How To Maintain a Home Standby Generator

The purchase and installation of a home standby generator can be a major investment for the homeowner. Routine maintenance for a generator is required, just like the maintenance for a vehicle. Some homeowners however are not usually informed this needs maintenance, or they ignore the schedule and neglect the unit. Most reputable dealers will try to offer the homeowner a service contract at the time of the sale and installation. Sometimes however these contracts will cover the basic oil change and not much else. Homeowners should always ask for a copy of the service checklist to see what is covered in the contract before signing anything.

There are several parts to the general maintenance. The owner’s manual will state the type of oil needed, usually a 5w30 synthetic blend, and that the frequency of the maintenance should be done once a year, or every 250 hours. This is an SAE guideline standard. Most generators are set to run in 10 or 15 minute intervals once a week, which is known as the exercise time. This operation builds a lot of condensation that can contaminate the oil and cause premature wear.

Another part of the maintenance is the battery. Like a car battery, when properly maintained, this should last four years under ideal conditions. When discussing the service contract, the homeowner should make sure that the company will be testing the battery at every service. Again like a car battery, if the battery is not properly maintained or neglected the generator will not start, and can result in an expensive and unnecessary service trip.

Other areas that should always be looked at by the servicing company are: the voltage adjustments, fuel pressure checks, clearing the unit of debris especially at the air intakes, the inspection of the air filter and replacement if needed, and the operation of the transfer switch. A reputable contractor should inform the owner of any issues that arise or that may need to be addressed in the future to avoid expensive repairs, and can ensure years of reliable service from the generator.

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