Prepare Your Standby Generator Before the Next Storm

What Ian and Milton showed

The numbers are public and they are the reason standby power stopped being a luxury in Lee, Collier and Charlotte counties.

The calendar that matters

Where you are in the season decides what to do. October still counts: Milton made landfall on October 9.

• Before June 1: annual maintenance for existing units; assessments and permits for new installations
• June to November: storm protocol below, fuel confirmed, monitoring alerts active
• December to May: post-season inspection after any long run, and the best window to install without the peak-season wait

Before the season: schedule the service visit

A standby generator that has been idle since last year needs a professional check before June. Battery, oil, filters, coolant, enclosure seals and the transfer switch are tested, and the weekly exercise cycle is confirmed. If the unit has not been serviced in over a year, book it in spring; schedules fill as the season approaches.

• Annual maintenance completed and documented
• Battery load-tested; replace if weak
• Propane tank level confirmed with your supplier, or natural gas service verified
• Remote monitoring active and alerts reaching the right people
• Vegetation cleared around the unit for airflow and service access

Planning a new generator? Start before a storm has a name

Installation is a project with a load assessment, permits, HOA review where applicable, a concrete pad, gas and electrical work and a final inspection. Most residential installations take one to three days once permits are approved, but the paperwork and scheduling take longer, and demand spikes once a system enters the Gulf. We do not promise installation ahead of an approaching storm; we do help you be ready for the next one.

When a storm approaches

In the days before a watch or warning, keep the steps simple and safe.

• Run the weekly self-test early and note any error code on the controller
• Confirm the generator is in AUTO and shows no active alarms
• Check propane level; top up if your supplier can still deliver
• Clear loose objects, furniture and debris that could strike the enclosure
• Never cover the unit with tarps or boards; it needs airflow to run
• Save the office number and your monitoring login where you can reach them offline
• If you evacuate, decide who has property access and authority to approve service
• Keep the clearances in the owner's manual around the unit, at least three feet on the service sides
• Confirm Mobile Link or your monitoring app is sending alerts to your phone

Monitoring and fuel planning during the outage

A standby generator runs as long as it has fuel and no fault. Natural gas usually keeps flowing; propane depends on tank size and load, so know your consumption. Remote monitoring shows runtime, fuel and fault codes from anywhere with a connection, but it cannot replace a service visit: confirm with us who watches alerts and how you authorize work. Do not open the enclosure during the storm.

After the storm

Extended operation brings the next service forward. Generac's manual calls for oil and filter changes every 100 hours in continuous hot-weather operation, and a multi-day outage can reach that quickly.

• Record total run hours from the controller
• Inspect the enclosure for debris, water intrusion or damage before the next exercise cycle
• Schedule an oil change and inspection after any run longer than a few days
• Report alarms, unusual noise or shutdowns to the office with the displayed code

Arrange a readiness review

Whether your generator was installed by Gen-Power or someone else, a pre-season readiness review covers the checklist above and documents the results. Call with your model, address and last service date, and we will confirm scope and scheduling.