Being prepared with a generator is the first step a business can take to be prepared for hurricane season but keeping that generator in running condition is equally as important.  

Not unlike many businesses, there are those who will buy a standby generator when setting up shop or after an experience that put them out of power when they needed it. Although this is a huge step, this is only part of the process to ensure your business is prepared for the upcoming hurricane season.  

Most of these businesses will feel the sense of security from purchasing a standby generator, but what if that generator isn’t used for 6 months? That’s the common mistake most businesses are making when protecting their facilities from power loss. One of the most important parts of protecting the power supply at your business is more than simply owning a standby generator. Keeping that generator in running condition is equally as important. Some companies will purchase a generator but may not use it for a year if they are lucky to avoid outages and severe weather. 

Even when you aren’t using your generator whether it’s in storage or on standby for hurricane season, it still needs to be serviced to keep it in running condition. When generators aren’t being used, businesses tend to not service generators when they are out of sight and out of mind. Proper maintenance procedures should always be in place for generators even when not being used to keep them ready to run whenever needed. 

If your facility’s generator has been lightly used but sitting idle for some time now, there should be a few things that should be done to get it running at optimal conditions. The first steps to take are changing the filters in your generator in case filters are beginning to break down. Faulty or broken-down filters could destroy your generator’s fuel pump. Next, you should have your generator’s fuel storage tanks tested for microbial growth in the tanks. Fuel polishing treatments or purchasing a fuel polishing unit is recommended for your generator to remove the bacteria and fungi in the fuel storage tanks. These few steps will get your generator ready to run again but keeping your generator ready to perform is also equally important. 

A preventative maintenance plan should be implemented to keep your facility’s generator ready to go at any moment during hurricane season. Regular load bank testing will ensure that your generator is ready to run at optimal levels of performance by simulating actual running loads necessary for powering your facility. It’s a great proactive measure to keep exercising your generator. Regular fuel polishing also exercises your generator, keeping fuel fresh and free of bacteria and fungi build-up in fuel storage tanks. 

The 2020 hurricane season is nearing, and it will arrive at a unique moment in time. While the global COVID-19 pandemic has kept many Americans at home, sheltering in place, an above-average hurricane season has been predicted by researchers at AccuWeather. Meteorologists predict 16 named storms during the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs between June 1 and November 30.  

Now more than ever, it is important that your business takes action to prepare for hurricane season with a preventative maintenance plan for your standby generator. Contact the generator experts at Total Energy Solutions to learn more about preventative maintenance plans and procedures.