Generac Generator Maintenance
 

Hi-- I just got a Generac Generator installed and am looking at a $200 annual maintenance contract. The annual maintenance includes air filter and spark plug replacement, battery test and visual inspection. This seems like a lot of $$ for this kind of maintenance. I am not comfortable doing this kind of maintenance myself, but does anyone have a suggestion for an alternative? Perhaps someone who does this kind work and would charge less?

Thanks in advance.

I agree, maintenance contracts on these units is a cash cow for dealers.

Hire a local electrician that is licensed. We forward our installing electricians contact info to any customer that has us manage the install of their generator and they set up an annual appointment with him directly. I believe his fee is one hour and if repairs or parts are needed, that would be over that $80.00 rate.

With the Generac (same brand our electrician recommends) you will not likely see parts or repair requirements for quite a few years and when you do, you will still be ahead of the game. Why spend $200 a year on "annual maintenance", you could just spend $250 in the 4th year for a tune-up when it is actually required.

It will cost you considerably less and you will establish a relationship with local professional that is more valuable than a generator tech (also would be required to be a licensed electrician, but would likely be a Journeyman working under the dealers Master License).

If the person you contact starts cutting down the installation or saying that the work was inferior, get a second opinion just to make sure (we have seen instances of poor installation from "dealers" and other electricians, both local and big money advertisers, read WMUR) just to verify and cover your bases. We have also had contractors try to make themselves look better than they really are and they are not worth working with.

I would say it depends on exactly what is included in the maintenance. Does it cover parts and labor if there is a problem? Does it include guaranteed response 24/7 if there is an issue?
You spent a bunch of money on the system, I'm sure you vetted the product and the dealer. How much will you really save by going elsewhere now? And what kind of hassle will you get IF you have a major problem and the system wasn't maintained by an authorized tech?
Give the man $200/year and rest easy that the system will operate when you need it and/or an issue with it will be dealt with on a priority basis. Isn't that what you really got it for?

I would assume they are doing an oil change as well. If so, that's probably not a bad price. I pay $295 on the seacoast, which includes priority 8am-6pm service if needed.

http://i44.tinypic.com/1499wms.gif hecheshieclem, I just noticed that you are fairly new to posting on the forum and glad you have joined us. Have fun and enjoy the Winni Forum while making many new friends.

I see ya doing some thanking and now all we need to do is to get you working on some of the threads. Real glad to see you on the forum.:)

http://i54.tinypic.com/2e56yqf.gif

I was going to say too, an oil change was missing from your list and is very important to the long life of the generator. It doesn't seem too unreasonable to me as the person has to drive to your house, then do at least 2 hours worth of work plus parts.

As other have said... It should include a little more than that, and IMO the big differentiator is does the maintenance provide any sort of "insurance"? If it's just a no-commitment tune-up, that price is a little steep. If it's more like a warranty, it's a good deal.

maintenance kit
 

Just picked up a maintenance kit for my 10,000kw generac standby generator. 2 spark plugs -- 1 oil filter --1 air filter --2 qts oil $27.99
from lowe's

2 hours to perform a basic tune - up on a simple engine is a little steep. If you can't change 2 spark plugs and an air filter while the oil drains in 10 minutes, you need to come spend some time at the farm. Spin off the oil filter, spin on the new one and fill the oil. If you make a note of the exact amount of oil the crankcase takes you don't have to check the dipstick when your done (if the amount of oil in the drain pan looks correct), not that that takes more than a minute.

Pay $200 if want for that, but would you pay $200 for a vehicle tune - up every year? Think of the difference in the number of hours of run time with just a normal oil change interval. The Generator cycles weekly to test itself. It is likely never running when you are kicking up dust with the lawnmower, so the filter is likely clean.

If you create a relationship with a good local electrician, you wouldn't likely pay for travel time.

This is the correct way to tune-up a standby Generator:

Part One:

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/6DInPOQksKI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Part two:

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/QrzSAHquPOA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Agree, completely. 13 min of video time, think they cut 1hr 45 mind out of the taping?

The manual for your car or truck states that you should disconnect the battery when changing the oil as well. Always a good habit.

not all of them
 

If I was to disconnect the batteries (2) in my truck to change the oil the engine computers would reset and have to be put through the whole learning process again. The controls need to learn the position of all the mechanical sensors and controls and then re-learn MY driving pattern.

So read your manual before just disconnecting batteries.


ToW

That's great, but that doesn't include carb cleaning and tuning, checking the frequency, etc. The parts are not the expensive portion of the job.

While I know this does not answer Cate's question, it may be of some help to those thinking about getting a whole house generator.

Your local propane and oil supplier is a good place to get pricing for a whole home generator.

I am having Rymes, who supplies my propane (and now oil) price one up for me as they are a certified Kohler dealer and installer.

You will get a better maintenance price if they do it at the same time as when they service your oil burner. They have to come every year for servicing the burner anyway and if they include the generator you will save some money.

Just a thought.

Dan

Yikes, so you cannot even change the batteries in your truck without resetting the computer, got to love modern vehicles.

I will have to check the manual of our Denali HD Diesel to see what that one says, also (2) batteries.

As for the rest of this thread, it seems as though folks are getting defensive about justifying spending the kind of money that these service contracts require.

Just know I am offering an explanation of the real costs involved in the repair and maintenance of these units. We have overseen the installation of over 30 of these units in the last 5 years alone, so my experience is deeper than just one or two. I am paid to find inefficiency in production and the best price for our customer, while keeping our company running today as well as tomorrow. I see numbers as black and white, it either adds up or it doesn't.

I apologize if I come off as snarky or condescending, its just that I possess information that the average consumer does not; some want to hear it, others don't.

It does not matter to me or anyone else really if you are comfortable paying the going rate. Cate seems to feel the same way I and several of our customers do and I offered her an alternative solution.

Catep question
 

The question was, Is $200.00 dollars alot for maintenance that includes air filter--spark plugs--battery test and visual inspection---YES

I have a feeling if you dig a bit deeper into what that $200 includes you would find its more than just your $27.99 kit....

Lot's of good advice above that I don't see a need to add to, on how to maintain the system but a thought comes to mind...

If it's $200 all at once that bothers you, ask if you can be billed in quartely installments and when you're all paid up, the tech gets dispatched.

10 minutes?? I doubt it, it probably takes ten minutes to get to the generator from time of arrival if you consider that he probably has to talk to the customer first. Then the enclosure needs to be removed. The timer doesn't start from the time the wrench hits the oil plug...... Shopping around for more prices probably wouldn't be a bad thing, but I think most are forgetting that a business has many more expenses than just the guy doing the job. Is $200 expensive? Maybe, but I don't think it's too far off. The repair person has to drive from account to account in a truck that needs to be paid for along with the associated expenses such as maintenance, gas and insurance. Then he needs tools. He needs a way to take calls, he needs to provide quotes, customer service. He needs a way to collect his money and get it to the bank. He needs to pay taxes, plus all the other bureaucratic stuff that needs to be handled.

Would it be cheaper to do it yourself? Absolutely, if you know what you are doing, otherwise it could be a huge mistake.

And even if you do know how to do it yourself and are willing to do so, who will respond to your call when you need them the most? Especially with a system that you depend on in an emergency, it is well worth the peace of mind knowing that the equipment was properly serviced and/or somebody will give you priority service in the event that is doesn't.
I don't ever intend to be in a car crash, but I still have insurance in case I do.

Cate:

If you were as handy as some of the folks who have responded it might make sense for you to do your own service or hire someone you know would do the job correctly at a cheaper price. The problem is you are not handy (me neither). Therefore, I'd recommend you stick with the dealer and in doing so are certain your machine is ready to purr when needed. It is relatively short money compared to the purchase/install investment. Finally, make sure you have extra oil handy in case you run into a prolonged power outage, make sure you know how to check the oil, refill the oil, power the unit off and on, etc. Good luck.

That's the funny thing, being the General Manager of a multimillion dollar remodeling company, I am just slightly intimate with the labor burden you speak of. I also never said that this would take less than an hour in total, but more than ten minutes for oil to drain, come on!

Think about how many of these services they do in a week.

I still love the comments downplaying the expertise of a licensed master electrician to perform this service. Considering they are qualified to install a generator, you would think they would be qualified to perform this service.

I said 2 hours, from your post I thought you were implying 10 minutes. I never said draining oil would take more than 10 minutes. Anyway, it sounds like we are in closer agreement than I thought. As an engineer, engineering manager and an owner for different companies that made things and sent people out for service I've been around the cabbage patch a few times before too. Nothing will put you out of business quicker than underpricing something like this. Overpricing can be bad too, but at the end of the day if you lose money you are out of business pretty quickly. I think about an hour sounds right for servicing if nothing messes you up and everything is easily accessible. You still have to pay the guy (or gal) to get there, provide a vehicle and other things people don't think of when they look at a price.

Best way to figure out if you are getting the best price is to get more quotes, but sometimes the cheapest price isn't the best deal.

vehicle settings saver
 

You can save yourself headaches here with the purchase of a settings saver from your local auto parts shop. I paid less that $20 for a 9 volt unit that plugs into the aux power outlet. Follow directions very carefully and your computer, radio, etc. will not lose any settings while your battery is disconnected.

Thank you for that info.
I am going to get one of those gadgets.