Generac Power Systems MC10000 User manual

MC10000
GENERAC
Model No. 98092 (10,000 Watt AC Generator) Manual No. B4749 Rev s on 0 (9/9/1999)
V s t our Generac webs te: www.generacportables.com
Problems?
Questions?
Before taking your unit
back to the store,
call the generator
helpline at
1-8 -27 -14 8
MF 85 CT
The Reliable Ones
Portable Generator Owner’s Manual
DANGER! Th s generator s des gned for outdoor use only. Never use th s generator ns de any bu ld ng
or enclosure nclud ng the generator compartment of a recreat onal veh cle (RV). Carbon monoxide
poisoning, fire and/or an explosion may result. No user performed mod f cat ons, nclud ng vent ng of
exhaust and/or cool ng vent lat on, w ll el m nate the danger. Always have at least two feet of clearance on
all s des of the generator even wh le operat ng the un t outdoors.
DANGER! You must solate the generator from the electr c ut l ty by open ng the electr cal systems ma n
c rcu t breaker or ma n sw tch f th s un t s used for backup power. Failure to isolate the generator from
the power utility may result in injury or death to electric utility workers and damage to the
generator due to a backfeed of electr cal energy.
The Em ss on Control System for th s generator s warranted for standards set by the
Env ronmental Protect on Agency. For warranty nformat on refer to the Eng ne Owners manual.
Th s s the safety alert symbol. It s used to alert you to potent al personal njury hazards.
Obey all safety messages that follow th s symbol to avo d poss ble njury or death.

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EQUIPMENT DESCRIPTION
Th s generator s an eng nedr ven, revolv ng f eld,
alternat ng current (AC) generator. It was des gned to
supply electr cal power for operat ng compat ble
electr cal l ght ng, appl ance, tool and motor loads. Th s
manual conta ns nformat on for a generator that
operates 120 and/or 240 Volt, s ngle phase, 60Hz
dev ces that requ re up to 10,000 watts (10 kW) of
power that pull up to 83.3 Amps at 120 Volts or
41.7 Amps at 240 Volts.
CAUTION! Do not exceed the generators
wattage/amperage capac ty. Add up the rated
watts of all dev ces you are connect ng to
generator receptacles at one t me. Th s total
should not be greater than 10,000 watts for th s
generator. In most cases rated watts of the
electr cal dev ce can be found on the dev ce
nameplate. If the dev ce nameplate g ves only
volts and amps, mult ply volts t mes amps to
obta n watts (volts x amps = watts).
The generators revolv ng f eld s dr ven at about
3600 rpm by a tw ncyl nder eng ne.
Every effort has been expended to make sure that the
nformat on n th s manual s both accurate and current.
However, Generac reserves the r ght to change, alter
or otherw se mprove the product at any t me w thout
pr or not ce.
DANGER! Do not tamper w th eng ne
governed speed. H gh operat ng speeds are
dangerous and ncrease the r sk of personal
njury or damage to equ pment. The generator
suppl es correctly rated frequency and voltage
only when runn ng at proper governed speed.
Incorrect frequency and/or voltage can damage
some connected electr cal loads. Operat ng at
excess vely low speeds mposes a heavy load
and, when adequate eng ne power s not
ava lable, may shorten eng ne l fe.
SAFETY RULES
Th s generator set was des gned and manufactured for
spec f c appl cat ons. Do not attempt to mod fy the un t
or use t for any appl cat on t was not des gned for. If
you have any quest ons about your generators
appl cat on, ask your dealer or consult the factory.
The manufacturer could not poss bly ant c pate every
c rcumstance that m ght nvolve a hazard. For that
reason warn ngs n the Manual and warn ngs on tags
or decals aff xed to the un t are not all nclus ve. If you
ntend to handle, operate or serv ce the un t by a
procedure or method not spec f cally recommended by
the manufacturer, f rst make sure that such a
procedure or method w ll not render th s equ pment
unsafe or pose a threat to you and others.
Read this manual carefully and become familiar
with your generator set. Know its applications, its
limitations and any hazards involved.
DANGER! You must solate the generator
from the electr c ut l ty by open ng the electr cal
systems ma n c rcu t breaker or ma n sw tch f
th s un t s used for backup power. Failure to
isolate the generator from the power utility
may result in injury or death to electric
utility workers and damage to the generator
due to a backfeed of electr cal energy.
DANGER! Generator exhaust gases contain
DEADLY carbon monoxide gas. Carbon
monoxide, if breathed in sufficient
concentrations, can cause
unconsciousness or death. Operate th s
equ pment outdoors where adequate vent lat on
s ava lable.
The engine exhaust from this product contains
chemicals known to the State of California to
cause cancer, birth defects, or other
reproductive harm.
WARNING:

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 The generator produces a very powerful voltage that
can cause ser ous njury or death by electrocut on.
Never touch bare w res or receptacles. Never perm t
a ch ld or any unqual f ed person to operate the
generator.
 Never handle any k nd of electr cal cord or dev ce
wh le stand ng n water, wh le barefoot or wh le
hands or feet are wet. Death or ser ous njury from
electrocut on may result.
 Use a ground fault c rcu t nterrupter (GFCI) n any
damp or h ghly conduct ve area (such as metal
deck ng or steel work).
 Never use worn, bare, frayed or otherw se damaged
electr cal cords w th the generator. Death, ser ous
njury and property damage from electr cal shock
may result.
Gasoline is highly FLAMMABLE and its vapors
are EXPLOSIVE. Never allow smoking, open
flames, sparks or heat in the vicinity while
handling gasoline. Avo d sp ll ng gasol ne on a hot
eng ne. Comply w th all laws regulat ng storage and
handl ng of gasol ne.
 Do not overf ll the fuel tank. Always allow room for
fuel expans on. If tank is overfilled, fuel can
overflow onto a hot engine and cause a FIRE or
an EXPLOSION.
 Never store a generator w th fuel n the tank where
gasol ne vapors m ght reach an open flame, spark or
p lot l ght (as on a furnace, water heater, clothes
dryer). FIRE or an EXPLOSION may result.
 The eng negenerator requ res an adequate flow of
cool ng a r for ts cont nued proper operat on. Never
operate the un t ns de any room or enclosure where
the free flow of cool ng a r nto and out of the un t
m ght be obstructed. Allow at least 2 feet of clearance
on all s des of un t or you damage could result.
 Never start or stop the un t w th electr cal loads
connected to receptacles AND w th the connected
dev ces turned ON. Start the eng ne and let t
stab l ze before connect ng any electr cal loads.
D sconnect all electr cal loads before shutt ng down
the generator.
 Do not nsert any object through cool ng slots of the
eng ne. You could damage the un t or njure yourself.
 Never operate the generator:
n ra n; n any enclosed compartment; f connected
electr cal dev ces overheat; f electr cal output s lost;
f eng ne or generator sparks; f flame or smoke s
observed wh le un t s runn ng; f un t v brates
excess vely.
GROUNDING THE
GENERATOR
The Nat onal Electr c Code requ res the frame and
external electr cally conduct ve parts of the generator
be properly connected to approved earth ground.
Local electr cal codes may also requ re proper
ground ng of the un t. For th s purpose, a ground lug
(F gure 1) s prov ded on the cradle.
Generally, connect ng a No. 12 AWG (Amer can W re
Gauge) stranded copper w re to the ground lug screw
and to an earthdr ven copper or brass ground ng rod
(electrode) prov des adequate protect on aga nst
electr cal shock. However, local codes may vary
w dely. Consult w th a local electr c an for ground ng
requ rements n your area. Be sure to keep the ground
w re attached wh le you connect the electrode.
Properly ground ng the generator helps prevent
electr cal shock f ground fault cond t ons ex sts n the
generator or n connected electr cal dev ces. Proper
ground ng also helps d ss pate stat c electr c ty, wh ch
often bu lds up n ungrounded dev ces.
F gure 1  Locat on of Ground Lug
Ground Lug

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KNOW YOUR GENERATOR
Read this owners manual and safety rules before operating your generator.
Compare the llustrat ons w th your generator to fam l ar ze yourself w th the locat ons of var ous controls and
adjustments. Save th s manual for future reference.
12 Volt DC Receptacle  Use th s receptacle w th
battery charge cables to charge a 12 Volt battery.
12 Volt AC, 2 Amp GFCI Receptacle  May be
used to supply electr cal power for the operat on of 120
Volt AC, s ngle phase, 60 Hz, AC electr cal l ght ng,
appl ance, tool and motor loads.
12 Volt AC, 2 Amp Locking Receptacle  May be
used to supply electr cal power for the operat on of
120 Volt AC, 20 Amp, s ngle phase, 60 Hz electr cal
l ght ng, appl ance, tool and motor loads.
12 Volt AC, 3 Amp Locking Receptacle  May be
used to supply electr cal power for the operat on of
120 Volt AC, 30 Amp, s ngle phase, 60 Hz electr cal
l ght ng, appl ance, tool and motor loads.
12 /24 Volt AC, 3 Amp Locking Receptacle 
May be used to supply electr cal power for the
operat on of 120 and/or 240 Volt AC, 30 Amp, s ngle
phase, 60 Hz electr cal l ght ng, appl ance, tool and
motor loads.
12 /24 Volt AC, 5 Amp Receptacle  May be used
to supply electr cal power for the operat on of 120/240
Volt AC, 50 Amp, s ngle phase, 60 Hz electr cal loads.
Air Cleaner  Used to l m t the amount of d rt and
dust that gets n the eng ne.
Choke Lever  Used when start ng a cold eng ne.
Circuit Breakers (AC)  Each receptacle s prov ded
w th a "push to reset" c rcu t breaker to protect the
generator aga nst electr cal overload.
Fuel Tank  Holds 5 U.S. gallons of unleaded fuel.
Grounding Lug  Use th s connect on to properly
ground the generator.
Hour Meter  D splays actual un t operat ng t me -
used to schedule rout ne ma ntenance.
Idle Control Switch  The dle control runs the
eng ne at normal (h gh) speeds when there s a load
present and runs the eng ne at dle (low) speeds when
a load s not present.
Ignition Switch  Must be set to ON () pos t on to
start generator. To turn off generator, set sw tch to the
STOP (o) pos t on.
Recoil Start Handle  Used to start the un t.
Spark Arrestor Muffler (not shown)  Exhaust
muffler lowers eng ne no se and s equ pped w th a
spark arrestor screen.
120 Volt AC, 20 Amp
GFCI Receptacle
Idle Control Sw tch
Ign t on Sw tch
Hour Meter
Choke Lever
120 Volt AC, 30 Amp
Lock ng Receptacle
120 Volt AC, 20 Amp
Lock ng Receptacle
120/240 Volt AC,
50 Amp Receptacle
C rcu t Breakers (AC)
120/240 Volt AC, 30 Amp
Lock ng Receptacle
12 Volt DC Receptacle
A r Cleaner
Fuel Tank
Ground ng Lug
Reco l Start Handle

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Your generator requ res some assembly and s ready
for use after t has been properly serv ced w th the
recommended o l and fuel.
If you have any problems w th the assembly of your
generator, please call the generator helpl ne at
18 27 14 8
IMPORTANT: Any attempt to run the eng ne before t
has been serv ced w th the recommended o l w ll result
n an eng ne fa lure.
TO REMOVE GENERATOR
FROM CARTON
 Set the palleted carton on a r g d flat surface.
 Carefully cut bands around the sh pp ng carton.
 L ft carton off the generator.
 Remove all pack ng mater al, carton f llers, etc.
 Remove the generator from the sh pp ng pallet.
CARTON CONTENTS
Check all contents. If any parts are m ss ng or
damaged, call the generator helpl ne at
18 27 14 8. Contents nclude:
 10,000 Watt generator
 Owners and eng ne manuals
 125 Volt, 30 Amp plug
 125 Volt, 20 Amp plug
 240 Volt, 30 Amp plug
 Battery charge cable
 O l f ll spout
 Spark arrestor screen
BEFORE STARTING THE
ENGINE
Add Engine Oil
NOTE: When add ng o l to the eng ne crankcase n the
future, use only h gh qual ty detergent o l rated w th
API serv ce class f cat on SF and SG rated SAE 30
we ght. Use no spec al add t ves.
Select the o ls v scos ty grade accord ng to your
expected operat ng temperature. DO NOT use
SAE 10W-40.
Above 4 °F, use SAE 10W30 or SAE 30.
Below 4 °F, use synthet c 5W20 or 5W30.
To add oil to the generator:
 Make sure un t s on a level surface.
 Clean around o l f ll cap and remove t.
 Remove o l d pst ck, w pe clean and re nsert n
eng ne.
 Slowly f ll eng ne w th o l unt l t reaches the full mark
on the d pst ck. Stop occas onally to check o l level.
Do not overf ll.
 Install o l d pst ck.
 Install o l f ll cap. Hand t ghten securely.
CAUTION! Any attempt to crank or start the
eng ne before t has been properly serv ced w th
the recommended o l w ll result n an eng ne
fa lure.
NOTE: The generators revolv ng f eld r des on a
prelubr cated and sealed ball bear ng that requ res no
add t onal lubr cat on for the l fe of the bear ng.
1 W3 , SAE 3
Synthetic 5W2 , 5W3

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Add Gasoline
DANGER! NEVER f ll fuel tank ndoors.
NEVER f ll fuel tank when eng ne s runn ng or
hot. DO NOT l ght a c garette or smoke when
f ll ng the fuel tank.
DANGER! Do not overf ll the fuel tank. Always
leave room for expans on.
 Use regular UNLEADED gasoline n the generator.
DO NOT use prem um gasol ne. DO NOT m x o l
w th gasol ne. DO NOT overf ll the gas tank.
 Clean area around fuel f ll cap; remove cap.
 F ll fuel tank w th clean, fresh, unleaded gasol ne. Be
careful not to overf ll. Allow 1/2" of tank space for fuel
expans on (F gure 2).
 Install fuel cap and w pe up any sp lled gasol ne.
IMPORTANT: It s mportant to prevent gum depos ts
from form ng n essent al fuel system parts such as the
carburetor, fuel f lter, fuel hose or tank dur ng storage.
Also, exper ence nd cates that alcoholblended fuels
(called gasohol, ethanol or methanol) can attract
mo sture, wh ch leads to separat on and format on of
ac ds dur ng storage. Ac d c gas can damage the fuel
system of an eng ne wh le n storage. To avo d eng ne
problems, the fuel system should be empt ed before
storage of 30 days or longer. See Storage on
page 12. Never use eng ne or carburetor cleaner
products n the fuel tank or permanent damage may
occur.
OPERATING THE
GENERATOR
CAUTION! Never start or stop the un t w th
electr cal loads connected to the receptacles.
Starting the Engine
 D sconnect all electr cal loads from the generator.
 Make sure the Idle Control Sw tch s turned OFF.
 Open the fuel shutoff valve.
 Set the Ign t on Sw tch to the On () pos t on.
 Pull choke control out to close choke.
NOTE: If eng ne s warm, you may not need as much
chok ng.
NOTE: Make sure the dle control sw tch s Off before
start ng the eng ne.
 Pull slowly on reco l handle unt l you feel some
res stance. Then pull rap dly to start eng ne. Return
reco l slowly, do not let t snap back
Applying Electrical Loads
 Let eng ne stab l ze and warm up for about two
m nutes after start ng.
 Plug n and turn on the des red 120 or 240 Volt AC,
s ngle phase, 60 Hertz electr cal loads. DO NOT
OVERLOAD THE GENERATOR. Add up the rated
watts (or Amps) of all loads to be connected at one
t me. Th s total should not be greater than the rated
wattage/amperage capac ty of the generator. See
page 11, Dont Overload the Generator for deta ls.
Stopping the Engine
 D sconnect all electr cal loads.
 Turn OFF dle control.
 Run eng ne at noload for a few m nutes.
 Set the Ign t on Sw tch to the Stop (o) pos t on.
 Close the fuel shutoff valve.
F gure 2  Fuel Level

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Operating Automatic Idle Control
Th s sw tch s des gned to greatly mprove fuel
economy. When th s sw tch s turned ON, the eng ne
w ll only run at ts normal h gh governed eng ne speed
when an electr cal load s connected. When an
electr cal load s removed, the eng ne w ll run at a
reduced speed. W th the sw tch OFF, the eng ne w ll
run at the normal h gh eng ne speed. Always have the
switch OFF when starting and stopping the engine.
Charging a Battery
Your generator has the capab l ty of recharg ng a
d scharged 12 Volt automot ve or ut l ty style storage
battery. Do not use the un t to charge any 6 Volt
batter es. Do not use the un t to crank an eng ne
hav ng a d scharged battery.
DANGER! Storage batter es g ve off explos ve
hydrogen gas wh le recharg ng. An explos ve
m xture w ll rema n around the battery for a long
t me after t has been charged. The sl ghtest
spark can gn te the hydrogen and cause an
explos on. Such an explos on can shatter the
battery and cause bl ndness or other ser ous
njury.
DANGER! Do not perm t smok ng, open flame,
sparks or any other source of heat around a
battery. Wear protect ve goggles, rubber apron
and rubber gloves when work ng around a
battery. Battery electrolyte flu d s an extremely
caust c sulfur c ac d solut on that can cause
severe burns. If sp ll occurs flush area w th
clear water mmed ately.
To recharge 12 Volt batteries, proceed as follows:
 Check flu d level n all battery cells. If necessary, add
ONLY d st lled water to cover separators n battery
cells. Do not use tap water.
 If the battery s equ pped w th vent caps, make sure
they are nstalled and are t ght.
 If necessary, clean battery term nals.
 Connect battery charge cable connector plug to
panel receptacle dent f ed by the words
12VOLT D.C.
 Connect battery charge cable clamp w th red handle
to the positive (+) battery term nal, as shown n
F gure 3.
 Connect battery charge cable clamp w th black
handle to the negative () battery term nal.
 Start eng ne. Let the eng ne run wh le battery
recharges.
 When battery has charged, shut down eng ne.
NOTE: Use an automot ve hydrometer to test battery
state of charge and cond t on. Follow the hydrometer
manufacturers nstruct ons carefully. Generally, a
battery s cons dered to be at 100% state of charge
when spec f c grav ty of ts flu d (as measured by
hydrometer) s 1.260 or h gher.
F gure 3  Connect Battery Charge Cables

Generac Portable Products MC10000 Extended L fe Generator
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RECEPTACLES
Th s generator s equ pped w th the follow ng
receptacles:
12 Volt AC, 2 Amp GFCI
Receptacle
Th s receptacle (F gure 4) s protected aga nst
overload by a 20 Amp, push-to-reset, c rcu t breaker.
Use each receptacle to operate 120 Volt AC, s ngle-
phase, 60 Hz electr cal loads requ r ng up to 2400
watts (2.4 kW) at 20 Amps of current. Use cord sets
that are rated for 125 Volts at 20 Amps (or greater).
12 Volt AC, 2 Amp Locking
Receptacle
Use a NEMA L520 plug w th th s receptacle. Connect
a 3w re cord set rated for 125 Volts AC at 20 Amps to
the plug (F gure 5).
Use th s receptacle to operate 120 Volt AC, 60 Hz,
s ngle phase loads requ r ng up to 2400 watts (2.4 kW)
of power at 20 AC Amps. The outlet s protected by a
20 Amp pushtoreset c rcu t breaker.
F gure 4  120 Volt, 20 Amp GFCI Receptacle
F gure 5  120 Volt, 20 Amp, Lock ng Receptacle

Generac Portable Products MC10000 Extended L fe Generator
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12 Volt AC, 3 Amp Locking
Receptacle
Use a NEMA L530 plug w th th s receptacle. Connect
a 3w re cord set rated for 125 Volts AC at 30 Amps to
the plug (F gure 6).
Use th s receptacle to operate 120 Volt AC, 60 Hz,
s ngle phase loads requ r ng up to 3600 watts (3.6 kW)
of power at 30 AC Amps. The outlet s protected by a
30 Amp pushtoreset c rcu t breaker.
12 /24 Volt AC, 3 Amp Locking
Receptacle
Use a NEMA L1430 plug w th th s receptacle.
Connect a 4w re cord set rated for 250 Volts AC at
30 Amps (or greater) (F gure 7). You can use the same
4w re cord f you plan to run a 120 Volt load.
Th s receptacle powers 120/240 Volt AC, 60 Hz, s ngle
phase loads requ r ng up to 3600 watts of power
(3.6 kW) at 30 AC Amps for 120 Volts; 7200 watts of
power (7.2 kW) at 30 AC Amps for 240 Volts. The
outlet s protected by a 30 Amp pushtoreset c rcu t
breaker.
F gure 6  120 Volt, 30 Amp, Lock ng Receptacle
F gure 7  120/240 Volt, 30 Amp, Lock ng Receptacle

Generac Portable Products MC10000 Extended L fe Generator
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24 Volt AC, 5 Amp Receptacle
Use a NEMA 650 plug w th th s receptacle. Connect a
4w re cord set rated for 250 Volts AC at 50 Amps to
the plug (F gure 8).
Use th s receptacle to operate 240 Volt AC, 60 Hz,
s ngle phase loads requ r ng up to 10,000 watts
(10.0 kW) of power.
CAUTION! Although th s outlet states t has a
240 Volt 50 Amp rat ng (up to 12,500 watts), the
generator s only rated for 10,000 watts.
Power ng loads that exceed the wattage/
Amperage capac ty of the generator can
damage t or cause ser ous njur es.
GROUND FAULT
PROTECTION
Th s un t s equ pped w th a Ground Fault C rcu t
Interrupter (GFCI). Th s dev ce meets appl cable
federal, state and local codes.
The GFCI protects aga nst electr cal shock that may be
caused f your body becomes a path wh ch electr c ty
travels to reach ground. Th s could happen f you touch
a L ve appl ance or w re, or are touch ng plumb ng or
other mater als that connect to the ground.
When protected by a GFCI, one may st ll feel a shock,
but the GFCI should cut current off qu ckly enough so
that a person n normal health should not suffer any
ser ous electr cal njury.
DANGER: The GFCI w ll not protect you
aga nst the follow ng s tuat ons: (1) L ne-to-l ne
shocks; (2) Current overloads or l ne-to-l ne
short c rcu ts. The fuse or c rcu t breaker at the
d str but on panel must prov de such protect on.
Testing the GFCI
Test your GFCI outlet every month, as follows:
 Push the black Test button. The red Reset button
should pop out, wh ch should allow no power to
reach the outlet. Use a test lamp n each outlet to
test th s.
DANGER: If the Reset button does not pop
out or the test lamp rema ns l t when the
Reset button s popped out, do not use any
outlets on the c rcu t. Call a qual f ed electr c an.
 If the GFCI tests good, restore power by press ng the
Reset button f rmly unt l t s fully n place and locks
n that pos t on. If the GFCI outlet does not reset
properly, do not use the outlet  call a qualified
electrician.
 If the GFCI tr ps by tself at any t me, reset and test
the outlet. If the reset button does pop out when
the test button is pressed, do not use the outlet.
Call a qualified electrician.
F gure 8  240 Volt AC, 50 Amp, Receptacle