If You’ve Got A Generator…

With the storm of the decade century millennium bearing down on us — the latest forecast is for up to 75 inches of snow, and winds nearing 12,000 miles an hour* — alert “06880” reader Bart Shuldman passes along these tips:

If you are lucky enough to have a generator, you need to know that depending on the size and type, it will need oil once a day, every other day, or every 3 days. Your generator will stop running if the oil pressure drops.

Here is how to see how much oil you have — and, if necessary, how to change it:

• Open the panels surrounding the generator. Find the  electrical panel. If the unit is on, turn off the unit first — NOT THE BREAKER. Your switch should have a middle position that is “off.” Do not turn off the breaker just yet. Once the unit is off, wait 30 seconds — then turn the breaker off.
• Once everything is off, look for the dipstick. Pull it out, wipe it clean, replace it and see if oil shows up on the stick. There will be minimum and maximum marks. If below the minimum, add oil.
• Find the oil turn cover on top of the unit. Open it up and add the oil (you may need a funnel). Add about half a can, then use your dipstick and look again. Add until the oil is close to maximum level.
• Once finished, replace the oil cover and put the oil dipstick back.

When starting the generator again, turn on the unit first — NOT THE BREAKER. Wait a few seconds, then turn the breaker on. Then replace all covers. You’ve kept your generator working for at least another day.

* Just kidding**

** I hope