If you recently purchased a standby generator for your home, it can feel like the hard work is done after installation – but a residential generator is only as good as its regular maintenance. For many homeowners, having a generator maintenance agreement is the easiest way to ensure that new generator works for years.
What is a generator maintenance agreement?
A generator maintenance agreement is a contract drawn up between a homeowner and an installation company that guarantees a set amount of scheduled maintenance for a fee.
Our guarantee
For example, the generator maintenance agreement by Assurance Power Systems commits to multi-point inspections of the generator on either a biannual or quarterly basis. Our agreements can be for multiple years, while also offering a yearly fuel and filter replacement, discounts on parts, and emergency response to issues. To see what exactly we look for in our inspections, here is a link to our generator maintenance agreement form.
A generator maintenance agreement offer two great advantages for homeowners: regularly scheduled check-ups and a written history of professional maintenance.
Why schedules and maintenance agreements make happy generators
It’s easy to forget about your backup generator when everything is sunny and normal. But standby generators depend on regular maintenance to keep them in ideal working order. Because generators don’t run often for long periods of time, there is a misconception that not being used equals not wearing down its parts. Yet things like fuel, batteries and lubricating oil will deteriorate over time, regardless of how much use they are put through.
A generator maintenance agreement means that a qualified inspector will regularly check the wear and tear of your generator, catching issues before they become true and expensive problems. Much in the same way you would take in your car to a mechanic for a quarterly oil change or battery check, a generator maintenance agreement ensures your standby generator gets inspected on a set schedule, monitoring and replacing the parts that deteriorate over time.
Do-It-Yourself Generator Maintenance
Just like a car mechanic, you can also be the maintenance do-it-yourself-er for some of the more basic maintenance for your own backup generator.
Most backup generator manufacturers recommended weekly or month tests to cycle everything through the generator’s engines and batteries. That’s why many generator installers offer generator maintenance agreements to make it less stressful for their customers.
Luckily, homeowners can perform much of the weekly maintenance since it mostly consists of visually inspecting the generator. Don’t just set it and forget it. Homeowners should set and keep to a monthly schedule to check fuel levels, clean up any dirty parts and running a generator’s test function. Your generator’s manual should provide details on your specific unit’s scheduled maintenance.
Big maintenance tasks
Be aware that generators do require that the engine oil and filters be replaced every year. Every two years, a generator’s batteries need to be checked or replaced. Every three years, a generator should have its coolant system flushed and refilled, with hoses, belts and batteries needing to be replaced.
These bigger updates are why many find generator maintenance agreement valuable down the road, because ignoring these regular maintenance steps can result in replacing your standby generator much, much sooner than you paid for.
If you are looking for a professional inspection or want to start a generator maintenance agreement for your home’s backup power, reach out to reputable generator installers in your area. For residents of south Florida, you can contact us at (561) 867-4041 or through our online form to learn more about Assurance Power System’s generator maintenance agreement and pricing.