Backup Generator Maintenance Service: Why Does Your Backup Generator Need Periodic Maintenance When It’s Not Used Daily? | Marion, SC
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Some people wonder why you need a backup generator maintenance service on a regular basis, even if the unit is not used frequently. After all, if you take an old car out of storage and turn the key, sometimes it just starts right up. The important word here is sometimes, and with backup generator service, it’s more like keeping a racehorse in good shape, ready for the day when that all-important race comes. When you get the performance you’ve prepared for, it’s all worth it. At Mister Sparky Generators, serving our customers in the Marion, SC area, we provide backup generator maintenance service for two key reasons: so their generator will last longer, and so it will be ready when a storm moves in or a transformer blows, and the house goes dark, perhaps for days. We not only perform top-quality backup generator maintenance services, following a carefully outlined checklist, but we also identify any current or potential issues that might affect the generator’s reliability or performance, and make sure the owner knows about them, so they can be addressed before it’s next needed. Services range from annual inspections and semi-annual maintenance to periodic test starts, monthly fluid checks, and other checks, especially if it has been infrequent service lately.
A Lot Can Happen Inside Your Generator Enclosure When It’s in Standby Mode
Your generator, quietly sitting in its enclosure, can experience many effects from the passage of time and the changes in the seasons. Belts, wires, and hoses are designed to last but not forever, and eventually, they may become brittle and crack, leading to risks of starting problems and operational issues. Filters may also need replacing from time to time, though perhaps not as much as with frequent operation. Some fuels such as diesel may also have limited lifetimes, even with special treatments. The battery, used for monitoring electronics and starting the generator engine, is of course a critical component that needs regular inspection and testing. Our backup generator maintenance service makes a thorough check of these and other components, with an eye to their expected lifetimes in our Marion, SC climate.
Risks from Outside Play a Role in Generator Condition, Too
Hopefully, your generator doesn’t get too much damage from activities like sports and maintenance occurring around it in your yard, but it happens. Plant material can blow inside and create obstructions that affect the operation, especially ventilation. Some might even be carried inside, as a generator enclosure if not properly sealed can become a home for small animals, who build their nests inside and even use materials found nearby as part of its structure. Our backup generator maintenance service looks for potential access points such as damaged enclosures, and also checks for signs of damage and nests suggesting that small animals have been inside.
When Further Service Is Required
If you schedule backup generator maintenance service according to recommended schedules, your generator can last a long time, even decades. At some point in its lifetime, it may need repairs to the starter, engine, generator components, and electronics, or other parts that may need replacing over time. Our expert repair team can take care of your needs, ensuring that your unit is in top shape for the next time you need to call on it to provide power. Regular maintenance provides the opportunity to identify any items in need of repair, so they can be taken care of before the generator is next needed to provide service, avoiding operational failures during power outages. Since the main idea of a backup generator is to be prepared, why not be prepared by scheduling maintenance as well?
Fuel Checks
One of the advantages of a backup generator is that it can keep operating as long as the fuel supply is available. That can be the amount of diesel fuel or propane in the tank, or virtually unlimited by the supply of your natural gas line. Regular maintenance checks will make sure that your fuel source is available and functional, including any issues that might arise with the natural gas line that you were previously unaware of.
Checking Your Transfer Switch and Wiring
Backup generator maintenance service should occasionally check the function of your automatic or manual transfer switch, ensuring that it operates as expected and that the power connection to your home is working correctly. This is especially important if you have had other electrical work done on your home’s electric service. Our qualified electricians can inspect your generator-related wiring and make sure that it is in good shape, initiating a brief power failure test to check automatic failover to your generator if you have that feature.
Ask Us About Upgrades
For many families, power needs increase over the years, especially if remodeling is performed or additions are built. You may have added whole-house AC or a freezer in the garage, or high-power woodworking or welding equipment, even a home theater that you would like to enjoy when the neighborhood is dark. It’s your choice, and you can choose to upgrade your backup generator to provide the power you need. One modern reason that many people are thinking about upgraded generator resources has been illustrated by widespread power outages in some regions of the US: when the commercial power is unavailable, you need to have enough backup power to charge your electric vehicle until grid power returns.
Backup Generator Maintenance Service, So You’re Ready for the Starting Bell When the Power Fails
At Mister Sparky Generators, we’re proud of the reliability our Marion, SC customers experience from the backup generators we sell and service. Backup generator maintenance service keeps your generator in top shape, ready to respond and meet your family’s power needs when sudden problems with commercial power arise. Be ready, and keep your backup generator system running smoothly for years to come. Give us a call to schedule your next backup power maintenance service today.