10 Steps to Take for Proper Generator Maintenance
Generator maintenance is the single most reliable way to make sure your lights, fridge, and sump pump stay on when the grid goes dark. The checklist below walks you through ten essential tasks – each one quick enough for a weekend but powerful enough to keep your generator ready for every outage, from summer thunderstorms to mid-winter ice storms.
Below is a step-by-step maintenance routine you can tackle this weekend, followed by the checks a professional should handle. Work through the list once, then set reminders to revisit the tasks every season. Your reward? Refrigerators that keep humming, sump pumps that stay on duty, and lights that guide you safely through the worst of the storm.
1. Start With Safety
Cut the breaker to your generator and let the engine cool for at least fifteen minutes. Wear gloves and eye protection. If the unit is wired to a transfer switch, confirm that house power is off before you open any panels. A quick safety sweep keeps burns and shocks off the to-do list.
2. Give It a Full Walk-Around
Look for anything out of place: frayed wires, cracked coolant hoses, rust on the exhaust, or muddy footprints that show raccoons have been exploring. Clear sticks and leaves from the vents so your engine can breathe. While you’re there, make sure the concrete pad or crushed-stone base is level and free of standing water.
3. Check the Fuel Path
For propane or natural gas models
- Smell for any hint of gas that might signal a loose flare fitting.
- Inspect the flexible gas line for kinks or rodent damage.
- Confirm that the shut-off valve is fully open and the regulator shows proper pressure.
For gasoline or diesel models
- Drain stale fuel and refill with fresh, stabilized fuel if the unit hasn’t run for more than three months.
- Replace old fuel filters and bleed the lines to remove air pockets.
Fresh fuel is half the battle against hard starts and rough idling.
4. Change the Oil and Filters
Dirty oil thickens, forcing the starter motor to work overtime. Warm the engine for five minutes, shut it down, then drain the oil. Most homeowner-sized units hold about a quart and use a 10W-30 or 5W-30 synthetic blend – check your manual. Replace the spin-on oil filter and the paper air filter while you’re at it. Tighten the filter by hand; an overtightened filter is a pain to remove later.
5. Test and Clean the Battery
A typical generator battery lasts three to five years. Disconnect the negative lead first, brush off corrosion with a baking soda paste, then reconnect the negative last. Use a multimeter: 12.6 V means your battery is healthy; anything below 12.4 V needs charging. If the reading is below 12 V, plan on a replacement. A weak battery is the reason generators refuse to start on storm day.
6. Inspect Belts, Hoses, and Cooling Fins
Pressing on the drive belt, about 1/2 inch of deflection is good. Cracks or shiny glazing mean it’s time for a new one. Squeeze coolant hoses to feel for soft spots. Finally, use compressed air to blow out the radiator or cooling fins. Overheating will shut down a generator faster than an empty fuel tank.
7. Exercise the Engine Under Load
Run the unit for at least 20 minutes with house circuits live. Turn on big loads, a refrigerator, a well pump, or a window AC to see if the generator can handle them without bogging down. Watch the output meter: voltage should be near 120V on one leg and frequency around 60Hz. Fluctuations mean a governor issue that needs a tech.
8. Check the Transfer Switch
Open the transfer-switch cover and look for scorch marks or loose lugs. Cycle the switch manually if your model allows it, listening for smooth, solid clicks. A sloppy or buzzing switch can weld itself shut under a high current, an expensive surprise when you try to return to utility power.
9. Keep It Clean and Critter-Free
Wipe down the housing with a damp rag. Spray a silicone protectant on exposed metal parts to fight corrosion. Close any small gaps in the enclosure with wire mesh; mice love warm engine compartments and chew ignition wires for dessert.
10. Schedule a Professional Tune-Up
Even the most diligent DIYer can’t adjust the valve lash or calibrate a governor spring with a flathead and a flashlight. By the end of May, book with one of our licensed technicians for:
- Compression and leak-down tests
- Valve clearance adjustment
- Firmware updates on Wi-Fi-enabled models
- Load-bank testing that brings the unit to 100 % capacity
HomeSquarePro’s Generator Maintenance Plans include these services and more, wrapped into a predictable annual cost. Ask our team about the Silver and Gold tiers to see which fits your usage habits.
Thinking About a New Generator?
Regular maintenance keeps a generator alive, but no amount of fresh oil will turn a 15-year-old, undersized unit into a storm-proof powerhouse. If your current model checks any of these boxes, it may be time to upgrade:
- Requires more than two unscheduled repairs per year
- Struggles to power new HVAC equipment or an induction range
- Burns oil or fails emissions tests
- Replacement parts are impossible to find without scavenging auction sites
Our Generator Sales & Installation team walks you through sizing, fuel options, and permit requirements, plus a transparent look at pricing. The HomeSquarePro crew handles everything – from pouring the pad to the final wiring inspection, so you never have to juggle multiple contractors. Visit the page to explore brands like Generac and Briggs & Stratton, or call for a free in-home assessment.
Why Choose HomeSquarePro for Generator Maintenance
HomeSquarePro isn’t a pop-up storm-season outfit. We’ve been serving Fairfield County, CT, and Westchester County, NY, since 1978, with dedicated electrical and generator technicians on staff. Our trucks carry common parts – spark plugs, filters, starter batteries – so most calls wrap up in a single visit. Pair that with a 24-hour emergency line, and you have support that actually answers when the lights go out.
Quick-Reference Checklist
- Visual inspection & debris removal – Do this every month; it’s an easy DIY task.
- Fuel freshness check – Three times a year, especially before long storage periods
- Oil & filter change – Every 100 hours or once a year; many DIY, but a technician can do it during an annual visit.
- Battery voltage test – Quarterly with a multimeter; easy DIY.
- Load-bank test – Once a year; leave this to a pro who can bring a load bank.
- Valve adjustment – Every two years; definitely a pro’s job.
- Transfer-switch inspection – Annually or after any hard outage; best done by a licensed electrician.
Print this out, stick it inside the generator lid, and mark the dates with a Sharpie. Consistency is key to avoiding a last-minute panic when the forecast turns ugly.
Contact Us
Keeping a generator storm-ready isn’t hard, but it does take discipline. A Saturday spent with a funnel, a multimeter, and a torque wrench beats three hot days without power while you wait for the utility company to clear the lines. Work through the above, log your results, and let the pros at HomeSquarePro handle the heavy lifting on their next visit. Hurricane season won’t wait. Neither should you.Contact us today for fast and reliable service.
