How to Winterize Your Generator

As temperatures continue to drop and grow colder, you'll want to be sure you know how to winterize your generator, whether it's a portable or standby model. If you live in a colder area or have experienced freezing temperatures before, you know that there is nothing worse than having a power outage in the thick of winter. That’s why it’s very important to make sure that your standby or backup generator is ready and prepared for cold weather and can start without issues. No one wants to be stuck in freezing temperature without power or heat, so let’s look at some ways that you can help winterize your generator and stay warm.

Winterize Your Portable Generator

Storage

Diesel: If you don’t plan on using your portable generator throughout the winter, there are steps that you need to take to properly store it. These steps are dependent, however, on whether the generator or engine runs on diesel or gasoline fuel. Let’s talk about storing diesel generators or engines first. The number one thing to consider when storing a diesel engine or generator is the actual diesel fuel. In cold temperatures, diesel fuel can form a kind of gel, because it has Paraffin in it, which is a type of wax to help with lubrication. As the temperature drops, this wax begins to cause the diesel fuel to become like gel. You can use a CFI (cold flow improver) to help your diesel fuel from gelling – just make sure you don’t use too much CFI as overuse can hinder or inhibit the fuel’s performance. Another option to help prevent your fuel from gelling is to use a diesel fuel designed specifically for cold temperatures. These types of fuel are more capable of handling the cold, and don’t gel.

The next thing to do to avoid problems when winterizing your diesel generator or engine is to drain the water separator and replace the filters. If any water gets in the engine, it can cause problems, but any water getting in and freezing because of the cold temperature can become an even bigger issue. To avoid this, replace the water absorbing filters before storing the engine, and make sure to drain the water separator.

Make sure you are also checking for any regular problems that can occur in an engine or generator, such as radiator leaks, cracked belts, or plugged hoses. Also make sure to check the antifreeze coolant levels to help you avoid any extra problems. Your engine or generator’s battery (if you have an electric start unit) should be up to date with clean battery terminals, as the cold can drain a battery very quickly. If any of the equipment is being stored, make sure that the battery ground cables are disconnected so that they don’t get drained by the cold weather. If the battery is to remain connected, you may want to look into getting a trickle charger which will ensure that your battery is charged when it’s time to start your generator.

The final thing to do to winterize and store your diesel generator is to check the exterior. There are several things that you can do to keep the exterior clean and safe, such as removing any dust, dirt, or residue. After cleaning, you should grease any unpainted metal parts to protect them from the weather. You can also use a wax that will keep off snow, salt, and road chemicals. Savvy generator owners will keep a ready supply of spray that helps prevent rust and erosion through the colder months.

Gasoline: If you have a non-diesel fuel engine or generator that you plan on storing, follow these steps to ensure that your equipment isn’t damaged over the winter.

First, use a premium fuel stabilizer on the engine or generator’s fuel supply. A stabilizer helps to ensure that nothing goes wrong with the gasoline, and that it continues to work well in the cold weather.

The next step is to drain the oil from the crankcase. The crankcase on an engine or generator is the housing for the engine’s crankshaft and is usually the largest cavity in the engine. After you drain any and all oil from the crankcase, refill it with new oil and replace the oil filter. This step ensures that the old oil doesn’t cause an issue for your generator during the winter months.

The next thing to do is spray what is called fogging oil into the engine of the generator while it’s running until you start to see heavy smoke. When this happens, shut off the engine/generator. The purpose of fogging oil is to prevent condensation from forming anywhere on the engine, which can cause damage. Fogging oil also minimizes moisture damage to the steel of the engine, and prevents the engine or generator from gathering moisture and getting wet, which is obviously something to be avoided. Another thing that you can do with fogging oil is to take out the spark plug and use the fogging oil to spray and apply a thick layer into the spark plug’s hole. This is to prevent any water getting into the spark plug or the spark plug hole, because as you probably already know, it isn’t good when water and electricity meet.

Anything else that you need to do to prepare your generator for winter storage is simple and routine. Check all screws and nuts to make sure they are all tight and none are missing. Inspect the generator for any damaged parts or components and replace them as needed. Finally, make sure you inspect the fuel and electrical system's fasteners and clamps to ensure that they’re secured properly and don’t need to be tightened or fixed.

Running your Portable Generator in the Winter

If you are planning on running your portable generator or engine during the cold winter months, you will want to do some additional things to help it run smoothly. The first is to allow the generator or engine to run for 10 minutes before applying a load to the generator. Allowing it to run those 10 minutes lets the fuel circulate and move around and helps warm and seat the engine. If you don’t give the engine those 10 minutes, it could be like dry starting a wet prime pump, which if you didn’t know, can cause massive damage to the pump. Same reason why in freezing winter temperatures we warm up our car engine. As already stated above, use a fuel stabilizer to make sure that your fuel isn’t being negatively affected by the cold weather. And as always, make sure everything on your generator and engine is functioning and working before you start it so that you can avoid any problems, and generate any power you need to at full effect.

Winterize your Standby Generator

Storage

If you already know about standby generators, then you know exactly what they are meant for. If you don’t, here is a brief lesson on the purpose of a standby generator, and why winterizing one is so important. A standby generator’s entire job is exactly what it sounds like, to standby until needed. If there’s a power outage, a big storm, or any other sort of emergency that causes you to lose power, it’s a standby generator’s job to boot everything back up and bring power to your home or business until the main power source comes back online or is fixed. As you can probably imagine, having a standby or backup generator that has not been properly winterized and so has sustained damage from the cold is not a great position to find yourself in in the midst of a power outage. To ensure that your standby generator is properly winterized and prepared for any emergency, follow these steps.

In order to winterize your standby generator, the first thing you need to do is make sure that any area of ground within five feet of the generator is clear of snow. You also want to be sure that no snow gets on the generator itself, as you don’t want the wet snow getting into your generator and damaging it. The next thing that you can do is check the battery. If your battery is running too low, it might not be able to hold a charge should you try to recharge it. If your battery is running low, replace it. A cold weather kit can assist in preventing your battery from draining due to cold weather. Your cold weather kit will include a battery warmer, which is placed below the battery and turns on whenever the temperature drops below 40 degrees.

Using an engine block heater can also help your standby generator handle the cold and run efficiently. An engine block heater will heat the engine oil to an optimal temperature for proper starting. A heating coolant, which is an electrical heater, can maintain the coolant temperature for easier starting. Just make sure you consult the manufacturer’s recommendations before using any type of heating device to confirm it is compliant with your generator/engine.

Diesel: Like a portable generator, a standby generator that runs on diesel fuel can run into further problems when facing very cold weather. The diesel fuel will gel up the same way and needs either a CFI or a way to heat the delivery lines to the engine. By doing the latter, you are heating any fuel passing to the engine so that it doesn’t freeze and become gelled in the generator. You can do this by buying either fuel lines or storage tank heaters to heat the diesel fuel. Always be sure to look at the operator’s manual before making any decisions on winterizing your generator or engine, as you don’t want to end up buying something that doesn’t work on your generator, or worse, using something that doesn’t work and damages the engine while nullifying your manufacturer warranty.

Whether you plan on winterizing a portable or standby engine or generator, always consult the manufacturer’s guide and make sure that you don’t do anything that may cause damage to the generator. Properly winterizing your generator can save you time and money, both of which are very valuable, and knowing what to avoid when it comes to cold weather could be the difference between a long lasting, reliable generator, or a generator that doesn’t survive even one winter. Always be prepared for the worst and be ready to have your generator properly winterized so that you can add a longer lifespan to the engine, and never underestimate the damage that cold weather can do. If you have any questions regarding winterizing your engine or generator, you can contact our application specialists who will be more than happy to help answer your questions.