General Preventive Maintenance For Your Standby Generator
Most homes today rely on the grid for their power supply. This may even be true of your home. However, the grid can encounter problems that result in sudden power shortages and outages, which can be very disruptive, especially since almost everything in the home now relies on power to run.
A standby generator is a solution for maintaining power and connectivity even if there’s a wide power outage. The good thing about power generators is that they come in different sizes, and you can keep them on-site, ready to use when you need them.
However, just like any other appliance, you need to keep your generator in good shape. Regular standby generator maintenance is essential if you want your power generator ready to take over the power supply tasks at a moment’s notice. Otherwise, you run the risk of your standby power breaking down on you when you need it most. Read on to know how you can make sure this doesn’t happen.
Preventive Maintenance for Your Generator
Contents
If you own a generator, you need to know how often you need to conduct preventive maintenance tasks to ensure the reliability of your power supply. This means weekly and monthly checks and working with professional technicians when advanced maintenance work is required. Professional maintenance is often required once or twice a year, a small price to pay for the round-the-clock reliability of your generators.
1. Weekly Standby Generator Maintenance
Each week, put your unit on AUTO mode, run it and check for errors. Make sure that your fuel is the recommended fuel type for that make and model. Do a visual inspection for leaks. Check the circuit breaker and make sure it is closed and secure.
2. Monthly Power Generator Maintenance
Every month, inspect for trash and debris around and inside the unit. You may find small animals nesting or remains of animals inside the unit which will require removal. Check oil levels and ensure that they are at the recommended levels. Do the same for coolant and battery levels, and replace or top-up as needed. Inspect for loose wires, corroded metal parts, and leaks and cracks on metal pipes. Anything out of the ordinary will need to be repaired.
3. Bi-Annual Whole-House Generator Maintenance
For yearly tasks, you are better off hiring a professional to perform more complicated maintenance tasks and repairs. A professional generator technician can perform a full systems check, including battery diagnostics. They will also conduct a more thorough visual inspection of the unit enclosure, coolant, and oil levels, and inspect the state of drive belts. They can inspect the conduction and exhaust pipes for corrosion, cracks, and leaks and repair these as needed. Your technicians can also inspect the wiring, fuel lines, lubrication, and coolant lines for depletion, leaks, and other problems.
4. Annual Backup Generator Maintenance
Every year, you need to replace air and fuel filters, spark plugs, and engine oils. Inspect the alternator for grime, dust, and debris and clean as needed. Perform a load bank test and inspect the transfer switch for signs of damage. Flush the cooling system and ensure that the crankcase breather is clean. The crankcase breather tends to gather oil residue and debris so an annual cleanup can help prevent blockage and overheating.
Other Tips for Whole-House Generator Maintenance
Environment
Where you put your generator can determine the frequency and intensity of your maintenance requirements. If you place your unit outdoors without any protection from the elements, it is more exposed to sun, rain, dust, and debris. You may need to perform more frequent maintenance tasks during the year. You can expect to do the minimum amount of maintenance if your generator is located in an area of the house where it is protected from extremes in weather and temperature and not readily exposed to dust and debris.
Whole-House Generator Workload
Maintenance requirements can also vary depending on the frequency and the duration of your generator use. You may live in an area where power outages are rare so you don’t need to use your generator except once or twice a year. Conversely, you may live in an area where outages occur regularly and for longer durations. If you run your unit every week, you can expect wear and tear to occur faster and you will need more frequent maintenance during the year.
Weather Conditions
Weather conditions also determine how often you should conduct routine maintenance. If you live in a flood or tornado-prone area, schedule routine maintenance before storm season to ensure that your generator is in working order before storms hit. Storms and tornados can topple trees and take down power lines. Harsh winter conditions can also damage power and phone lines. A working generator can help you survive days or weeks when power and communication are cut off.
Generator History
How old is your generator? What is the extent of age-related wear and tear? If you don’t know because your generator came with the property you bought, you need to get a professional assessment to determine how old the generator is. The previous owner may also be able to provide you with the information you need, such as the date of purchase, maintenance records, and the last time the unit was checked or repaired by a professional.
Advanced Backup Generator Maintenance
You can conduct basic generator maintenance by yourself as long as you follow the manual and you have the basic set of tools. However, for advanced inspections, repairs, and replacements, it is always a good idea to go with the pros. Professional generator technicians have the tools, training, and experience needed to do the more complicated tasks required to keep your generator running and in good shape.
They can conduct thorough diagnostics, they have the equipment to conduct complicated repairs and replacements, and often, they have spare parts with them for quick replacements. They also have the proper tools needed for a thorough cleanup of your unit.
Why Work with Professionals for General & Other Generator Issues
Professional technicians can help ensure operational safety so that your generator does not become a safety hazard in the home. Problems can occur without warnings, such as short-circuits, burnt components, and gas leaks that can pose serious safety problems for you and your family. Professional expertise is required to ensure that these problems don’t occur. If and when they occur, a professional is best suited to conduct repairs safely.
Put your generator technician on speed dial, so you can get prompt assistance when your unit breaks down unexpectedly. Make long-term arrangements with your generator maintenance company to ensure that you can get regular visits and prompt service when emergencies occur.
Conclusion
Everything that you use in the home or at work depends on power. And while the grid can supply you with power for most of the year, natural disasters, unexpected outages, and problems with power sources and supply can lead to power shortages that disrupt how you live your life. All these can happen unless you have a reliable backup plan. Proper maintenance of your backup power generator ensures that you will always have a ready source of power even if the rest of the neighborhood doesn’t.
Call Lawes Company For Your Standby Generator Requirement
Call Lawes Company for your generator needs. From regular maintenance to emergency repairs and replacements, Lawes Company can provide professional and prompt assistance from the moment you buy and install your generator to all your maintenance needs in the years to come. We employ top-quality service contractors with the training, experience, and tools needed to install, repair, and maintain your generator.
Have your questions about generator installations answered by experts. Get in touch with us today to get professional maintenance service for your generator and enjoy a reliable power supply for your home every day of the year.
Contact us now at (732) 741-6300 to find out more!