While Florida is known as the Sunshine State, it sure does get its fair share of natural disasters like tropical storms, hurricanes, and floods.

What will you do during the outage if an adverse weather event knocks out power for hours or even days? Preparation is vital for homeowners.

Many families in Southwest Florida invest in alternative power sources. And one of the best options is a whole-home generator system. But for the generator to kick in when the municipal power shuts off, maintenance is necessary.

Keep reading to learn about what goes into maintaining a backup generator.

Conduct Weekly Tests

If you want to ensure that your whole home generator doesn't let you down when you need it most, ensure you conduct weekly tests. Doing it once per week is fine. You'll want to start it up to see if it runs okay. 

Do you see any warning symbols on the display or hear warning chimes? If so, don't ignore them. Instead, follow up by booking a service call with a company that performs whole-home generator system maintenance.

Keep the Unit Clean

One way to ensure your unit is functioning is to keep it clean internally and externally. Get off the dirt, leaves, and debris. It won't take much time to maintain the unit tidy. But doing it will make a big difference.

Get Your Unit Serviced

One of the most essential whole-home generator system maintenance tips is to get your unit serviced as per the manual. Get the work done by a licensed professional with experience serving homeowners in Southwest Florida.

A professional service provider will, as part of routine maintenance for a home standby generator, do the following:

Change Air Filter

It's essential to change the air filter annually.

The air filter is an inexpensive component. But it safeguards the engine from debris and dirt that might otherwise cause damage. Home generator repairs can be expensive.

Change Spark Plugs

Changing the spark plugs is also critical. The spark plugs are instrumental when it comes to starting the unit. It's a good idea to change the spark plugs annually. Failing to do so could adversely impact your unit's performance.

Change Oil

The instruction manual for your generator will explain how often the oil should be changed. The technician will drain the old oil and replace it with fresh oil when you get routine maintenance.

Change Oil Filter

Changing the oil isn't enough. It's also essential to change the oil filter. Failing to change the oil filter at regular intervals can clog the filter, starving the engine of the oil it needs to function correctly. 

Assess Transfer Switch

A transfer switch is like a separate circuit breaker panel for your generator. A service provider will be able to assess your transfer switch to ensure it's functioning correctly. If repairs are needed, the technician will do so.

Do You Need a Whole-Home Generator System?

Are you looking for a service provider catering to homeowners in Southwest Florida? If so, we're here to help.

We can equip your home with a whole-home generator system. And we also offer maintenance and repair services.

Getting a generator for your home is essential. Maintaining it is just as critical if you want reliable service year after year. Get in touch to book a service call.