Generator care information
“If You Don’t Schedule Time For Maintenance, Your Equipment Will Schedule It For You.” This statement is very true for all of the equipment in your life such as your Air Conditioner, Vehicle, etc. Your generator is no different. A standby generator has one purpose, to start in an outage and run as long as needed. If you don’t maintain them they may not work as intended.
The industry standard for changing your generators oil and filter is once a year or every 100 hours. We at Csonka All Tech recommend once a year or every 50 hours at maximum due to the fact that generators are small engine’s running at 3600RPM’s for possibly days at a time. They can and will burn oil at an accelerated rate. We have seen generators 1/4 of a quart low after 25 hours of run time and with a general capacity of 2 quarts, that makes a big difference. That is the last thing you want is your generator to fault while powering your home on low oil pressure.
Additional Information
Generator Care starts with you. Keeping foliage cleared from around the generator and changing the direction of sprinklers so they don’t spray on it is essential for prolonging the life of your investment. Hard and reclaimed water is extremely corrosive and will rust the generator from the inside out.
If you live in a high salt area such as near the river or the beach we highly recommend at bare minimum a bi-annual service. This is to keep the salt spray to a minimum by brushing it out and spraying it down with a rust inhibiting lubricant.
Verifying there is no opening on your generator to allow rodents inside is crucial for keeping your wiring from being chewed or shorted. Prevent failures by making sure your generator is closed up properly. Prevent part theft by verifying the lid stays locked at all times. This prevents wind from catching your enclosure and thieves from stealing components.