Maintaining your home generator is extremely important so that it will be in working order for the next power outage at your Sterling, VA home. Regular maintenance includes home generator oil change, air filter replacement, inspecting spark plugs, and valve clearance adjustment.
One of the most important services is to check and maintain your home generator’s oil levels. This should be checked daily whenever power outages at your Sterling, VA home require your generator’s running for extended periods. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions to turn the generator off, check the levels, top off if needed, and then turn it back on.
Without bi–annual inspections and regularly scheduled maintenance, your home generator’s lifespan will be shortened significantly in Sterling, VA, whereas a properly maintained generator should last 20 to 30 years.
Just like your vehicle, home generator oil changes need to be performed regularly. This will depend on how often your backup generator has been used during power outages at your home in Sterling, VA in any given year. Typically speaking, a home generator oil change is required at least once a year, but bi–annual if it was used for more than 150 hours during that timeframe.
Home generators should be set to exercise on a weekly cycle. During this exercise, the engine will cool and condensate. This moisture gathers in the oil, and so a home generator oil change is needed to remove that at least once a year.
Another part of maintaining your home generator at your home in Potomac, MD, so that it will provide you backup power during outages is swapping out the spark plugs. Although it doesn’t need to be done as often as a home generator oil change, it should be part of the annual inspection to ensure they are clean and firing properly and replaced when drenched in carbon or have weak ignition.
Three primary filters, fuel, air, and oil, should also be inspected and replaced as needed. During a home generator oil change, be sure to replace the oil filter. Fuel filters should be replaced when they appear to be dirty and old. Air filters that are filled with debris or appear dirty should be replaced as well. Your generator needs to take in fresh air to function properly for your Sterling, VA home.
Power and Systems Integration offers installation, maintenance, and service to home generators.