Summer has begun, which means that, for many regions, so has hurricane and tornado season. The National Weather Service predicts that there will be 11 named storms and two major hurricanes this year.[1] That’s why it’s so important to take a few important steps to make sure that your generators are in working order. After all, the worst time to find out that your emergency generator isn’t working is during a power failure.
First of all, you really need to make sure that your generator is properly maintained. When we examine a generator, we check every component to see if it’s been broken or suffered from wear and tear associated with normal use. We check every electrical and mechanical component, from the ATS and voltage regulator to the fluid levels and drive belts. We then adjust or fix things wherever we find any deficiency. Of course, we also look for issues like fuel and oil leaks. Then we do a test run of the entire system to check for more defects and make sure that there’s nothing that we missed.
Preventative maintenance is important, but you also have to make sure that you have enough onsite fuel for your generator, whether its diesel, or LP. In some cases you may need that generator to keep your power on for days or weeks. No amount of maintenance and care will keep your generator running for all that time if you don’t have enough fuel to power it.
Proper generator maintenance and preparation are integral when you’re facing a big storm. So follow these tips and make sure you don’t get left in the dark if a tornado or hurricane hits your area.
[1] http://www.weather.com/news/weather-hurricanes/hurricane-season-outlook-atlantic-2014-el-nino-20140324
