Do You Have a Generator Winter Readiness Plan?
A whole-house propane generator is a great safeguard in the cold Connecticut winter months, when a power failure can have catastrophic consequences for your home and family.
But it’s only great if it operates when you need it most.
To make sure it does, it pays to have a Generator Readiness Plan that includes three components:
- Pre-season and pre-event preparation
- Severe winter weather response
- Post- winter event record keeping and maintenance
- Pre-season and pre-event preparation
- Study – Review your generator’s operating instructions; don’t wait until the day before the storm to get to know your equipment!
- Maintain your system – Your standby generator should be ready to go at a moment’s notice coming into the winter season. Invest in a generator service plan before you need to rely on it to protect your family.
- Operate your system – Run your propane standby generator immediately before a severe winter weather event to make sure everything is in working order and that you have enough gas to last as long as you need. It’s also important to occasionally run your generator during the cold weather months, for the same reason you’d start your car if it was sitting in the driveway for that long. Run it for about 10 minutes once every week or two during long periods of inactivity in cold temperatures – it will help to lubricate moving parts and maintain important seals.
- Develop a “Plan B” – Know what you will do if your generator does not start.
- During severe winter weather
- Keep a clear path to the generator – Make sure technicians can access your generator in case it has operating problems or needs refueling.
- Monitor and document generator operation – Monitor how your generator is working, and record when and for how long it runs, along with any problems or repairs that occur.
- Post-winter event record keeping and maintenance
- Review your Plan – After the storm, and again when winter ends, review what worked and what didn’t work with your Plan, making changes as needed.
- Maintain your system – Be ready for the summer weather before it arrives with its own challenges!
Contact Casey Energy today If you need whole-house generator maintenance – or if you’re considering a new whole-house generator for your Connecticut home!