Home Standby Generator Accessories

Maintenance kits are matched to the unit, not just the size

Each maintenance kit bundles the oil, filter, spark plugs and service parts specified for one engine family, so ordering by kilowatt rating alone is not enough. Several kits are split by serial-number break, because a mid-production engine change altered the parts required. Others are split by controller family, where the aXis and fleX platforms take different kits at the same kilowatt rating.

Before ordering, read the data plate on the unit and note three things: the kilowatt rating, the model number, and the full serial number. If the kit description names a serial-number cutoff, compare it against yours character by character rather than by date of purchase, because units often sit in distribution for months before installation. Fitting the wrong kit is usually discovered at the point of the oil change, with the generator already drained.

Fuel conversion

Fuel inlet assemblies convert a standby unit between natural gas and liquid propane. The conversion changes the fuel path, and it also changes the output rating of the generator, because propane and natural gas carry different energy per unit volume. Plan the conversion around the derated output rather than the nameplate figure, and have the work done by a qualified installer who can leak-test the finished connection.

Surge protection and finish

A whole-house surge protector installed at the panel guards the connected equipment against the transients that accompany utility restoration, which is frequently when sensitive electronics die rather than during the outage itself. Touch-up paint in the correct factory shade lets you keep the enclosure sealed against corrosion after landscaping contact, hail or installation scuffs, which matters more than appearance on a cabinet that lives outdoors for its whole life.