If the power goes out due to a storm or blackout, your business could suffer thousands of dollars in lost productivity. To keep key machinery running during an outage, it’s helpful to have a back-up generator. However, since they’re not used daily, it is easy for generators to fall into disrepair. Follow the tips below for routine maintenance and you’ll be prepared.

How to Keep Your Business’s Back-Up Generator Functional

1. Create a Maintenance Plan

Running a business involves so many factors that it can make it hard to keep track of what needs maintenance when. To avoid neglecting critical upkeep, create a checklist for each generator you own. The unit should be run at least once a quarter to charge the starter and ensure it stays in proper working order. The checklist should also cover aspects such as fluid changes, battery upkeep, and professional inspections.

2. Have Back-Up Supplies Ready

During an extended power outage, you don’t want to discover that you only have enough gas or oil to run the generator for a few hours. A dedicated supply of fuel, coolant, and lubricant will ensure that you aren’t scrambling to obtain more before your production line has to shut down.

3. Back Up Your Back-Up

It might sound like excess, but have another back-up generator to support your first one. Even if one fails, the other can keep your machinery running until power is restored. If you’re balking at the price of an additional unit, consider how much you can produce in a single day, and consider the lost productivity of a total shutdown. The possibility of those lost profits makes a secondary back-up generator seem more reasonable.

If you don’t have a dedicated team to take care of generator upkeep, let the technicians at United Electric Motors help. For over two decades, this Anchorage, AK, company has offered expedient motor services to clients throughout the state. They can repair or install generators for homes and businesses alike, and they also service repair for boat and heating unit motors. To access their 24/7 hotline, call (907) 563-5232. Visit them online to learn more about their offerings.