What is the Life Expectancy of a Standby Generator?

Brand

Usage

Of course, it’s great to have the peace of mind that even during an extended outage, your home or business can continue to operate as usual; however, a standby generator should never be used as the primary power source for a building. Although burnout/overheating is more common with portable generators, standby generators are also susceptible to problems that occur with overuse.

Maintenance

Standby generators are often marketed as “set it and forget it” systems. And as it relates to their operating purpose, this is largely true! But like any machine, they still need the human touch to make sure they’re in optimal operating condition.

The simplest way to keep your unit in tip-top shape is to just look at it!

On a weekly basis, make sure there isn’t any dirt, debris, or other buildups on or around your generator that could decrease its functionality.

Next, add it to your monthly home cleaning schedule to check the unit’s fuel lines, coolant/fuel levels, and air filters.

Some systems are programmable to automatically run a weekly ‘exercise mode’ to keep the engine active. For those that are not, manually running your unit for 30 minutes every 7-14 days will greatly extend the life of your generator.

Finally, once a year, a certified Generac technician should perform an annual maintenance check on your unit. Even if your generator isn’t a Generac system, our technicians service all brands; your safety is our priority.