Owning a backup generator is the best way to protect your home or business during an extended outage. The life expectancy of your backup generator depends on how well you care for it. This guide reviews how to ensure your generator lasts as long as possible.
How Long Do Standby Generators Last?
Your generator’s life span could depend on many factors. Whether you run the generator regularly throughout the year and perform regular maintenance on it and how you treat it during power outages all impact your backup generator’s life span.
A few easy ways to extend your generator’s life include routine maintenance, checking your fuel tank (If Diesel), knowing when to change the oil and signing up for a maintenance program that includes regular inspections.
Most generators should last at least 10-15 years. However, taking excellent care of your generator can extend its life to 20 years. If you keep your generator in tip-top shape, it may last you a lifetime. When it comes time to sell your home, the generator can add value and fetch you a higher sales price, but only if it’s running properly.
How to Maintain a Standby Generator for a Longer Life
Proper maintenance routines include running your standby generator once a week, checking the air filters and ensuring you keep ahead of repairs that are absolutely essential to your generator’s performance. The last thing you want is for your generator to fail during an extended outage.
Some things you should do regularly include:
- Changing all your filters according to the manufacturer’s recommended guidelines
- Periodically inspecting your standby generator for signs of erosion due to weather
- Performing an annual standby generator inspection to test its operation and reliability
How to Care for Your Generator During an Extended Power Outage
If you experience a power outage, you should pay attention to how your generator performs. Standby generators can run for as long as you need if you have fuel, but they could overheat or deteriorate if you overwork them. The time of year can also impact your generator’s performance.
If you know your generator has turned on due to a power outage, give it a visual inspection. During the fall, leaves, snow, ice and dead branches can pose a hazard.
You should clear any debris from your standby generator to improve your oil and air filter life. During the winter, you should clean snow and ice off your generator to keep it running efficiently.
If you have a propane generator, storing fuel and buying new tanks when needed is easy. Make sure you give yourself enough fuel to last several days. Most power outages will last for a while, but you can always purchase more propane if it appears you’re going to run out.
Are Maintenance Service Agreements Needed?
Consider purchasing a maintenance service agreement if you want to add life expectancy to your backup generator, consider purchasing a maintenance service agreement. There are several ways this can benefit you.
While Your Backup Generator Is Under Warranty
Even if you have a warranty, you should invest in keeping your generator maintained. Performing routine maintenance every year could double the life of your generator, making a service agreement an excellent investment when considering the cost of a replacement generator.
After Your Warranty Has Expired
Purchasing a maintenance service agreement when your standby generator warranty is going to expire helps you pay for the routine repairs you need to keep it running at peak efficiency. It protects you in the event you need an emergency repair and covers the parts and labor for the visit. Performing this maintenance doesn’t just increase your generator’s overall life span.
How to Buy a Standby Generator That Lasts Longer
Generac generators are known for their quality and long life span, so we proudly sell and service them. With so many backup generators to choose from, it’s important you find a quality generator that meets your home’s power load. Generator life span is also something to consider because of how much it could cost you if you need to install a new one.
Generac backs up the quality of its generators with a manufacturer warranty, but our maintenance service packages can protect your investment from deterioration over time.
At Generator One, we offer multiple service packages that let you protect your generator for an affordable monthly fee. Whether your standby generator is brand new or you’ve had it for years, we offer multiple packages so you can find the plan that suits your needs.
Protect Your Family, Your Business & Your Generator With Generator One
Whether you’re looking for a brand-new generator to protect your home or business or want to increase your existing generator’s life span, Generator One can help. Contact us today to learn more about our maintenance service programs or to get a free quote.
