5 Tips to Prepare Your Home Standby Generator for the Winter
Winter is coming, and you know what that means – winter storms.
High-speed winds and freezing temperatures run the risk of frequent power outages in your area, especially up in the Northeast. It is best to be prepared for the worst and protect your family with a standby generator for home use.
A home standby generator is the best choice for keeping your home up and running automatically in the event of a power outage. When working properly, generators are especially useful in dangerous weather-related situations by:
- Keeping lights on you can see dangerous debris around your home.
- Running furnaces or heating appliances so you and your family can stay warm no matter what.
- Keeping refrigerators and freezers on so the food and medications in your home don’t spoil.
- Maintaining Internet connection so you can stay connected with friends and family, work from home, and monitor the storm.
- Continuing sump pumps to reduce basement flooding or damage.
Unfortunately, simply having a standby generator for your home is not enough. In order for it to kick in when you really need it to, be sure to take proper care of it for the worst case scenario.
Here are our top five tips on how to prepare your home standby generator for the winter:
1. Keep Your Home Generator Cleared Off
In order for your whole house generator to function reliably, it is crucial to keep its surroundings consistently clear.
If your generator is covered in snow or debris, like fallen leaves, there is a good chance it will overheat and not work properly. In fact, not doing so can lead to permanent standby generator damage and significant system failure.
When you are cleaning your yard after the fall or shoveling during the winter, pay special attention to the area around your generator. Remove anything that could clog up the intake and exhaust vents (the vents on both sides of the generator). Additionally, ensure there is a pathway cleared for easy access.
A clear path is important not only for functionally, but for any professional maintenance you may need. Our expert generator technicians require a clear area to access your unit when performing repairs and emergency service.
2. Check the Fluids
When a portable generator is under-utilized throughout the year, it can collect material deposits within it. After a year of sitting in waiting, the fuel in your portable can get gum-like and create significant damage for your standby generator.
We suggest that you drain your portable generator of fuel annually or stabilize the supply to prevent permanent damage.
A fuel stabilizer is a liquid solution that prevents the fluid in your unit from becoming stale or debased by keeping it fresh for up to a year. Also referred to as ‘polishing’ your fuel, this process removes harmful contaminants and overall guarantees optimal generator performance when you need it most.
Don’t wait for the weather to get cold or for your fuel levels to near empty to take action. Request a service visit from our maintenance team today to professionally assess your fuel levels and quality.
3. Exercise Your Home Generator
If you have installed a home standby generator with Cannondale, it should automatically turn on once a week to test itself. This process is important to keep track of so you can be alerted whenever your home standby generator needs maintenance attention. Make note of that time so you can listen for it and make sure it is working as it should.
If you don’t hear it run, please call us so we can schedule a time to come survey your unit and address any issues.
4. Get Remote Monitoring
A remote monitoring accessory is a smart investment for your home if you have a whole house standby generator. These applications allow you to check the status of your generator’s maintenance, from oil levels to when it last ran for exercise.
5. Trust the Experts
You’ve already taken the first step to protecting your family and home with your standby generator. Although maintaining the unit year-round can be a headache, regular maintenance service is key to keeping your generator in top-notch shape.
Cannondale Generators has been serving our customers for over 30 years. Our maintenance teams are there for you to ensure that your system is ready for the winter.
If you need help preparing your home standby generator for the winter or want to talk about our Remote Monitoring Accessories, contact us! We’re happy to help.
