Old man winter has one foot out the door and spring is in the air. The long-awaited sunshine has inspired many homeowners to begin making their spring cleaning to-do list. Opened garage doors and more traffic at the home improvement stores signal that some do-it-yourself projects are on the list. However, some projects should be left to a professional – namely generator maintenance.

There are many reasons to own a generator. For some, it means having peace of mind that the heat will still come on if there is a power outage. And, for others it means that their O2 tank will still work during a storm. Regardless of the reason that you own a generator, you want to make sure that it works properly when you need it – after all, your generator is your back up plan and if you back up plan fails you could be in real trouble.

Here are some steps that you can follow to maintain your generator:

• Schedule a service appointment. Early spring is the perfect time to have your generator serviced because it is after the severe weather of the winter and before the heat waves of the summer. Even if you haven’t used your generator in a while, it still needs to be serviced. If it has been sitting for any length of time without being used it could have corrosion or leaks that you don’t know about.
• When not in use store your generator indoors, preferably in a garage or shed where it is protected from the elements. If your generator is stored outdoors it could easily become home to a small nesting animal or, get rusted from rain and snow. You need your generator to work at a given notice, so take the time to make sure it is protected from damage when you don’t need it.
• Check the oil and the gas levels periodically. Just like your car, your generator is a complex piece of mechanical equipment and need fuel and lubrication. It can be easy to forget about your generator when you are using it because you are so used to not needing it. However, keeping the fluid levels maintained during use will ensure the unit does not breakdown and leave you without any power.

Generators are a great thing to have as a back-up source of power. During heavy rain and wind it is not uncommon for several thousand customers to lose power for hours. If you do have a generator, make sure to follow these simple tips to make sure that it stays in top working condition year around.