Who doesn’t love the functionality of generators, right? They keep the electric appliances running even during a blackout. Nowadays, generators are used both in homes and industries.
To keep the generator running for a long period of time, you need to maintain the engine’s health. So, you might be wondering if the generators come with oil filters.
If yes, you might want to know how you can change the oil filters in your generator. Let’s find the answers to all your questions regarding generator oil filters.
Generator oil filters
Most of the large and portable generators come equipped with oil filters in their engines. However, the small or mini generators are equipped with oil slinger instead of oil filters. The oil filter basically removes any contaminants from the oil to keep the engine safe and fully functional.
Almost all generators manufactured by renowned or well-known brands do come with oil filters.
The oil filters keep the engine oil free from contaminants that can accumulate in the engine over a certain period of time. Without oil filters, the impurities in the engine oil will damage the engine and it will eventually misfire.
Although most of the generators feature oil filters, there are a few units that don’t come with integrated oil filters. Let’s find out if the below-mentioned generators have oil filters.
Champion generators:
The champion generators most definitely have oil filters in their engine. These generators also come with air filters to keep the engine up and running for a long period of time without any issues.
Honda generators:
Every Honda generator launched in recent times comes equipped with oil filters. The oil filters remove the impurities from the engine oil in the Honda engine. However you will have to change the oil filter regularly to get the best outcome.
Onan generators:
Several generators manufactured by Onan come equipped with top-notch oil filters. However, there are a few Onan generators that are engineered in such a way that they don’t need oil filters to clean the engine oil.
Duromax generators:
Not every Duromax generator has oil filters built into their engine. The units that do not have oil filters need oil change after 6 to 8 hours of running the generator.
Generac generators:
Most of the Generac generators do come with oil filters to keep the oil free from impurities. To keep the oil filters fully functional and effective, you will need to replace them on a regular basis.
Firman generators:
The regular sized Firman generators mostly feature built-in oil filters. The oil filters in the Firman generators will keep the engine oil free from any contaminants quite effectively.
Portable generators:
Most of the portable generators that include full pressure lubrication definitely come equipped with oil filters. These oil filters keep the oil clean and ensure that the engine lasts longer.
Yamaha generators:
Almost every generator manufactured by Yamaha features oil filters to remove dirt and other contaminants from the oil. Yamaha recommends that you change the oil filters regularly.
How many oil filters does a generator have?
A generator usually has one filter built into the engine. The oil filter in a generator basically cleans and removes the impurities from the engine oil.
The contaminants in the engine oil will cause the engine to ignite more fuel and cause the engine to misfire. As a result, the oil filter will ensure that the generator lasts for a long period of time without any issues.
That being said, there are a few generators that feature multiple oil filters. The additional oil filters basically work as a backup for the main unit.
This ensures that one oil filter always remains functional and active, keeping the oil free from contaminants.
No matter how many oil filters your generator has, you will have to replace them on a regular basis. If you don’t change the oil filters in the right time, the oil filters won’t be able to filter out the impurities properly.
Reasons generators have oil filters
There are multiple reasons why a generator has oil filters. Oil filter is very important for an engine as without it the engine will start to malfunction and its lifespan will reduce significantly.
However, the generators that have an oil pump are only equipped with the oil filters. So, the inclusion of oil filters in the generators is due to engine oil.
Let’s take a look at the reasons for inclusion of oil filters in generators.
To keep the engine oil clean:
The oil filters in an engine basically filters out the impurities, dirt, and unwanted elements from the oil.
Without the oil filters, the impurities in the engine oil will contaminate the engine. As a result, the engine will start to malfunction and it will eventually misfire.
The oil in the engine basically goes through the oil filter while being pumped into the engine. The engine oil becomes clean and free from any unwanted items while the oil goes through the filter.
Filter out waste from the oil pan:
The oil filter not only cleans the oil in the engine, but also removes the waste and unwanted element on the oil pan.
Waste and unwanted elements form on the oil pan if the engine oil stays on it for a long period of time. The oil filter will filter out and release the waste material from the engine through the tailpipe.
Where is the oil filter on a generator?
The oil filter on a generator is mostly placed near the oil pump of the engine. Usually, you can access the oil filter of a generator from the above after removing the top protective layer.
However, there are a few generators in which you can access the oil filter from underneath the generator.
The oil filter is however available on generators that feature oil pumps only. If the generator’s engine doesn’t pump oil to run, it won’t come equipped with oil filters.
Knowing where the oil filter is located in a generator is very important. This is due to the fact that you will have to replace the oil filters on a regular basis.
If you don’t know where the oil filters are located, then the replacement process of the filters will be quite lengthy and tiring.
How do I change the oil filter in my generator?
Changing the oil filter in a generator is not very complicated. You can do it quite effortlessly and in a matter of time as long as you follow the right process.
In addition, if you change the oil filters incorrectly, you might risk damaging the engine as the oil will contain a lot of impurities. Let’s find out how you can change the oil filter in your generator.
Locate the oil filters:
The first and foremost thing you will have to do is find out where the oil filters in your generator are located.
The oil filters are usually situated near the oil pump of the engine. You can access the oil filter either from the top of the engine or from underneath the engine.
Place the generator on a level surface:
Before you locate the oil filters, you should place the generator on a flat surface. You can use blocks of the same size and height to make the surface of the generator even.
Ensure that your generator is securely situated, steady, and won’t in any way tumble off your blocks.
Unplug the spark plugs:
After placing the generator safely on the same sized and stable blocks, you should unplug the spark plugs.
By doing so, you will prevent any type of accident due to remaining oil in the engine. To locate the spark plugs, you should read the user manual of the generator.
Drain out the oil:
AFter unplugging the spark plugs, you should drain out the old oil from the oil pan. By doing so, you can easily remove the oil filter without spilling any oil on the generator’s body.
It will also make sure that the oil in the generator becomes fully filtered with new oil filters.
Change the oil filters:
Now, you can change the oil filters of your generator. While replacing the old oil filter, make sure that the new unit is completely compatible with your generator’s engine.
To change the oil filters, first, remove the oil filters. You can use a wrench and screwdriver to change the oil filters.
Final Thoughts
The generators that feature oil pumps usually come equipped with oil filters. The oil filters keep the engine oil free from dirt, dust, and impurities that can damage the engine. The oil filters are engineered in such a way that the oil passes through the filters while being pumped into the engine.