ABBEVILLE — Before hurricane season officially begins, a generator specialist says homeowners should schedule service checks on their standby generators and follow key safety precautions when using portable units.
Jacob Simon, owner of Jake's Quality Services, said he sees an increase in customers seeking repairs on their standby generators ahead of the season.
"Typically, we see a lot of service and repair before hurricane season. That's usually when everybody gets worried," he said.
Simon said customers want their equipment running without issues when a storm hits.
"They just want operation to be flawless, so mainly service check, check and change oil, make sure the generator's operating correctly," he said. "Make sure it's transferring in the transfer switch and things like that. Typically we catch minor breakages before they happen, but things do happen."
For those using portable generators, Simon said placement is critical to preventing a fire.
"Safety is keep it away from windows and doors. Keep it outside of garages, outside of carports. Most of the time they can withstand weather so you can leave them out in the rain," he said.
He said proper wiring is essential to protecting utility workers.
"Be sure you have a manual transfer switch and it's wired correctly so you're not backfeeding the grid and creating dangers for our linemen," Simon said.
Simon also said portable generators should be kept a safe distance from the home to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.
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