Caring For Your Generator During Winter
As the weather gets colder and the winter months start to draw in, it is especially important to pay attention to your generator maintenance.
There is a higher risk of your power going out as the weather becomes more volatile, so ensuring your home or business generator remains fully operational throughout the winter is vital.
If you find yourself in need of emergency generator repair to get you through the winter, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our expert team here at Edge Technology.
What are the best ways to care for your generator during wintertime?
Maintain the Surrounding Area
Do a Full Inspection
Before the weather gets too bad and you find yourself in dire need of a fully operational generator, do a full inspection of all parts to ensure your machine is just that; fully operational.
Check the air filter, fuel filter, spark plugs, carburettor and any other crucial parts and replace or repair them if necessary. Even if you notice a small flaw that may be tempting to overlook, err on the safe side and fix it; you don’t want to be caught with a broken down generator when you need it most.
- Air Filter: Doing a quick check of the air filter can help increase the lifespan of your generator. Replacing it is usually a fairly simple procedure.
- Fuel Filter: This can often be a problematic component, so make sure it is clear and working properly.
- Spark Plugs: This crucial part makes the spark that ignites the engine, thus is important that you take care of it. You can lubricate the pistons with a small amount of engine oil to make sure that they function smoothly.
- Carburettor: As another problematic part that is known for accumulating debris and inefficient fuel you will want to clean it and thoroughly look it over to ensure everything is in order.
Review the User Manual
It is a good idea to go over your user manual before the likelihood of any extreme weather. There may be some additional steps for your particular machine or further generator-specific advice for winter in the manufacturer’s instructions.
Warm-Up Your Generator
If your generator has been quietly tucked away during the non-winter months, you should let it run for short bursts of time before switching it on fully.
Cold weather can affect how easily your unit turns on; exercising it, like you would a car in winter, can help ensure that internal parts are working properly and give you confidence that it will last through the winter.
Exercising a generator that hasn’t been in operation for a while for around ten minutes every week is a key part of generator maintenance and will help to keep your machine providing reliable power.
Manage Your Fluids
If your generator has sat for extended periods of disuse, one of the first things to think about is its fluids.
At this point, it can often be a good idea to drain your fuel. While this may seem counterintuitive, after long periods of disuse, generator fuel can thicken and turn gum-like. This has the potential to cause significant damage to your carburettor or fuel lines.
Regular oil checks can also be important; often, it is recommended that oil is checked every 8 to 24 hours. These checks will ensure that your generator is running on the appropriate amount of oil. Changing your oil every three or four uses is also something to consider. Ignoring this step can lead to generator damage and prevent it from working properly in the future.
Instructions on how to drain or replace generator fluids can usually be found in your generator’s manual. If you are ever unsure, it is worth seeking the help of a specialist like our expert team here at Edge Technology.
Make sure to keep spare oil and fuel on hand in case you run out and can’t source more when you need it most.
Check Your Battery
Another fundamental check is that of your battery. Once again, cold temperatures can reduce battery performance and reduce its lifespan.
If your battery is not in perfect condition, it may be worth replacing it. A new battery with higher cold-cranking amps will be more beneficial and more reliable when seeing you through the winter months.
Follow a Checklist
You’d be forgiven for glossing over a step or two in this process, but to help make sure your generator is in the best possible condition, a follow-along checklist can be useful.
This will guarantee that no vital steps have been forgotten and will help you produce a repeatable list of maintenance tasks that can be used year after year to ensure you are getting the best performance from your unit.
Final Preparations
Having a maintenance kit on hand can also be very helpful. This might contain emergency oil, spare parts or additional filters.
Many also recommend placing torches or flashlights strategically around your house, so they are easy to grab when the power goes out and you need to get your generator up and running as soon as possible.
Good maintenance is about prevention. Some of these steps may seem like overkill initially but properly caring for your generator will ensure that it continues performing for you all winter long.
If you need help getting your generator ready for winter, or require any emergency repairs over the coming cold months, why not get in touch with our team here at Edge Technology?
Final Preparations
Having a maintenance kit on hand can also be very helpful. This might contain emergency oil, spare parts or additional filters.
Many also recommend placing torches or flashlights strategically around your house, so they are easy to grab when the power goes out and you need to get your generator up and running as soon as possible.
Good maintenance is about prevention. Some of these steps may seem like overkill initially but properly caring for your generator will ensure that it continues performing for you all winter long.
If you need help getting your generator ready for winter, or require any emergency repairs over the coming cold months, why not get in touch with our team here at Edge Technology
