A generator is excellent machinery to have when the power goes out. However, a dead or dying battery will not have enough juice to restore power. Since your family is counting on you to keep the fridge running and the heaters on, you need to give the battery attention long before the emergency arises.
The Silent Drain of a Sitting Battery
A generator battery often sits for months without ever being used. When this happens, it slowly loses its charge through a natural process called self-discharge. If you don’t have a way to keep the power topped off, the battery will eventually get so low that it cannot even wake up the generator’s control panel. You may think the generator will charge its own battery while it runs. However, that doesn’t help you if the machine cannot start in the first place. You can solve this by using a smart charger that stays plugged in and watches the voltage for you so that the battery stays fresh and ready when you need it.
Fighting the Corrosion
Corrosion stops electricity from flowing out of the battery and into the starter motor. Even a perfectly charged battery cannot help you if the connection is choked off by this chemical buildup. You can prevent this mess by cleaning the metal connectors with a simple mix of baking soda and water. Then you can apply a thin layer of grease to keep moisture away.
Temperature Is the Enemy of Power
Batteries get very sluggish when the temperature drops below freezing. When it’s zero degrees outside, a battery might only have half the cranking power that it has on a warm summer afternoon. This is why many people who live in cold places use a small electric heater called a battery blanket to keep the unit warm and cozy. If the battery stays warm, the chemicals inside stay active and ready to jump into action the moment you turn the key.
Every battery has a lifespan. Most of them start to get unreliable after about three or four years of service. Batteries often fail suddenly without giving you any warning signs at all. It’s a smart move to write the date you bought the battery right on the top with a permanent marker so that you always know exactly how old it is. If you notice that the engine sounds a little slower than usual when it starts up, that’s your signal to buy a new one before the old one quits on you completely. Replacing a tired battery today ensures that you’ll never have to stand in the dark wondering why your backup plan didn’t work. If you live in Morehead City, NC or a surrounding area and need generator services, make your first call to Coastal Home Services.
