05/22/2020 / By Zoey Sky
It’s reassuring to have a portable generator in your homestead before SHTF and the lights go out unexpectedly. But did you know that you need to do periodic checks on your generator to make sure it runs fine when you need it? (h/t to ModernSurvivalBlog.com.)
As preppers know, it’s not enough to have a portable generator among your preps. Before SHTF, you need to get your generator out of your survival cache and start it up.
To maintain your generator, you must run it for several minutes every now and then. This ensures that:
You need to run your generator every three months or so. Ideally, you should run it at least once a month. If you’re very busy and don’t have time to run it regularly, you should at least try to check it several times a year instead of just leaving it in storage.
When you’re ready to check your portable generator, let it run for at least 20 minutes. This should be long enough for it to reach operating temperature.
Once you’re done running your generator, shut off the fuel line first and let it run dry until the generator stalls. This consumes the fuel in the carburetor so it doesn’t sit there, which can gum up your generator. (Related: Alternative energy sources to consider when SHTF.)
When checking your generator, follow the tips below to avoid minor mishaps in your homestead.
General safety tips
Tips for preventing carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning
Tips for preventing electrical hazards
Tips for preventing fire hazards
Before SHTF, run your portable generator regularly so it works properly when you need it most.
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Tagged Under: alternative energy, energy sources, generators, grid down, off grid, portable generator, power grid, power sources, preparedness, prepper, prepping, self-reliance, SHTF, survival, survival gear
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