Is your Generator Ready to Go?

You’ve invested in purchasing a generator at your property should you lose electrical service during an emergency or weather event. But are you maintaining it properly?

Here are five points to consider to keep it in optimal condition.

1) Keep the area around your generator clear of debris. Get rid of leaves, sticks, and the like.

2) Check the oil level. This should be done monthly. If it dips below what’s needed, top it off with the required oil type.

3) Stock up. Have extra oil, oil filters, and air filters on hand. You never know when an emergency will happen, how long it will last, and how long you will need to run your generator. You’ll want to be prepared.

4) Test it out. If you have a self-test, run that. If not, you’ll want to exercise your generator monthly by running it for 15 minutes or so. Doing this helps to keep the system’s fuel lines clear and its parts lubricated.

5) Invest in yearly tune-ups. Schedule a professional visit and check-up for your generator annually.

Benefits of a Backup

The pros of investing in a residential backup generator are many. Some include:

• The quick delivery of power, done automatically, during blackout conditions.
• Generators allow homeowners to operate their homes, including heating and cooling units, as well as televisions, refrigerators, computers, and other appliances when normal electric service is disrupted.
• Because all systems are able to continue to operate, the home’s residents are able to stay comfortable while waiting for the electric company to restore services. In the winter, they can stay warm, and in the summer, they can remain cool and run air conditioning systems.
• Systems are able to function during both man-made and natural disasters.
• Having a generator offers property owners peace of mind. The investment helps to ensure they and their loved ones can remain safe during an emergency.

When deciding on investing in a home generator, you’ll want to choose which particular fuel source you’d like it to utilize, often propane or natural gas, usually dependent on where your property is situated. Each has its own pros and cons.

Interested in learning more about generators and what system might be best suited to your home and potential needs? Reach out to Stevens Electric in Fleetwood, Berks County, Pennsylvania, at stevenselectricllc.com or call 610-316-9998 and we’ll be happy to help!