Generator Maintenance and Transfer Switches
SPARKWISE ELECTRICAL INC
A Generator Is Only as Good as Its Last Service
A standby generator sits outside for fifty-one weeks a year doing nothing, then has to start first time on the one night the ice storm takes the lines down. It will, if somebody has changed the oil, checked the battery and run it under load since last year. It very often will not if nobody has.
That is the whole case for an annual service. Not because the generator is fragile, but because a machine that idles for months needs its oil, its filters and its battery looked at before it is asked to carry a house.
Generator installations include the first year of maintenance at no charge. This page is about the years after that, and about the other half of the picture: the homeowner with a portable generator and no safe way to connect it.
SPARKWISE ELECTRICAL INC
What an Annual Service Covers
Engine oil and oil filter changed, air filter changed, spark plugs replaced, the battery load-tested and the terminals cleaned, the transfer switch tested under real load with the house on the generator, the weekly exercise cycle verified, the controller read for fault codes, and the enclosure, intake and exhaust cleared of nests and debris. You get a written report of what was done, what was found and when the next service is due.
Sparkwise Electrical Inc
Portable Generators, Done Safely
A portable generator can feed the house safely through a listed interlock kit or a manual transfer switch at the panel, with a generator inlet box on the outside wall. It cannot be fed safely through a dryer outlet with a two-ended cord, run in the garage, or connected with no interlock at all. We fit the interlock or the switch, the inlet box and the ground rod, and we walk you through starting it and choosing which circuits to run.
Sparkwise Electrical Inc
How the Service Visit Goes
01
Oil, filters, plugs: Engine oil and filter changed, air filter changed, spark plugs replaced. The parts the manufacturer says to change annually, changed annually.
02
Battery tested and terminals cleaned: The single most common reason a standby generator does not start is a flat battery. We test it under load, not just with a meter.
03
Run under real load: We transfer the house onto the generator and run it, so the transfer switch, the generator and the house are tested together, not separately.
04
Exercise cycle and controller checked: The weekly self-test set correctly, the controller read for fault codes, the enclosure checked for nests and debris.
05
Written report: What was done, what was found, what to watch for, and when the next service is due.
Annual Service Includes:
Engine oil and oil filter change
Air filter replacement
Spark plug replacement
Battery load test and terminal service
Transfer switch tested under load
Exercise cycle verified
Controller fault codes read and cleared
Enclosure, intake and exhaust cleared
Written report
Transfer Switches and Interlocks:
Automatic transfer switches for standby generators
Manual transfer switches for portable generators
Listed interlock kits fitted to the main panel
Generator inlet boxes on the exterior wall
Generator-ready circuits and subpanels
Load management for smaller generators
Never Do This:
Plugging a generator into a dryer outlet with a two-ended cord
Running a portable generator in the garage
Feeding the panel with no interlock and no transfer switch
Skipping the ground rod on a portable setup
Storing fuel next to the generator
Why People Call Us:
The generator did not start in the last outage
First free year is up and it has not been serviced since
A portable generator and no safe way to connect it
Moved into a house with a generator and no paperwork
The transfer switch hums or chatters
Fault code on the controller nobody can read
Sparkwise Electrical Inc
Frequently Asked Questions
How often does a standby generator need servicing?
Once a year, or after every 200 hours of running, whichever comes first. After a long outage it is worth a look regardless.
Can you service a generator you did not install?
Yes, any of the common residential brands.
I have a portable generator. What is the safe way to connect it?
An interlock kit or a manual transfer switch at the panel, with an inlet box outside. Never a cord into a wall outlet.
What is the difference between an interlock and a transfer switch?
An interlock is a mechanical plate on your existing panel that stops the main and the generator breaker being on at the same time. A transfer switch is a separate box. Both are safe; the panel decides which fits.
Is the first year really free?
On generators we install, yes. It is part of the price.
SPARKWISE ELECTRICAL INC
What It Costs
The annual standby generator service runs $250 to $350, depending on the size of the unit. Manual transfer switches and interlock kits for portable generators are quoted after we look at the panel, because the panel decides which is the right one. These figures are estimates from jobs we have done, and the exact price for your house comes from a free on-site estimate, in writing, before any work starts.
Generator installations include the first year of maintenance at no charge. From year two the annual service is included in Home Plan Plus, which is $389 a year and covers the yearly safety check as well.
Book a Generator Service
Tell us the make and size of the generator and when it was last serviced, or send a photo of the panel if you want a portable connected safely. Call or text (984) 233-3519 or email admin@raleighncelectrician.com. We answer from 5:00 AM to 10:00 PM, seven days a week. Free estimates on quoted work, and the work carries our lifetime warranty on labor and workmanship, plus up to 15 years on materials. Rated 5.0 on Google and BBB accredited.
