Generator Info - Maintenance
It's important to perform regular maintenance to ensure maximum performance of your portable generator.
Be sure to check your owner's manual and follow the procedures and service intervals for your specific model, including:

• Checking and changing the oil
• Cleaning the spark arrestor screen
• Replacing the air filter
• Replacing the spark plug

In addition to performing the regular maintenance above, here are a few more tips to keep your generator running smoothly.

In an emergency, portable generators can provide critical backup power.
Portable generators are not designed to power your central heating or cooling system or other items that draw a substantial amount of power in your home. But, they are ideal to run critical items, such as lights or a refrigerator in time of need.

• Store the generator in a location where the equipment won't be exposed to excessive dust, dirt, moisture, or corrosive vapors.
• Clean it periodically with a damp cloth or soft bristle brush.
• Don't hose the generator down with water.
• When storing the unit for more than 30 days, empty the fuel or add a fuel stabilizer to the tank and run it through the system.
• If the generator has an electric start, keep the battery charged during long storage.

In South Florida, especially after Hurricane Irma, it is vitally important to make sure your generator is ready to perform in a moment's notice.

Maintaining your generator is as easy as calling our Service Department. We can perform all the maintenance requirements, perform a load test to insure you will have emergency power when you and your family need it most.

Take the "emergency" out of emergency power. Don't leave your family in the dark.

Be prepared before the next approaching storm.

Generator Info - Know the Capacity and Limits of your Generator
It's important to make sure to know the limits of what your generator can power, and also the proper, safe use of your generator.

First, read your Generator's Owner's Manual cover to cover. Know your generator's powering capacity. Every generator lists two capacity ratings. The first is "rated" or "continuous" watts. That's the maximum power the generator will put out on an extended basis. And it's the only rating you should rely on. The higher "maximum" or "starting" rating refers to how much extra power the generator can put out for a few seconds when an electric motor-like the one in your refrigerator starts up.

Most new generators need their first oil change after just 25 hours of operation. Beyond that, it is recommended to change the oil every 50 or 60 hours. Very Important - Review your owner's operation manual for the service intervals of your specific model. With Hurricane Irma, many neighborhoods throughout South Florida were without power from a few days to a few weeks. We all hope that doesn't happen again, but it is always best to be prepared. We recommend you store up enough oil and factory filters to last a few days, at the very least. Running around town searching for the right oil and filter is the last thing you want to be doing right after a hurricane hits.

Some generators are loud, so most people park them as far away from the house as possible. Be considerate of your neighbors, though. Honda® EU Generator models are known for being whisper quiet, so when making a decision on purchasing a generator, keep in mind the noise or decibel output rating (db) on the unit you wish to purchase.

In getting power into your home, invest in heavy-duty 12-gauge cords, and limit the run to 100 ft. Lighter cords or longer runs mean more voltage drop, which in simple terms means decreased voltage which could cause premature appliance motor burnout.

And stating the obvious, DO NOT run your generator inside of any dwelling, including not on the back patio of an apartment or home, or in a garage or carport. The engine that runs a generator is an internal combustion engine which produces carbon monoxide, which is a deadly poison if a person is exposed too much. Carbon Monoxide binds to the hemoglobin in the blood and won't let go. Hemoglobin is what distributes oxygen around the body. Getting Carbon Monoxide poisoning is like putting a plastic bag over your head that has a few small holes in it. Eventually the body can't get enough oxygen.

Another safety hazard with the indoor use of internal combustion engines - Gasoline. Gasoline is hazardous especially if it's unburned vapors mix with air in the correct ratio. Just by turning on a lamp sitch, which always causes a small internal spark within the switch could be a deadly ignition source and possibly cause a house to blow up.

Play it safe. Only operated your portable generator from outdoors.