Generator Replacement Battery Planning and Maintenance

Backup generators are often purchased in anticipation of a weather event, or as a result of an outage caused by extreme situations. They are often stored and forgotten until they're needed. Perhaps the weather forecast predicts another storm with enough intensity that power could be disrupted. However, your generator could be useless if the battery has not been properly maintained.

Even a generator that is powered by gasoline, natural gas or propane needs a battery to start and to run any electronic components. Generators typically use sealed lead acid batteries, and, like all types of batteries, they will lose charge, or self-discharge, when not being used. Once a sealed lead acid battery has been allowed to discharge too much, it won’t take or hold a charge and will need to be replaced.

Generator Battery Maintenance

Like most SLA batteries, generator batteries don’t require a lot of attention. But unlike other equipment, a generator may not be used enough for its batteries to remain charged. To make sure your battery is ready for the next storm, measure the charge with a digital voltmeter or a multimeter. If it falls below 12.4 volts, it needs to be re-charged.

One way to make sure the battery stays charged and ready is with a trickle charger. This charger stays connected to the battery and monitors the charge, initiating a charging cycle based on the volts. All you need to do is to periodically check the battery and charger to make sure the connections are tight and there is no corrosion or dirt accumulating on terminals or wiring.

Replace the Batteries

With good maintenance, your generator battery will still need to be replaced every 2 or 3 years. If you don’t maintain it regularly or if it is stored in a space that is too cold or too hot, plan on replacing it more often. The last thing you want when the power is out is for your battery to not be strong enough to start your generator.

BatteryClerk offers high-quality, AJC-brand generator replacement batteries that are built to last.  They give you the superior performance and the optimum power you need. When you use AJC replacement batteries, you have peace of mind that you will have the power you need when the grid is down.