Keep Your Standby Generator Operating At Peak Efficiency With These Tips

Your standby generator plays an important role in your home. It’s there to provide power when called upon, ensuring you never suffer from power outages. As a result, you need to be confident that your generator functions properly and is ready to kick in when called upon. So, here are some of our top whole home generator service tips to maintain your system:

Check the owner’s manual

When you purchase a generator, it’ll come with an owner’s manual that provides a lot of insight into your product. This is a great place to start when it comes to maintenance as you can learn exactly what the manufacturers suggest you should do to keep your generator in a good condition. Also, as you work your way through the rest of this post, you may find guides inside the owner’s manual to help you with some of the tasks. 

Clean your generator

Most standby generators are located outside of the home or in the basement. As a result, they are prone to getting dirty and having debris fall on them. Ensure your generator is always clean by sweeping away any debris and wiping off any dust at least once a week. The more frequently you do this, the less dirt will accumulate on your generator. Also, check the owner’s manual to see how you can clean the air intake and exhausts, keeping them clear from any blockages that could cause faults. 

Maintain the correct oil level

Like a car, generators will have engines that require oil to keep all the components nice and loose. When the oil level drops, pieces can rub against one another and cause breakages. Check the oil level (there should be an indicator on the engine) and top it up as per the user manual. 

Monitor the test cycle

Most generators will automatically run a test cycle once per week. This happens for approximately 20 minutes and is designed to see if the generator has any issues. You need to check your generator after every cycle to see if there are any warning lights or alarms that go off. If there are, you’ll need to consult the manual to see what they mean and take further action from there. 

Schedule annual maintenance with a professional company

Finally, you need to get your generator maintained by a professional service company. This will guarantee that any minor issues are picked up before they become major ones and that any big issues are taken care of as quickly as possible. We actually offer a generator maintenance program, which includes an annual 40-point inspection and priority placement on maintenance service calls. You even get 24/7 monitoring by our experts, ensuring we always respond quickly to any issue that surfaces. If you contact us today, we can book you in for your first maintenance inspection and set up regular calls once or twice a year. 

With these tips, you will keep your standby generator operating at peak efficiency, meaning it lasts longer and continues to provide your home with a backup source of power when needed.