Why Generator Maintenance is Important
Are you truly ever prepared if you lose power? One thing for certain is any homeowner who has a generator relies on the unit to function properly in an outage. Routine maintenance helps to ensure that your generator will run smoothly and efficiently during a power outage. Maintenance should be performed at least once every year.
Here are some benefits of routine generator maintenance:
Increases Lifespan – neglecting your generator could increase the cost of repairs needed. If you don’t repair your generator, it will stop working.
Prevents Fuel Problems – without maintenance there is a chance for fuel issues to arise. A dormant generator can cause the battery to leak or an injector to become clogged.
Saves You Money – Ignoring maintenance can lead to high repair costs. Being proactive and keeping up with maintenance ensures smooth operation.
Improves Efficiency – You want to make the purchase of a generator worth your while. Performing regular maintenance helps the generator reach its potential efficiency.
Standby Generator
Maintenance Checklist
MAINTENANCE ITEM | REPLACE | INSPECT |
---|---|---|
Oil | X | |
Oil Filter | X | |
Louvers & Fan Blade | X | |
Clean Battery & Tighten Battery Terminals | X | |
Check Charge State (replace battery if needed) | X | |
Electrolyte Level | X | |
Battery Cables (remove corrosion & tighten if needed) | X | |
Levelness of Generator | X | |
Air Filter | X | |
Spark Plugs | X | |
Output Voltage | X | |
Frequency Hertz | X | |
*Clean & Apply Wax to Outside Enclosure | ||
* Apply Corrosion Inhibiting Spray as Needed |
A few tips for maintaining your standby generator.
1. Monitor the weekly exercise.
Your generator should cycle on at least once a week for a period of 5-15 minutes. The day and time remain the same each week. If you do not hear the weekly test, check the LED light on the side of the unit. Yellow indicates maintenance is due and red means that a fault has been detected. Contact your dealer or installer for troubleshooting and or to schedule maintenance.
2. Schedule annual preventative maintenance.
For this, we recommend leaving it up to the professionals. Here at Pace, we take care of:
Replacing the oil and oil filter.
Replacing the spark plugs.
Inspecting / replacing the battery and cables if necessary.
Replacing the air filter.
Inspecting the electrical components.
Inspecting the levelness of the unit.
3. Make sure you have a warranty.
A generator can last a long time even after the manufacturer’s warranty has expired. With an extended warranty it gives you the peace of mind knowing you will not incur additional costs for repairs.
4. Keeping oil & filters on hand.
During an extended outage, we recommend shutting the generator off if it has continually run for 24 hours. Allow the unit to sit for a minimum of one hour. Check the oil level and add oil if it is low. We recommend using 5W30 synthetic oil.
A summary of the plans we offer including pricing can be found on our website. To request a copy of our membership information or to schedule your service contact our office at 302-216-5510. We service the New Castle County DE area and nearby surrounding cities with generator repairs & installations, residential electric repairs, EV charger installations and commercial electrical services.