During Hurricane Florence I told you to Prepare for the Hurricane, and showed you FEMA’s guide to getting yourself ready for a major storm. Today I’m bringing you more information, this time from generator builder, Kohler Power Systems. In an email to generator owners, Kohler wrote:
If you are potentially affected by Hurricane Michael, please review our best hurricane preparedness tips for your generator:
- All internal combustion engines consume oil, so it is important to check the engine oil every 8 hours of continued operation.
Instructions:
– Open the output breaker
– Turn off the generator
– Add additional oil as needed to maintain the proper oil level
– Restart the generator by placing it in “Auto” mode
– Close the output breaker- Make sure that the battery is operational and charged by running an additional exercise. The procedure to run a manual exercise can be found in your owner’s manual.
- Do not overload the generator with non-essential power. Turn off all non-essential loads at the home circuit breaker.
- Close and lock your generator’s lid when not checking the oil.
For more information, please see our frequently asked questions at http://www.kohlerpower.com/home/faq/index.html
This information is good for owners of any brand of generator. If you are even marginally concerned about the reliability of your generator, I encourage you to go through the steps recommended by Kohler immediately. It could be too late once the storm has hit. Don’t let inertia hold you back, preparation happens before a disaster, reaction happens afterward. You get to choose between the two. Stay safe.
Originally posted on October 10, 2018.
