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Many here (as I do myself) have a Generac or similar home standby generator in their home. They are very reliable, work very well and are extremely useful for an energy thirsty home and modern day living. They can make an extended power loss seem like a "non event" - I have been there many times and glad I did have one!
That said, for reliability there are some simple and important maintenance items that must be payed attention to - especially in harsh environments like extreme heat, rain, high humidity and extended dampness. First of all the car style battery onboard is what enables your generator start up automatically. Your voltage should not fall below 12.9 volts DC and 13.1 - 13.3 would be a more comforting range. In extreme environments a battery's useful life is usually 3-4 years and after that a battery can fail quickly and at any time - I have seen it here in FL many times and suggest not pushing your luck. Replacing it before it fails insures it will work when needed. You do not want your generator failing to automatically start in an emergency. You do not want to have to buy and swap out a battery or jump start it in a storm or emergency situation either - good luck with that. The battery is the only way your generator can start itself. Many of the newer Generac's have self monitoring software onboard that only takes a second to view on your iPhone. It tells you a slew of info on your generator's status, health and maintenance requirements and of course battery life and voltage. Many who own these generators are not even aware of this built in feature! All it requires is downloading the free app, linking it to your smartphone, and using it at least once a week. It is extremely useful!! I highly suggest looking into using this feature if your Generac has it - most new ones do.
The second major item is changing the oil and filter. Even if your generator has not run more than the 5 minutes a week for its weekly exercise and test cycle, precisely because of that moisture and water accumulate in the oil - easy to see when an oil change is performed. Because of lack of use, the water does not burn off and will taint the oil so don't neglect an oil and filter change for lack of emergency use. Changing the oil and oil filter on a Generac standby generator is a very simple procedure and should not be neglected because your generator has not been called into an emergency service. The price of 2 quarts of oil and a can filter is under $23 bucks and cheap insurance to keep the cooling and lubrication system of your expensive generator running properly and adding to its longevity. While you are at it - check and or replace the air filter - again a simple and inexpensive procedure.
The last common item and simple mistake people make is in not locking the Generator's top lid. Not locking it brings a risk of high winds blowing it opened and or blowing it off in a hurricane, wind storm or whatever. It also gives unauthorized access to people and critters who have nothing better to do than to mess with someone else's property. It takes but a few seconds to properly lock the two side locks. If you lost the key, visit any Generac dealer or call them for a replacement.
In my development there are so many here who spend 12-15K getting one of these beasts installed and then never pay attention to it again - until it stops working properly. There is simply no need for this to happen with a few of these simple and easy maintenance tasks.
I hope this helps at least a few here. Not rocket science - just something many forget and neglect and should take a few minutes to check on.
My favorite expression is: Previous Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance!
That said, for reliability there are some simple and important maintenance items that must be payed attention to - especially in harsh environments like extreme heat, rain, high humidity and extended dampness. First of all the car style battery onboard is what enables your generator start up automatically. Your voltage should not fall below 12.9 volts DC and 13.1 - 13.3 would be a more comforting range. In extreme environments a battery's useful life is usually 3-4 years and after that a battery can fail quickly and at any time - I have seen it here in FL many times and suggest not pushing your luck. Replacing it before it fails insures it will work when needed. You do not want your generator failing to automatically start in an emergency. You do not want to have to buy and swap out a battery or jump start it in a storm or emergency situation either - good luck with that. The battery is the only way your generator can start itself. Many of the newer Generac's have self monitoring software onboard that only takes a second to view on your iPhone. It tells you a slew of info on your generator's status, health and maintenance requirements and of course battery life and voltage. Many who own these generators are not even aware of this built in feature! All it requires is downloading the free app, linking it to your smartphone, and using it at least once a week. It is extremely useful!! I highly suggest looking into using this feature if your Generac has it - most new ones do.
The second major item is changing the oil and filter. Even if your generator has not run more than the 5 minutes a week for its weekly exercise and test cycle, precisely because of that moisture and water accumulate in the oil - easy to see when an oil change is performed. Because of lack of use, the water does not burn off and will taint the oil so don't neglect an oil and filter change for lack of emergency use. Changing the oil and oil filter on a Generac standby generator is a very simple procedure and should not be neglected because your generator has not been called into an emergency service. The price of 2 quarts of oil and a can filter is under $23 bucks and cheap insurance to keep the cooling and lubrication system of your expensive generator running properly and adding to its longevity. While you are at it - check and or replace the air filter - again a simple and inexpensive procedure.
The last common item and simple mistake people make is in not locking the Generator's top lid. Not locking it brings a risk of high winds blowing it opened and or blowing it off in a hurricane, wind storm or whatever. It also gives unauthorized access to people and critters who have nothing better to do than to mess with someone else's property. It takes but a few seconds to properly lock the two side locks. If you lost the key, visit any Generac dealer or call them for a replacement.
In my development there are so many here who spend 12-15K getting one of these beasts installed and then never pay attention to it again - until it stops working properly. There is simply no need for this to happen with a few of these simple and easy maintenance tasks.
I hope this helps at least a few here. Not rocket science - just something many forget and neglect and should take a few minutes to check on.
My favorite expression is: Previous Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance!
