A well-maintained generator will last for many years. The more care and attention you put in to maintenance, the longer it will operate well without expensive repairs or hefty bills for replacement parts. Here we look at seven tips to keep your electrical generator in great shape to give you hassle-free service for many years to come.
1. Buy a cover or enclosure
Electrical equipment is easily damaged by water ingress and exposure to the elements could easily lead to a big repair bill. Depending on what sort of generator you are looking to store, you will need either a generator garage, enclosure or a cover.
2. Protect your motor from burn-out
Using heavy-duty cords which use less voltage can help guard against premature burn-out. It is also a good idea to get a longer cord so that your generator can be located further away to reduce noise.
3. Do a power-up run every three months
You should run your generator every three months, according to most manufacturer’s recommendations, to charge up the electric starter battery. Give it a run for about thirty minutes each time and you will never be caught out with a starter that doesn’t work when you need it.
4. Keep your tank filled up
By keeping the tank well filled, you can avoid causing damage to your generator.s magnetic field by running out of gas. This guide contains some good information: https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2012/11/5-generator-mistakes-that-can-leave-you-in-the-dark-or-worse/index.htm.
5. Stock up on consumables
Prepare for a long power outage by making sure you have a plentiful stock of consumables such as spare filters, oil and so on. When you are sourcing your generator or engine spares, from Hatz Diesel to Briggs and Stratton parts, there are many specialist suppliers that will be able to advise you, such as https://diyengineparts.com/Brand/1/briggs-and-stratton.
6. Read the instructions
Make sure you know how to maintain and run your generator correctly according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
7. Cover yourself in case of failure
This seems obvious but you do need to protect yourself by investing in a backup generator and a warranty in case generator failure unexpectedly leaves you literally in the dark. Things can go wrong even with the best maintenance regime. Having these things in place will help reduce both wasted money, inconvenience and possibly your home insurance costs as well.