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Plan on professional maintenance once a year. In between visits, follow the owner’s manual for oil changes, air-filter swaps, spark-plug checks, and battery tests. Drain gasoline if the unit will sit for months, and run the generator briefly every few weeks to keep parts lubricated. At the first sign of trouble, book a repair visit so minor issues don’t spiral into major damage.

With regular service, a quality standby generator can run for 30 to 50 years—or roughly 3,000 hours of standby power. Limit any single run to 500 hours or less to avoid excess wear. Pairing the unit with an extended warranty and sticking to yearly maintenance protects performance and keeps your investment working when you need it most.

A whole-house generator delivers reliable power, keeps critical systems online, and can raise resale value. It’s a smart add-on if you work from home, experience frequent outages, store perishables, use medical devices, or rely on a sump pump. During a blackout, the unit switches on automatically so you stay comfortable, productive, and safe.