Having a whole-home or backup generator is the only real way to ensure your home will always have electricity any time the power goes out. While a backup generator is a great addition to any Texas home, the only way you can ensure the unit will work properly when needed is if it’s maintained regularly. Here, we’ll explain all you need to know about whole-home generator maintenance, including why it’s important and how often it should be done.
How Often Do Whole-Home Generators Need Maintenance?
There’s not really a straightforward answer as to how often you need to have an electrician maintain a whole-home generator. The reason is that it mostly depends on how often and for how many hours the generator runs. Different manufacturers also have their own specific recommended maintenance intervals.
Most manufacturers recommend having certain maintenance tasks performed every two years or after 200 hours of running time. This includes things like changing the oil and replacing the oil filter as well as inspecting the battery and checking that it still fully charges. While 200 hours or two years is the minimum oil change interval, many experts instead recommend changing the oil and oil filter every year or after every 100 hours of running time. That’s because changing the oil at least yearly will protect your investment and help ensure that your generator lasts as long as possible.
If you have an older backup generator, you definitely want to make sure to change the oil more frequently. Many older generators don’t burn fuel as cleanly as newer models, which results in the oil getting dirty and starting to thicken more quickly.
There are also additional maintenance tasks that you should have performed at least every four years or after 400 hours. This includes cleaning the gap on each spark plug as well as inspecting all of the plugs and replacing them if needed. During this maintenance service, you also want to have the air filter changed and the sediment trap inspected and cleaned out.
How Regular Maintenance Ensures Your Generator Is Ready to Go
Generally speaking, we recommend having your whole-home generator professionally maintained at least every year. Doing so will ensure that your generator can continue to work if your power goes out for a long period. Let’s say your generator has run for around 50 hours over the past year. If it then has to run and power your home for several days, you’ll quickly reach the point when you need to change the oil or risk damaging the unit. You may also have difficulty finding a professional to come and perform the necessary oil change in the middle of the power outage.
Whole-home generators can run for an extremely long time continuously. In fact, many manufacturers say that you can keep a generator running continuously for up to 500 hours. While this may technically be true, it’s not really recommended. Instead, you’re always best to temporarily shut off the generator every 24 hours if it runs non-stop. The reason is so that you can check the oil level and top the unit up with oil if needed. If you don’t take this step, there is always at least a small chance that your generator could start running low on oil.
How to Know When Your Whole-Home Generator Needs to Be Maintained
Knowing when it’s time to schedule a maintenance service for your generator is luckily quite easy. On most units, you can use the control panel to access the unit’s run hours. The only issue is that this number just tells you how many total hours the generator has run over its entire life. As such, you should always make note of the current run hours each time you have the generator serviced. This way, you can know how many hours the unit has run since it was last serviced and ensure that you never wait too long before scheduling the next maintenance appointment.
Some manufacturers now also have a mobile app that you can link to your generator. This type of app is extremely useful since it can alert you when it’s time to schedule your next maintenance service. You’ll also be able to monitor the app remotely to see if the generator is running. You will receive instant alerts should the generator shut down unexpectedly or have any issues such as low oil level or high/low oil pressure.
The Importance of Exercising Your Whole-Home Generator
Routine professional maintenance is always important, but equally important is making sure you regularly “exercise” your generator. All whole-home generators have an exercise function where they run for a short time, usually around 30 minutes. You can also use the control panel to program how often your generator exercises and the specific day and time for it to run the exercise cycle.
Most manufacturers recommend running the exercise cycle every one to two weeks. During this regular exercise cycle, the generator runs without a load. That means it turns on but doesn’t send power to your house. You also want to exercise the generator under load where it actually powers your house at least every three to four months to ensure it works as it should.
The primary purpose of the regular exercise cycle is just to ensure that the generator doesn’t sit idle for a long time. That is because it can lead to issues that prevent it from turning on when it should. Specifically, running the generator moves oil through the motor to ensure all parts stay properly lubricated. The exercise cycle also prevents moisture from building inside its motor, which could lead to damage.
Another reason exercising your generator regularly is important is that it allows you to monitor its performance and check for any issues. This way, if the unit does have any issues you can then get it maintained or repaired to ensure it will work correctly should your power go out. Some things to check for are that it isn’t louder or doesn’t produce more exhaust than normal.
You also want to check for leaks and make sure that no alerts or alarms go off. You’ll want to monitor the generator when it runs. This is why you should make sure to schedule the exercise cycle for a time when you or someone else in your household is home. If you have an app linked to your generator, you’ll also receive alerts when the exercise cycle runs and if any issues arise during the cycle.
Your Reliable Electrical Experts
Since 1992, Accurate Home Services has been helping Texas homeowners with all of their HVAC and electrical needs. We have locations in Crandall and Kaufman, and we serve customers in Forney, Terrell, Corsicana and the surrounding areas as well. Our licensed electricians have years of experience with whole-home generator maintenance, installation and repairs. They can also help if you need any other electrical installation or repair services. As one of the area’s leading HVAC companies, you can count on us if you need any air conditioning, heating or indoor air quality services. Whether you need to have your generator serviced or want to install a new HVAC unit, give us a call today to ensure the job is done right.
