Getting Ready Before Storm Season: A Generator Checklist

Storm season is the wrong time to discover a dead battery or an expired service plan. The whole point of backup power is that it's ready before the forecast turns. Work through this checklist on a calm week, and the next outage becomes a non-event.

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Confirm the weekly exercise is actually happening

Listen for it, or check the exercise schedule on the controller. A unit that hasn't exercised in weeks may have a fault, a dead battery, or a controller problem — all fixable now, all miserable to discover mid-storm. If the exercise has stopped, get it checked before you do anything else on this list.

Fuel: know your run time before you need it

On natural gas, your supply is effectively continuous as long as service holds. On propane, check the tank gauge and know roughly how long your supply lasts under load — and arrange a delivery before a forecast storm, not after one, when delivery routes are jammed. Portable owners: keep fuel stored safely, and know that you'll need to refuel during a long outage.

Know which circuits your system actually covers

Walk the house with your circuit list: furnace, sump pump, fridge, well pump, lights, medical equipment. If you have a portable hookup, know the startup sequence and which circuits to shed first. If your home has changed — a finished basement, a new heat pump — check whether your coverage still matches your home.

Book service before the season, not during it

Annual maintenance — oil, filters, plugs, battery load test, transfer-switch verification — is a calm-week job. Technicians book solid once a storm is forecast, and emergency calls cost more than scheduled ones. If your unit ran for days during the last long outage and never got post-run service, that visit is overdue.

Have a plan for the outage itself

Keep the brand, model, and serial number somewhere easy to find — a technician will ask. Know how to shut the unit down safely, keep the area around it clear, and never run a portable generator indoors or in a garage, or place it where exhaust can enter the home. Carbon monoxide safety is not a detail; it's the whole reason proper placement and hookups matter.

Common questions

When should I do this checklist?

At least once before storm season, and again after any long outage run. South Jersey's outage risk runs through nor'easter season and summer thunderstorms, so a spring check plus a post-storm check covers most of the year.

I have a portable generator but no hookup. Is this checklist still useful?

Yes — and it also shows why a transfer switch or interlock hookup is worth considering. Extension cords through a cracked window can't power a furnace or sump pump, and they introduce risks a proper hookup eliminates. A hookup generally runs in the high hundreds to around $1,500.

What if I find a problem while checking?

Fix it now, on a calm week. A fault found in spring is a scheduled visit; the same fault found during a storm is an emergency call, if you can get one at all. Request a free quote and describe what you found.