Annual Generator Maintenance Ensures Power When You Need It

Tropical storms and hurricanes in the South often bring high winds and heavy rains in New Jersey. And with so many power lines above ground, those storms bring the threat of power outages with them.

Homeowners and businesses equipped with standby generators have great backup to keep the electricity flowing and, as we noted in a previous post, owners should conduct routine checks on their units, such as listening for the weekly test and monitoring oil levels if the unit has been running and needs a refill. However, it is vital for your home generator’s proper functioning to have a thorough annual maintenance check by a certified HVAC technician.

Importance of an annual generator inspection
You wouldn’t let your vehicle run all year without a full tune up and expect it to get you where you need to go; the same goes for your standby home generator. You can’t expect it to perform when you need it without comprehensive annual inspections and servicing. At Bloomfield Cooling, Heating & Electric, our technicians conduct a complete system assessment and service:

• Changing the lubrication oil and replace the oil filter, air filter, and spark plugs (except for units that run on diesel fuel)
• Test and service the battery
• Check fuel lines, ignition coil wires/electrical lines, and plug caps
• Inspect battery and electrical safety shutdown devices
• Check software updates to the control board
• Inspect gaskets, breathers, and fuel regulation components (checks for leakage)
• Inspect and clean fan guard and fins
• Inspect all bolts, brackets and connections
• Listen for unexpected or excessive noise or vibrations
• Perform a simulated outage to check transfer operation
• Check muffler, exhaust system, and the generator casing
• Provide a system analysis report and information about any needed repairs outside of the routine maintenance such as replacing outdated batteries or worn belts and hoses

New generator installations
If we are installing a new unit, rest assured our technician will explain the generator’s operation and make sure you are completely comfortable with how it works and what you should listen and look for in case of a power outage. Our generator installation technicians have been certified through Generac Power Systems, Inc. to install and service Generac and Honeywell generators—industry leaders in the backup power market. They are also trained to set up and test the Mobile Link app on your mobile devices, so if you’re away on vacation or traveling for business, you’ll always be aware of your generator’s operation through smart technology.

Save on your generator maintenance visit
Bloomfield Cooling, Heating & Electric offers a special maintenance price for new and existing customers throughout Passaic County, where we are located, as well as Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Morris, Somerset and Union counties. Contact us at (973) 237-0505 to arrange your service call and get the special price of $250 for a thorough end-to-end annual inspection of your home standby generator, or ask us about Generac and Honeywell units for your North Jersey home or office location.