yours is air or liquid cooled), I would expect a lab analysis of lubricating oil, a corrosion inhibitor test of jacket water if liquid cooled, every few years an insulation resistance check of alternator windings, cranking battery tests, load test using a load bank for one hour, and transfer switch inspection, maintenance and testing.

Regards, Rod