We’re still enjoying the summer weather, but now is also a good time to think ahead toward the end of the year and period when you may need to rely on your whole-house generator in case of an extended power outage. Sometime during the next few weeks is an excellent period to arrange for your annual generator maintenance.
Regular generator maintenance is essential
A generator is a back-up system. It’s something you hope you don’t need, but which you’ll be incredibly glad you have when the time comes that you do need it. But a back-up system isn’t much good if it’s not ready to go to work when the time arrives. How can you enjoy the peace of mind a generator is supposed to supply when you can’t trust that the generator will work?
This is why you must have regular maintenance. A typical standby generator will last from 10,000 to 30,000 hours. However, it will only operate a few hours a year on average, making it tough to determine when it is suffering from possible malfunctions. You should perform regular visual checks on the system yourself at least once a month, or after any period when the generator needs to run for more than a few hours. Check to see that the generator is clean, free from vermin, and that it has sufficient oil and coolant. If anything appears wrong, call for generator repair.
Annual maintenance is the key
The annual maintenance inspection and tune-up must be left to a generator professional. During the maintenance visit, the technician will change the oil and oil filter, change the air filter, change the spark plugs, flush the cooling system if necessary, clean the crankcase, test the fuel to see if it has gone stale, look over the wiring connections, check for fuel leaks, inspect the drive belt, and then perform electrical load tests. After the maintenance is complete, you’ll have the confidence that your generator will come to your aid should you need it during the coming season.
For all your generator services in Skokie, IL, look to the team at Malek Heating & Cooling.