Ensuring you have dependable power during the harsh New England winters is crucial. Winter storms, freezing temperatures and increased grid strain can lead to outages, leaving you with no way to heat your house, keep food in your refrigerator from spoiling or power essential medical equipment. The risk of winter outages makes a standby generator an essential home investment as it ensures you’ll still have power during an outage. At F.F. Hitchcock Plumbing, Heating & Cooling, our family-owned company has been serving Cheshire, CT, and the surrounding areas since 1870. Our expert generator installation, maintenance and repair services hold the key to keeping your family safe and comfortable all winter long.
Why Standby Generators Are Essential in Winter
The snow, ice and strong winds that New England winters bring increase the risk of power interruptions. Installing a standby generator and ensuring that it works when you need it brings peace of mind knowing that you’re fully prepared for any outages. With a standby generator, you’ll be able to keep your heating and refrigerator running and have power for vital medical equipment and whatever else you need.
How Standby Generators Work
Portable generators are useful, but they have their limitations during an outage. A standby generator seamlessly integrates directly into a home’s electrical system, allowing it to reliably distribute power to the entire house. A device known as an automatic transfer switch continuously monitors the electricity coming into the house from the grid, allowing it to immediately sense a power loss. When it detects an outage, it will signal the generator to start running and sending power to the house. As long as the switch and generator function properly, the power to the house will be restored within 15-30 seconds.
The Importance of Regular Generator Maintenance
Routine maintenance is crucial for ensuring a standby generator works whenever you need it, performs efficiently and effectively and doesn’t have any issues that could pose a safety hazard. Even high-quality generators need periodic inspections and regular maintenance to prevent fuel supply issues, battery failure and difficulties starting. These issues can be more common during winter due to freezing temperatures, which is why it’s essential to schedule professional generator inspection and maintenance before winter. Having your generator inspected and serviced regularly helps protect your investment by preventing premature failure or issues that could lead to the generator not working when an outage occurs.
Key Components That Require Attention
Standby generators have numerous crucial parts and components that need to be checked and serviced regularly to ensure proper performance. Some of the most crucial parts include:
- Engine oil and oil filter
- Fuel source (natural gas, propane or diesel) and fuel line
- Battery, spark plugs, wiring and electrical connections
- Coolant and hoses
- Air filter, air intake and exhaust
An issue with any of these parts can lead to the generator not working or suddenly breaking down. Even worse, certain problems can lead to a total failure that requires a costly repair or the generator to be replaced. For instance, not changing the oil often enough can cause the motor to seize up and burn out due to insufficient lubrication. A clogged air filter, blocked air intake or low coolant level can cause the generator to quickly overheat and shut down. If the battery is dead or there’s an issue with the fuel supply, the generator obviously won’t be able to run.
Seasonal Maintenance Checklist for Homeowners
Taking some simple steps can help you avoid many of the most common generator problems. One essential task is keeping the area around the generator clear of snow and debris, ensuring it has sufficient airflow to avoid the motor overheating. You should also routinely check for visible signs of rust, wear and oil or coolant leaks.
One of the most essential parts of standby generator maintenance is regularly exercising the generator, which means turning the unit on and letting it run for 15-20 minutes. This is something you should make sure to do at least monthly. During the winter, it’s better to do it every one to two weeks. The purpose of exercising a generator is to ensure everything stays properly lubricated and to prevent moisture from building up within the unit. It also allows you to monitor the generator’s performance and watch out for issues like excessive exhaust, excessively loud operator, warning lights and system alerts. By scheduling professional maintenance and a full diagnostic inspection with F.F. Hitchcock Plumbing, Heating & Cooling before winter storms arrive, you can ensure that you’re prepared for whatever Mother Nature has in store.
Professional Generator Inspection and Servicing
Professional generator maintenance includes numerous essential tasks like changing the oil, oil filter and air filter, testing and cleaning the spark plugs and inspecting the fuel supply. Voltage checks, load testing and updating the system’s software are also critical for avoiding major issues and ensuring safe, effective and reliable performance. At F.F. Hitchcock Plumbing, Heating & Cooling, our certified technicians have years of experience in standby generator maintenance and will make sure that every part of the system remains in good shape and works correctly.
Common Generator Problems in Cold Weather
Cold weather can present numerous challenges to a standby generator. Fuel gelling, components freezing or the battery draining and not having sufficient power to start the engine are all common problems you can encounter. Preseason maintenance and prompt repairs when a problem arises can help you avoid generator failure and other major issues. At F.F. Hitchcock Plumbing, Heating & Cooling, our expert home generator repair services can quickly overcome unexpected issues to restore safe, reliable performance.
The Cost of Skipping Maintenance
Scheduling professional standby generator maintenance every year comes at a small cost compared to what you may have to pay if you neglect your generator. Neglecting maintenance can lead to a generator working inefficiently and consuming much more fuel or developing issues that require expensive repairs or cause a total system failure. Not being able to rely on the generator to keep your heating system running is also a serious concern due to the risk of your pipes freezing, bursting and causing extensive flooding and water damage.
Upgrading or Replacing an Older Generator
Waiting too long to replace or upgrade your old generator carries an increased risk of it failing or not working effectively when you need it most. Modern generators are more efficient and more reliable and often have advanced features like smart monitoring that make it easy to catch any problems early on. Standby generators can potentially last for 20 to 30 years, depending on how much use they get. That said, any generator that’s 20+ years old is generally considered inefficient and outdated by today’s standards. If you’re dealing with problems like frequent breakdowns or reduced power capacity, it’s a sure sign that it’s time for an upgrade. At F.F. Hitchcock Plumbing, Heating & Cooling, our expert assessments and modern generator solutions ensure that you’ll get a unit that fully meets your energy needs and works efficiently.
The F.F. Hitchcock Plumbing, Heating & Cooling Advantage
We’re proud of the reputation we have in the community for providing dependable residential generator services and for keeping homes comfortable and powered year-round. Our expertise in winter power backup solutions, along with the other heating and electrical services we offer, makes us the company to trust for all of the most essential parts of your home.
Request Generator Inspection & Repair
Proper standby generator maintenance is key for avoiding issues and ensuring reliable performance all winter long. If you want to ensure you’re fully prepared for any winter outages, contact F.F. Hitchcock Plumbing, Heating & Cooling to schedule preseason maintenance or a generator inspection.
Frequently Asked Questions
