Not many people remember to maintain their home generator. As a result the home generator may not work when needed because it was not properly maintained. Like any other appliance, your home genrator must be checked frequently and repaired when needed.
We all think it’s not going to happen to us. However, even the most stable areas have power outages. And the next one may be just when you need electricity the most. The best solution? A working home generator.
But how you maintain one properly? Below are 7 great recommendations on the topic.
1. Test Your Generator Regularly
Even when you don’t need it, test the appliance. This should become a routine check to see if there are any areas that need more attention in further maintenance or repair. There’s also a feature in many generators to self-test. If you don’t know whether yours does that, call a technician and ask about it.
2. After Use, Check Oil Levels
After every test and actual use, check if the oil levels are alright. Most modern models don’t use much of it, but it’s still easy to forget to refill. Plus, there may be leaks that need to be fixed for your safety and the proper operation of the appliance.
3. Enusre that the housing does not block ventilation
Protective housing is important for any generator. However, it doesn’t have to block the air supply or any other part. This may break the appliance or make it operate poorly. Plus, if you want additional coverage to block noise or for another reason, make sure to call an expert and consult with them first.
4. Have Additional Fuel on Hand
Many generators use natural gas to operate, but if your house doesn’t have this kind of fuel, make sure there’s enough gasoline, diesel, etc. to last for a lengthy power outage. In case of a natural disaster, you never know how long electricity will be out.
5. Check the Electrical System Regularly
It’s also important to check how the generator starts to work when an outage occurs. It should be on the automatic mode, when it starts to operate at the moment the main power source turns off.
However, issues may occur that will make the generator work dangerous. If you don’t know how to check the electrical system yourself, it’s better to contact a specialist.
6. Check the Air Filter
You should clean, fix, and/or replace the filter when needed. Make sure there’s a replacement by hand at any moment. If the filter is neglected, the generator may get damaged, which is dangerous for your house.
7. Test Smart Features Frequently
If you have a generator with smart features like smartphone operation, check whether they work regularly. This includes updating applications in time, connecting to the appliance every now and then to test settings, etc.
Check every element and feature of your home generator to make sure that in case of emergency, you’re fully covered. The climate is changing, which gives way to unusual natural disasters in areas where there wasn’t a hurricane in years.
