How to temporarily disable my generator?

This article explains how to temporarily disable a Generac home standby generator system in emergency situations or when leaving a home for an extended period of time to prevent damage due to continuous use for over 24 hours. There are different shut down procedures depending on the presence of utility power and the operating status of the generator.

  • Aug 27, 2025
  • Knowledge

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How to temporarily disable my generator?
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Public Answer

How to temporarily disable my generator?

If leaving your home for extended periods of time (on a vacation for example) or in emergency situations where an evacuation is mandated, it may be necessary to temporarily disable a home standby generator system. This is because our home standby generators should not run continuously for longer than 24 hours without a cool-down period. Running a generator in excess of 24 consecutive hours may lead to damage to the unit. When running for 24 consecutive hours, Air-cooled Home Standby Generators need to be shut down for a minimum of 30 minutes to allow for continuous maintenance tasks to be performed. To learn more about maintenance tasks for generators that are approaching or exceeding 24 hours of continuous use, see the article Continuous use maintenance for home standby generators for more information.

 

Environment

This article applies to:
  • Generac Next Generation Series 10-28 kW air-cooled standby generators
  • Generac Guardian Series 10-26 kW air-cooled standby generators (2017 to present)

 

Shut down procedure

The shut down procedure is slightly different depending on the presence of utility power, and the operating status of the generator.

See below for the appropriate steps to follow based on the scenario when temporarily disabling your generator:

 

Click here if the generator is running during a power outage.

Important: After setting the generator MLCB to OFF (OPEN), allow the generator to continue running without loads for a minimum of 5 minutes, then allow the generator to cool for an additional 5 minutes. Immediate shutdown after running under load can cause damage to engine components.

Note: The video and pictures below show the Guardian series generator, but these steps also apply generally to Generac Next Generation series generators. 


It is very important to remove the load (devices and equipment pulling power from the generator) prior to shutting it down. This is accomplished in step 2 below.

1. Open the generator's lid and set the main line circuit breaker to OFF.

 

 

2. Set the utility main line circuit breaker (or service disconnect) to off.

Note: the location and appearance of the utility service disconnect will depend on the home's electrical system:

1. If the home has a service entrance rated automatic transfer switch, the utility service disconnect will be found there. (see fig. 1 below)

2. If the home has a non-service entrance rated automatic transfer switch, the utility service disconnect will be found on the home's electrical panel (fig 2) or a stand-alone box (see fig. 3 below - image may not be an exact representation of your home's standalone box).

fig.1

       

fig. 2     

          

fig. 3

 

                                                                                                                                 

3. Allow the generator to run and cool down for five minutes with no load applied.

4. Press the OFF button on the controller to turn off the generator.

Off button location on Evolution controllers

Off button location on Power Zone 200 controllers

5. Allow the generator to cool for another five minutes.

 

6. Remove the 7.5-amp fuse to prevent the battery from draining.

7.5-amp fuse location on Evolution controllers

7.5-amp fuse on Power Zone 200 controllers

6. Set the main utility disconnect to ON (closed). This means that when utility power returns, your home will have power.

Click here if the generator is not running and utility power is present.

1. Set the generator MLCB (generator disconnect) to OFF (OPEN).

2. At the controller, set the generator to OFF.

3. Remove the 7.5A fuse from the controller.

4. To return the generator to service, see 'Turning the Generator back on" below.

Turning the generator back on

1. Install the 7.5A fuse in the controller.

2. Confirm the generator MLCB (generator disconnect) is OFF (OPEN).

3. At the controller, set the generator to AUTO mode if desired.

4. If there is no utility power, the generator will start and run. Allow the generator to run and warm up for a few minutes (If there is utility power, the generator will not start).

5. Set the MLCB (generator disconnect) to ON (CLOSED).

6. Set the main utility disconnect to ON (CLOSED).

 

The generator is now ready to operate in automatic mode.

After completing these steps, the control panel may go through the initial setup menus. All of the settings should remain unchanged. Simply press Enter (or make any adjustments needed) and get to the main screen. Switched to off, hours of protection or system will be flashing.

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