Picture a Tuesday evening in late July. The sky over Augusta Township turns that greenish grey that every rural homeowner has learned to take seriously, and twenty minutes later the power is out. The kids are asking about the fridge, the sump pump has gone quiet, and out back, the generator that has sat untouched since last November clicks, hums for a second, and stalls. That moment, standing in the driveway in the rain trying to figure out why the one piece of equipment bought specifically for this situation will not turn over, is more common across Eastern Ontario than most people realize. A generator is only as reliable as the maintenance behind it, and summer storm season has a way of exposing the units that got skipped over during a busy spring. The good news is that most of these failures are preventable, and they usually show warning signs weeks or months before the storm that matters.
Why Do Backup Generators Fail Right When a Storm Hits?
Generators tend to fail at the worst possible moment because they spend most of the year sitting idle, and idle engines develop problems that only show up under load. Fuel can degrade in the tank over several months, especially with older gasoline units, leaving behind a gummy residue that clogs the carburetor. Batteries that start the unit lose charge slowly over winter and spring, so by the time a July storm rolls through, there is not quite enough voltage left to crank the engine. Rodents and insects find their way into outdoor housings during the quiet months and chew through wiring or nest near air intakes. None of these problems are dramatic on their own, but stacked together, they explain why a generator that worked fine last fall can refuse to start the moment it is finally needed. We see this pattern every storm season on farms and rural properties around Prescott, Brockville, and Leeds & Grenville, where generators sit further from the house and get checked less often simply because life gets busy.
How Often Should a Home Generator Be Serviced?
A home standby generator should be professionally serviced once a year, and the manufacturer’s recommendation for most Generac units is roughly every 100 hours of run time or every 12 months, whichever comes first. For a generator that only runs during outages and a monthly self-test cycle, that usually works out to an annual visit timed for spring, before storm season builds and before the unit gets called into real service. An annual visit typically covers an oil and filter change, spark plug inspection, battery testing, air filter cleaning or replacement, and a check of the fuel system and transfer switch. Portable gasoline generators used only occasionally still need attention at least once a year, even if they see far fewer hours, because fuel breakdown and battery drain happen on a calendar, not just a usage counter. Homeowners who lean on a generator for a farm operation, a well pump, or medical equipment should consider a mid-year check as well, simply because the cost of a missed service is higher than for a household running only lights and a fridge.
Signs Your Generator Needs Attention Now
A handful of warning signs tend to show up before a full failure, and catching them early is the difference between a routine appointment and an emergency call during a blackout. Listen for the unit struggling to start during its automatic monthly self-test, taking two or three attempts instead of firing on the first try. Watch for visible corrosion on the battery terminals, a smell of stale fuel near the tank, or oil that looks dark and gritty rather than clear amber. A generator that runs rough, surges, or trips its own breaker under a moderate load is telling you something is off internally, not just cosmetically. Anyone who has noticed the unit skip its scheduled self-test entirely, or display an error code on the control panel, should treat that as a same-week call rather than something to get to eventually. These signs rarely appear all at once, which is exactly why an annual inspection catches problems that a homeowner glancing at the unit from the driveway would miss.
Can You Maintain a Generator Yourself, or Should You Call a Professional?
There is a reasonable middle ground here. Homeowners can and should handle basic upkeep themselves between professional visits: keeping the area around the unit clear of grass, leaves, and snow, checking that the monthly self-test is actually running, and glancing at the oil level and battery connections a few times a year. What gets riskier to DIY is anything involving the transfer switch, the electrical connections between the generator and the home’s panel, or diagnosing why a unit won’t start at all. A transfer switch that is wired or adjusted incorrectly can create a backfeed situation that is dangerous not just for the homeowner but for line workers trying to restore power on the street, which is one of the more serious and underappreciated risks in DIY generator work. For anything beyond the basic visual checks, an electrician familiar with standby generators, including annual servicing, load bank testing, and transfer switch inspection, is worth the visit. As an authorized Generac dealer, our team handles this kind of work regularly across Eastern Ontario and knows the specific failure points that show up in this climate, from humidity affecting control boards to winter condensation settling into fuel lines.
What a Professional Generator Maintenance Visit Includes
A typical professional visit runs 45 minutes to an hour and covers the mechanical, electrical, and structural sides of the unit in sequence. That means an oil and filter change, spark plug and air filter inspection, battery load testing, a check of all electrical connections for corrosion or looseness, a test of the transfer switch under simulated outage conditions, and a full run cycle under load to confirm the unit performs the way it is supposed to when the power actually goes out. Technicians also check the exterior housing for pest intrusion, clear debris from air intakes, and confirm the unit is level and properly vented, since a generator that has settled unevenly over a season can develop stress on internal components that would otherwise go unnoticed.
What Does Generator Maintenance Cost in Eastern Ontario?
Annual generator maintenance for a residential standby unit in this region typically runs between 200 and 400 dollars, depending on the size of the unit and whether any parts like a battery or air filter need replacing during the visit. That range covers a straightforward service call; if a technician finds a failing battery, corroded wiring, or a transfer switch issue during the inspection, repair costs are additional but are still almost always cheaper and less disruptive than dealing with a full failure during an actual outage. Compared to the cost of spoiled food, a flooded basement from a dead sump pump, or a farm losing power to equipment mid-operation, the annual service fee is a small number to protect against a much larger one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How often should a home standby generator be serviced?
A: Once a year for most residential units, or every 100 hours of run time, whichever comes first. Spring is the ideal time to book this, so the unit is ready before storm season and heavy summer electrical demand set in.
Q: What are the signs my generator needs maintenance?
A: Struggling to start during the monthly self-test, corrosion on battery terminals, a stale fuel smell, dark or gritty oil, and rough running or surging under load are the most common early warning signs. Any of these on their own is worth a call before the next storm.
Q: Why won’t my generator start during a power outage?
A: The most common causes are a degraded fuel supply, a weak or dead starting battery, or a clogged carburetor from fuel sitting unused for months. These are all preventable with an annual service visit rather than discovering them mid-outage.
Q: How much does generator maintenance cost in Ontario?
A: A standard annual maintenance visit typically runs 200 to 400 dollars for a residential unit, with any needed parts like batteries or filters added on top. This is significantly less than the cost of a failure during an actual outage.
Q: Can I maintain my generator myself, or do I need a professional?
A: Basic upkeep like clearing debris and checking that self-tests are running is fine to handle yourself. Anything involving the transfer switch, wiring, or a unit that won’t start should go to a licensed electrician familiar with standby generators.
Conclusion
A generator sitting quietly in the yard feels like insurance you never have to think about, right up until the moment a storm rolls through and it doesn’t start. The fix isn’t complicated. It’s a once-a-year appointment, ideally booked before the summer storm season gets going, that catches the small problems before they become the reason your family or your farm loses power at the worst possible time. If it has been more than a year since your unit was serviced, or if you’ve noticed it struggling during its self-test, now is a good time to get it looked at. Beattie Dukelow Electrical services standby and portable generators across Eastern Ontario, from Prescott and Brockville out to the rural properties and farms in Leeds & Grenville, and we’re glad to help make sure yours is ready before the next storm finds out first.