With power outages becoming more frequent, standby generators are the solution for a growing number of home and business owners. Lloyd’s Electric Service’s Generator Division Head Sheila Lloyd was kind enough to take some time to answer a few questions about standby generators for us and to give some well earned praise to her skilled team of generator experts.

Question: What would you say is the most important thing to consider when shopping for a standby generator for the whole home?

Sheila Lloyd: It’s definitely to make sure that it is properly sized for the workload and installed correctly.

Q: What kinds of generator maintenance would you advise owners to handle themselves?

SL: None. Standby generators are very low maintenance for the homeowner. Have a professional perform maintenance once a year and remember to replace the battery every three years.

Q: What are signs that a generator might need a repair?

SL: A Generac generator has a motor just like a car and automatically does a weekly self-test. It’s generally good as long as the test cycle is running. But, if you hear the engine revving up and down or lights are dimming or flickering during outages you should probably have us come take a look.

Just like your car, proper maintenance will give you up to 20 years of quality life out of your standby Generac generator.

Q: What is the most common generator repair your team performs and why?

SL: Our most common jobs are annual maintenance and installations. We recommend a new battery every three years and often if the client declines we are there to replace the battery later.

Q: What’s something you always say when it comes to standby generators?

SL: Generac standby generators are low maintenance.  A portable generator is a lot more work than people realize. If the power goes out in a storm, you have to drag out the portable generator, run wires under the house and start it manually. And if the fuel has been sitting in the tank for say, a year, it might not even start. Clients often turn around and upgrade to a standby generator that turns on automatically in a blackout once they realize the hassles that can come with a portable generator.

Q: Great info. Anything you’d like to add?

SL: Well, I have four kids at home.  We have a Generac generator and it’s just nice to know that whether my husband is home or not, we’ll be able to continue life as usual in an outage. The generator will start up automatically so I can still cook dinner and take care of the kids – and with four, that’s really comforting to know. Also, with elderly family we might not be able to reach right away in severe conditions, knowing that they have a generator to keep them safe and warm gives us peace of mind.

But I really want to give credit to the wonderful techs in our generator division. I’m so proud to work with these people. I’m usually in the office, but they are the ones out there every day working with clients. All my guys are factory-trained which means they are true professionals dedicated to doing quality work that they know our customers can rely on in an emergency.

They take pride in providing exceptional service to each and every one of our clients. It’s a turnkey operation. They are equipped to handle every aspect of generator maintenance and installation from wiring and plumbing to any necessary building codes and permits – and they always do a great job.

Q: Thanks for your time, Sheila Lloyd!

For more information on standby generators or to schedule a free assessment, contact Lloyd’s Electric Service, Inc. today.