Standby Generator Preventive Maintenance Service at Hunter & Lomison

Generators require maintenance. A generator that hasn’t been properly maintained and inspected annually will often become not much more than a lawn ornament when the power goes out. People purchase and install generators for a wide variety of reasons, but it’s probably safe to say that “decoration” is not one of those reasons. They want it to work when they lose power! Scheduled preventive maintenance from Hunter & Lomison is an economically sound choice to make for several different reasons. The comprehensive inspection allows our technicians to spot any areas that may need attention and/or adjustment, such as voltage or frequency (speed) that may be just slightly out of adjustment but is crucial to proper system operation. While the generator itself exercises weekly (or if it doesn’t, we can take care of that, too, while on site), it doesn’t generally exercise under load, which means that the automatic transfer switch is not being used and the contacts can become dirty. We test your system using the switch and if there is a problem we can clean the contacts and/or work the switch manually until it is performing correctly. Think of the difference between a window that is opened and closed regularly and a window that has remained closed for a couple of years; the latter will not be as easily opened and closed as the former but will become so the more it is worked. The technician will alert the customer to any potential problems – such as a battery that has become too old to be reliable – and the steps to take to ensure the system is ready to produce power when you need it. No repairs will be performed without the consent of the customer and a quote is always quickly available so that the decision can be made while the technician is on site. Hunter & Lomison makes every attempt to schedule preventive maintenance with other customers in the area so that travel expenses are shared and thus minimized for the individual customer. Unfortunately that is not usually possible for emergency service calls, many of which can be prevented with scheduled preventive maintenance.

• Change oil and oil filter
• Change spark plug(s) – copper type
• Change points and condenser (if applicable)
• Check air filter – replace as needed
• Check coolant level and condition (if applicable), including freeze point
• Check battery voltage and battery charge rate
• Check block heater (if applicable)
• Check lights and alarms
• Check voltage and frequency, adjust as necessary