Standby Generator Tune-Up Before Hurricane Season

Spring service: why tune up before hurricane season

A home standby generator can sit for months doing nothing but its weekly exercise run. Then a storm knocks the power out, and it has to start, take the whole load, and run for days. That is the worst time to find out the battery is weak or the oil is overdue.

The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, according to NOAA's National Hurricane Center. In Central Florida we also get summer thunderstorms that drop power lines well before the first named storm. Spring is the sweet spot for a tune-up. The weather is mild, the schedule is open, and if a part has to be ordered, there is time for it to arrive.

Tune-up checklist: what a standby service covers

Every generator maker publishes a maintenance schedule in the owner's manual, with intervals based on run hours and time. A proper tune-up follows that schedule for your model. On a typical air-cooled home standby unit, that means:

• Changing the engine oil and oil filter.
• Checking or replacing the air filter and spark plugs.
• Testing the starting battery and cleaning the terminals.
• Reading the controller for error codes and the service history.
• Checking belts, hoses and the fuel connection for wear or leaks, where the model has them.
• Looking inside the enclosure for nests, ant colonies and corrosion.
• Running the generator and testing that the transfer switch moves the house onto it.

That last step matters most. A generator that starts but never takes the load has not been tested.

When Service Solar Pros services a standby generator, we work from the maker's schedule. We also use what the controller tells us about how the unit has been running. Generac is the name most people know, and it is one of the brands we work on. We service home standby generators from our shop in Leesburg and across Central Florida, including Lady Lake and Eustis.

Generator won't start: the common causes

The most common causes of a generator that won't start are simple. A weak or dead starting battery is near the top of the list, since Florida heat is hard on batteries. Low oil can make the controller shut the engine down to protect it.

A tripped breaker on the generator will keep it from running. So will a controller left in the "off" position after someone worked on it. Insects and rodents moving into the enclosure can also foul wiring and air intakes.

If your generator shows a warning light or an error on its display, write down the code before you clear it. That code tells us where to start.

Owner checks you can safely do yourself

A few things are safe and worth doing every month or so:

• Look at the controller. It should be in automatic mode with no warnings showing.
• Listen for the exercise run on its scheduled day. If it skips, call someone.
• Keep the area around the unit clear of grass, mulch, shrubs and stored items. The manual lists how much clearance your model needs.
• After a storm, clear away branches and leaves before you need the generator.

Leave the inside of the enclosure, the fuel line and the transfer switch to a technician. If you ever smell gas near the unit, leave the area and call your gas company.

Generator and solar: how they work together

A generator and solar work together safely when they are wired through the right transfer equipment. That setup means the generator never sends power back into the solar system or the grid. Lots of Central Florida homes now have both.

If you have a battery as well, it may cover short outages on its own and let the generator handle the long ones. We compare the main backup systems in Powerwall vs Generac vs Enphase, and explain why panels alone shut off in an outage in will solar work during a power outage.

Carbon monoxide safety with generators

A standby generator is installed outdoors for a reason: its exhaust holds carbon monoxide, a gas you can't see or smell. If you also keep a portable generator for backup, run it outside only. Keep it well away from your home, windows, doors and vents. Never run it in a garage, even with the door open.

Put battery-powered carbon monoxide alarms in the house either way. Our hurricane season prep guide covers the rest of the storm checklist for solar homes.

Frequently asked questions