If you have purchased an emergency generator for your home or business, it is important to periodically test it to make sure that it is working properly.
After all, there are few things in life as useless as an emergency generator that won’t operate when you need one the most.
In general, you should do a test run on an emergency generator once a month. In fact, some generators are automatically programmed to turn on and run for a short time at the same date and time each month. Some generators may have different specifications for a test run, however. In those cases, homeowners should always defer to the operating instructions that came with the purchase of your emergency generator.
When to Schedule an Emergency Generator Repair
If your emergency generator has its own automatic testing features, you might not be home when the generator begins its monthly diagnostic cycle. But there should be an indicator on its control panel that will alert you whether the testing cycle was initiated and successfully completed.
If you don’t see the familiar green light pattern, that’s your sign that something is amiss and it may be time to arrange for an emergency generator repair specialist to give it a thorough lookover.
Test It Under Real Blackout Conditions Periodically
If you want to be certain that your emergency generator is powered up and ready to run when the power goes out in real-time, go ahead and cut off the main breaker to your home. If it doesn’t kick on automatically or otherwise fails to power up when you flip a manual switch, that is your sign that your generator needs maintenance or repairs.
The principle here is clear: Just like a car that sits in the garage without being driven will lose battery power, the same can happen with your emergency generator. Making sure that your genny gets tested regularly can prolong its life span and reduce your repair bills.
Nothing Like Your Peace of Mind
Whether you live in a hurricane-prone area, a wildfire zone, or other areas where natural disasters frequently occur, you want to make sure that you and your family have a power source when the grid goes down.
Testing your emergency generator monthly or according to its manufacturer instructions can provide you with the peace of mind that you are ready to withstand any storm or its aftermath. Responsible homeowners arrange ahead of the need for scheduled maintenance tasks or an emergency generator repair to make sure that they get and stay prepared for all weather emergencies or other unfortunate loss of power events.
Invest in a Maintenance Plan for Your Emergency Generator
Here at Virginia Power Solutions, we offer our clients maintenance agreements with different levels of service to select. Some maintenance agreements include 24-hour emergency service by our highly trained and knowledgeable service technicians.
You may want to consider adding a maintenance plan for your present emergency generator or with your next purchase of an alternative power source. Having a plan already in place to activate also reduces the bills you might otherwise pay for an emergency generator repair.
