A whole-home standby generator is almost a must for residents of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. When hurricane season rolls around, we depend on our generators to keep the lights on and the air conditioner running during a power outage.
But if you want your generator to take care of you, then you need to dedicate some time to taking care of it as well. Probably the most important thing you can do — besides scheduling yearly generator maintenance with a trained professional — is give your generator an oil change.
Whole-home standby generators have a lot of moving parts that need to stay lubricated in order to function correctly. When your generator is working hard, it goes through a lot of oil. But how often should you change the oil in your generator? And how can you check the oil levels in a generator? We cover all this and more below.
How Often Should You Change the Oil in Your Generator?
Experts recommend doing a full oil change every 50 to 200 hours of operation. If your generator has been running every day or over an extended period of time, change the oil more often — as in every 50-100 hours. If you rarely use it, you can wait longer to change the oil, but always check the oil level. Check the oil level in your generator regularly.
The make and model of your whole-home standby generator will also impact how often the oil needs to be changed. You can consult the owner’s manual for a more accurate range of time. Usually, new state-of-the-art models require fewer oil changes because they burn cleaner than older models.
Another factor that influences how often you should change the oil in your generator is the area where you live. Dusty environments can contaminate the oil, and you don’t want to be running your generator on ‘dirty’ oil. Consider increasing the frequency of your oil changes in this case.
If you have a brand new whole-home standby generator, manufacturers recommend doing the first oil change after just 25 hours. This is to ensure your system isn’t affected by any contaminants from manufacturing or shipping.
What Kind of Oil Does a Generator Take?
The type of oil your generator runs on will have a huge impact on its performance. For best results, use the recommended oil found in your owner’s manual. However, generally speaking, a good quality synthetic 5W-30 oil is usually suitable for most standby generators.
How to Check Oil Levels in a Generator
The easiest way to ensure you’re changing your generator’s oil as often as necessary is by doing a visual inspection. Here’s how to check the oil levels in a generator:
- If your standby generator is under load, first turn off the home’s electricity at the transfer switch or main circuit breaker. Then, turn off the generator itself. Wait 10-15 minutes for the engine to cool down.
- Inside the generator housing, locate the oil tank.
- Remove the dipstick.
- Gently wipe off the excess oil on the dipstick with a cloth.
- Fully insert the dipstick back into the oil tank.
- Remove the dipstick once again.
- Visually inspect where the oil level sits between the MAX and MIN lines on the dipstick.
- If the oil level is low, add more oil.
Part of maintaining your generator is checking the oil regularly and refilling as needed. This protects the engine from burning out, so you and your family can rely on your generator for years to come.
Turn to Keefe’s for Standby Generator Services
Not sure how to perform routine maintenance on your generator? Call Keefe’s! Our team can answer all your questions and guide you through how to check the oil levels in your generator. Better yet, sign up for our generator maintenance plan! For a low yearly fee, we’ll make sure your generator is in tip-top shape for hurricane season and beyond.
