Here's the cruel irony of generators: the one that sits quietly in the corner waiting for load-shedding is exactly the one that won't start when load-shedding finally hits. A little maintenance prevents that.
Why idle generators fail
Between outages, fuel degrades and gums up, the electric-start battery goes flat, filters clog and parts seize. A generator only thought about during outages is the one that lets you down during one.
The fix: service and run it
Service a standby generator at least annually, and run it briefly every month or two to keep it ready. That alone prevents most no-start failures.
What a service covers
- Oil and filter change
- Fuel system check (and draining stale fuel)
- Spark plug and air filter inspection
- Starter battery test
- A run-up under load to confirm it performs
- For standby units, checking the automatic transfer switch
Fuel storage matters
For long idle periods, a fuel stabiliser or draining old fuel prevents the gumming that stops a generator starting. Or consider a silent, maintenance-light inverter for everyday load-shedding and keep the generator for long outages (see standby vs portable). Ask us about a maintenance routine.