How often should a standby generator be serviced?

Short answer: once a year, or after any long run — whichever comes first. A standby generator is a small engine that lives outside year-round and has one job: start instantly after months of doing nothing. Maintenance is what makes that trick work.

Doesn't it maintain itself? It runs every week.

The weekly exercise cycle keeps parts lubricated and proves the unit starts — it's a self-test, not a service. It doesn't change oil, doesn't renew filters, and doesn't catch a battery that's one cold snap from dead.

What annual service covers

• Oil and filter — small engines are hard on oil, and a storm run on degraded oil is how engines shorten their own lives.
• Air filter and spark plugs — a smooth start under load depends on them.
• Battery test — the most common no-start cause. Tested under load, replaced on age, not on hope.
• Transfer switch check — the switch is half the system; it gets inspected and exercised too.
• Run and inspect under load — leaks, corrosion, rodent damage, loose connections, error history from the controller.

What skipping it costs

The failure you'll actually notice happens mid-outage — which is the most expensive possible time to learn the battery was weak. And beyond breakdowns, most manufacturer warranties expect documented maintenance; a service record protects the warranty as much as the machine.

Our customers don't track any of this — we log every unit's service history and the app reminds them (and us) when a unit is coming due. That's the whole point: the generator's job is starting; ours is making sure it can.