A power outage is never fun, especially if it occurs in the dead of winter amidst below-freezing temperatures. When the power cuts out in extreme weather, you may not be able to stay in your home without risking the safety of your family. If you have relatives nearby, you might need to move in with them for a couple of days. If you don’t, you might be left to try to find a room at a nearby hotel. Either way, you’ll be spending a night in an unfamiliar environment until the power resumes and it is safe for you to return home.
You can avoid all of the churn and hassle if you have a standby generator to power your home until the normal supply of electricity resumes. Having a generator at home can be invaluable—especially during winter power outages. However, you need to make sure that your generator is winterized, which means that it is ready to be used in freezing weather if needed. Otherwise, you might have trouble revving up your generator in the cold weather.
You can ensure that your generator is ready for winter by using a premium fuel stabilizer for your fuel supply. You will need to run the generator’s engine for 10 minutes to allow the stabilized fuel to circulate.
You should also maintain a fresh supply of engine oil in the generator’s crankcase. You can do this by draining the oil and refilling the crankcase with new oil. It is also important to replace your oil filter.
Fogging oil is important for winterizing your generator. While the engine is running, spray premium fogging oil into the engine until it starts to smoke heavily. You can shut off the engine now that you have a layer of fogging oil to prevent condensation. The oil will also protect the engine’s steel. You will need to apply a thick layer of fogging oil to the spark plug’s hole, which you can do by first unplugging the spark plug.
Inspect all the screws and nuts of the generator, making sure that everything is tight. Check the generator for any damage or frayed parts and replace them when necessary. You can complete the process by inspecting the fasteners, fuel clamps, and electrical systems of your generator, ensuring that everything is appropriately secured.
Finally, if your generator uses a battery, make sure that the battery is not dead or dying. Consider purchasing a cold weather kit with a battery warmer to ensure that you will have the power you need when it’s time to start up your generator.
Winterizing your generator is the best assurance that you will have continuous power and heat in your house, even during a winter outage.
