Generator Preventative Maintenance Checklist

Like any investment – a stand-by home generator requires maintenance to be certain that it will be ready to serve its purpose when the time comes. Regularly scheduled maintenance performed properly will give you the peace of mind you sought in the original purchase of your generator.

Proper preventative maintenance should include:

• Visual Inspection
• Check intake and exhaust for obstructions
• Check fault codes
• Check battery and charger
• Check oil level/condition and for leakage
• Check coolant level and condition (where applicable)
• Replace air filter
• Replace spark plugs
• Valve lash adjustment if required
• Manual start
• Verify voltage and frequency output
• Adjust fuel regulator, check venting
• Check and adjust engine speed
• Change oil using synthetic oil and replace oil filter
• Transfer to generator power with a simulated power outage
• Transfer back to utility power

While this list seems extensive, every part is just as important as the next to insuring that the generator will run correctly in the event of an outage. A service technician should always provide you with a list of the work performed – not just an invoice.

Use this list in the future to ask the company providing you with preventative maintenance what their visit includes, and make sure that the job they do is worth the price tag. Improper maintenance can lead to failures at the worst possible moments, so be an informed consumer and ensure that your generator will be ready to go when you need it most.