5 Top Generator Maintenance Tips

5 Top Generator Maintenance Tips

The key to getting the most out of your generator while maintaining maximum efficiency levels, is to carry out thorough and regular maintenance. As specialists in the power industry, we understand the importance of regular generator maintenance as well as the lack of understanding we tend to see in a lot of our customers, which is why we have put together our 5 top generator maintenance tips.

Just like any piece of expert machinery, you need to know what you are doing before you start to tamper with your equipment, which is why we recommend hiring an expert to maintain and monitor your generator to avoid wasting money or any potential issues that may occur with incorrect upkeep.

Alternatively, these top tips are a good starting point and should be completed regularly to prolong usability.

1. Change Your Oil

It is common for people to assume that all oil is the same and that changing it isn’t a necessity, especially when you only use your generator for a few weeks of the year. However, changing your oil is one of the most important generator maintenance tips we can give you.

Changing your generator’s oil is vital if you are planning on storing it away for months at a time without taking the care to run it every few weeks. Okay, we’ve told you that you should change your oil, but you may be asking yourself, what happens if I don’t change my generator’s oil? 

If you don’t change your oil, this could leave you with disastrous consequences, without power when you need it most, such as mains power failure or planned outages. Oil seizures can occur if old oil is left in the tank for prolonged periods, leaving you with an unwanted invoice and your equipment useless.

There are no exact periods that you need to change your generator’s oil, as all equipment is different, depending on the usage, condition, and storage. However, there will be guidelines that you can follow in the manufacturer guidelines, giving you a good idea of when and how often this needs to be done.

2. Keep Parts Moving

This may sound like a waste of time, but ensuring you take the time to regularly start up your generator and leave it to run, even if you’re not planning on using it, is critical.

As a rule of thumb, you should restart your generator every month or 30 days, whichever is more convenient, but you should not wait any longer than a 30-day timescale. Periodically running your generator is closely related to changing the oil, as it keeps parts moving and lubricated and avoids any seizures or rust developing that could affect your generator’s performance.

3. Keep It Clean

Another generator maintenance tip that may seem like common sense is keeping your equipment clean. 

This tip is especially useful if you work in muddy or dirtier conditions, such as on-site, where mud is typically a mainstay, particularly in winter months, magnifying the importance even further. The main areas that need to be kept clean are filters, spark plugs, and the exterior, with build-ups of dust, dirt, and grease being major contributing factors to decreases in performance and shortened lifespans.

When taking apart your generator for cleaning, it is important to know exactly what you are doing and that you can reassemble all pieces correctly, otherwise, it is likely that your generator will not work properly or at all. Don’t waste time and money by potentially breaking your generator unintentionally and use professionals to carry out maintenance.

Our generator maintenance packages ensure your machinery remains in top condition and retains optimal outputs. For more information, contact us online now to book your maintenance slot.

4. Correct Storage

How well you store your generator will impact the difficulties and depth of cleaning you have to do and can save you a lot of effort moving forward.

It is recommended that generators are stored in a cool and dry environment, as well as covering them with a tarp or cover, helping to keep out dirt, dust, and any liquid, which is likely to impact performance. As mentioned before, when storing your generator for long periods of time, you need to ensure you have emptied the fuel tank of old oil and you continue to run your generator periodically to keep all parts moving and in working order.

5. Knowing The Limits

The fifth and final generator maintenance tip we are going to give you is to know the limits of your appliances and your generator. Purchasing a generator can be a tricky process, and you must implement the right equipment at the right time, otherwise, the consequences could be detrimental to your business.

The first thing to ensure you know when buying a generator is what appliances you need to power and how much energy it is going to take to keep these operational when you need them. If you buy a generator that isn’t capable of running your required appliances, then no maintenance tips we can give you will help as your generator will be overloaded, leading to decreased performance levels and potentially dangerous situations, such as fires.

You don’t have to worry, as here at Hampshire Generators, we have products for all requirements, with smaller generators for charging phones and laptops or commercial-sized industrial units capable of powering households and businesses. All our generators are available to purchase online now, or if you are unsure of which generator you need and want advice, our team is available to help you by calling or contacting us online.

Do it yourself or hire professionals?

Although these maintenance tips will help to prolong the lifespan of your generator and will go a long way to making more in-depth maintenance easier, some of them are extremely technical and, therefore, difficult to implement.

That is why we have introduced our generator maintenance services, with options available for all types of machinery, including diesel generators, portable generators, and UPS system maintenance. As leaders in our industry, our team is capable of working on an extensive range of brands, including Honda generators, Pramac diesel, and petrol generators, and much more! There is no problem that we cannot assist with over 30 years of experience in designing, supplying, installing, and maintaining complete standby power systems.

We provide delivery or collection options for our generator maintenance services, ensuring a quick turnaround and allowing you to get back to business with a fully operational and reliable generator.