Winter Protection for Your Home’s Standby Generator

During the colder months, homeowners with automatic standby generators need to make sure their unit is ready to start working when there is a power outage. If scheduled maintenance is not performed, there is a greater likelihood a generator will have problems.

Having a standby generator ready to go during winter will help protect your home from frozen pipes and your family from freezing weather thereby keeping your family warm when the weather is bitter cold.

Below are maintenance tips that will prepare your standby generator for very low temperatures so it will be ready for operation when winter storms arrive.

Adequate Clearance

Snow that piles up around and on top of your standby generator should be cleared off. There should always be a minimum five foot clearance around the unit. This helps the generator from overheating while it’s running. It is also a preventative measure to keep ice from forming on the enclosure as well as crucial internal parts.

Correct Oil Usage

Built to function in every climate, automatic standby generators will be highly reliable with regularly scheduled proper maintenance. One key requirement is making sure the unit is supplied with fresh oil.

New generators should use standard SAE 30 throughout its break-in period. However, 5W-30 synthetic oil should be selected when temperatures drop below freezing (32°F) on a consistent basis. It is advisable to transition immediately to 5W-30 synthetic oil after the unit’s break-in period.

Kit for Cold Weather

On top of using the proper oil for the area’s climate, the installation of a cold weather kit is recommended when temperatures typically drop beneath freezing. A cold weather kit will include an oil crankcase heater and thermostatically controlled battery pad warmer. Both will help ensure there will be easy starting of a Kohler air-cooled automatic standby generator whenever there is a power outage during the cold winter months.

Electrical Services You Can Trust

Meyer Electrical Services is an authorized Kohler and KOHLER Sales &
Service Dealer serving Maryland, Virginia, and D.C. We provide custom standby generator installations and are trained and licensed to perform the regularly required important factory service and maintenance. Receive a free consultation today by calling (301) 941-1400.