The Importance of Generator Maintenance

The chances of severe weather conditions are at their highest during summer and winter. Elevated temperatures can easily result in more power consumption, and this can easily trip the power grid. Even a short outage can wreak havoc on both homes and businesses, especially when you look at food spoilage. A lot of businesses and homes in this day and age have backup generators so that they can safeguard themselves against an unexpected power outage. That being said, if you do not maintain your generator then you may find that they are not able to function when required.

The Benefits of Generator Maintenance

If you want to find out about the benefits of generator maintenance, we have listed some of them below.

Ensuring there is Always Adequate Fuel

When maintaining your generator, it’s vital that you assess your fuel storage. If you have a diesel generator then you will need to change the fuel every year so you can make sure that it does not cause any damage to your generator unit when you turn it back on. Regular maintenance will involve you changing out the fuel once a year, and running it briefly to ensure that everything is working as it should.

Preventing Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Generator maintenance also helps to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning. A power generator that is malfunctioning or not working as it should could easily release a huge amount of carbon monoxide into the air, putting your life, and the lives of those around you in danger. It is a known fact that generators should not be used indoors, under any circumstances. That being said, a lot of people choose to keep their generators in the garage. If you do, then make sure that you have a carbon monoxide detector and that you test this on a regular basis.

Replacing any Worn out Parts

Even if you have not used your generator for quite some time, that doesn’t mean that your parts are not experiencing some wear and tear. Periodic maintenance helps you to ensure that all of your parts are working as they should be. This can include your trailers, control panels, automatic transfer switches and more. If any parts have corroded over time, then periodic maintenance will alert you to this, so you can get the issue repaired before a blackout strikes.

What Happens When You Do Not Maintain Your Generator

So, what happens when you don’t maintain your generator?

Expensive Repairs

Generators are an expensive investment. It’s not surprising to see that getting them repaired will cost you a considerable amount of money. If your generator fails, then you will probably have to pay a small fortune to get it fixed. That being said, maintenance is one of the best ways for you to work around this. Regular maintenance can help to ensure that any electrical issues are detected early on and that mechanical parts are replaced as and when required. This stops the problem from being exacerbated, and it stops further parts from being damaged.

Power Failure

If you don’t maintain your generator, then you risk putting yourself in a position of power failure. The one backup you have to protect you in the event of an outage, won’t work and this can put you in a dangerous position. Loss of magnetism happens when the generator is not used for a while, or if your generator has a connected load while it is shut off. The best way for you to stop this from happening with your generator would be for you to run it with a load, and then disconnect it. This is a routine part of any generator maintenance service.

Hazardous Conditions

If you let your generator sit outside without any maintenance at all, then this can be dangerous. Lack of maintenance can put you at risk of electrocution, explosions and even carbon monoxide poisoning. By taking the proper precautions now and by getting your generator maintained, you can make sure that you are protecting your investment and not putting your home or your team at risk.

About Generator Supercenter of Nashville’s GenMonitor Program

We are very proud to say that we have our very own generator maintenance program, so you don’t have to worry about doing all of the checks yourself. Our 40-point inspection will give you the confidence you need to ensure that your generator is working as it should. We also offer priority placement on any service calls. We offer advanced cellular connectivity, discounts if required, VIP status and annual maintenance checks valued at $295.