Generator maintenance before fall storms

A portable generator has the worst job in the garage. It sits in a corner for most of the year, and the one night it is needed is the night the power is out, it is dark, it is raining, and nobody wants to be out there pulling a cord.

That is exactly why fall is the time to look at it. Storm season in northwest Indiana runs from the first big fall front through the ice of late winter. A generator that gets an hour of attention in October will start in the storm. One that does not, usually will not.

Why it will not start

Same reason as every other small engine that sits: the gas. Fuel that has been in the carburetor bowl since the last outage turns into varnish. The jet clogs, the float sticks, and the engine either will not fire or floods. A generator that starts on the first pull in spring can be dead by fall from nothing but sitting full of old gas.

The second reason is oil. Most portable generators have a low-oil shutdown. If the oil is low, or the generator is sitting on a tilt, the sensor thinks the oil is low, and the engine refuses to start. It is protecting itself. Check the oil and set it level before you pull.

What to do in the fall

Fresh fuel. Drain the old gas, or treat it and run it through if it is not too far gone. Put fresh fuel in and, if you are going to store it again, put stabilizer in with it.

Check the oil. Top it off or change it. Clean oil is cheap and a seized engine is not.

Start it and let it warm up. Then plug something into it. A generator that idles fine in the driveway and drops out the second the refrigerator kicks on has a problem you will only find under load. A space heater or a shop vac is enough to test it.

Look at the outlets and the breakers. Push the breakers to make sure they have not tripped. Look at the outlets for melted plastic or corrosion.

Check the cord you plan to use. A generator is only as good as the cord that reaches the house.

What we do on the bench

A generator tune-up and storage prep covers the engine and the electrical side. Carburetor cleaned or rebuilt, fresh plug and air filter, oil changed, fuel line and shutoff valve checked, fresh or treated fuel. Then we run it under load and check output at the outlets, the breakers and the voltage selector. If it stalls when a load comes on, we chase that down before it goes back to you.

Every machine gets a tag number. We diagnose it, put the price on the tag, and call you before doing any work.

Storing it ready

Fuel treated or drained, oil fresh, stored dry and level, cord coiled next to it. Then start it every so often and let it run under a small load. A generator that runs once a month is a generator that runs in the storm.

Want it ready before the next outage? Book a drop-off online, or call or text (219) 781-3814.