Month: March 2014

Did you know that a generator can help restore more than just your power, it can restore your peace of mind too. When you invest in a generator, whether it’s a standby or a portable, you’re investing in your piece of mind. Clients often wonder if a generator will just be more than a hassle than what it’s worth, we’re here to tell you, it’s not. A standby generator is so easy, that you don’t have to do anything after the installation to get it to work when the power is out. Are you wondering how a standby generator works? Wonder no more. We’re here to walk you through, step-by-step, of what happens when your power is out. This is how a standby generator works:

1. Utility power is lost. Oh no, the power is gone. Whether it’s your residential or commercial property no one wants to hear “the power is out”. Whether it’s bad weather, PGE working nearby or equipment failure the bad news is, you’re out of commission.
2. Your generator senses a problem. You’re in luck. You were smart enough to invest in a generator. Your standby generator senses a problem, it can tell that you’re power is gone.  Now what?
3. The generator turns on automatically. Sit back and try to relax, let the generator do all the hard part. Within seconds of losing power, your standby generator will automatically restore your homes power. You heard us, you don’t need to do anything because your generator will do all the work for you.
4. Your electricity is restored. The automatic transfer switch sends generator power to your home and will continue to do it until the utility power returns to your home.  There’s nothing left to do but relax with the knowledge that you are taken care of.

Norcal Electric & Pump Work is Chico, Paradise, Oroville/Yankee Hill and Northern California’s one-stop-shop for all your Electrical and custom construction project needs. From Generator sales and repairs to HVAC sales and repairs – we’re here for you every step of the way.  We pride ourselves on going above and beyond to provide our customers with practical solutions for their Electrical needs. Please give us a call today at one of the following numbers and we’d be more than happy to take care of whatever you need from generators, heating and air, electrical and lighting, and more! 

• Chico:                    (530) 345-5003
• Paradise:             (530) 872-3922
• Oroville/Yankee Hill        (530) 538-9350

Generator maintenance is one of the most imperative things to do in order to get the most from your generator. We recently wrote a blog about the importance of generator maintenance with a few tips about how and why you should maintain your portable or standby generator. Now we’d like to share our own checklist to help you maintain you generator.  When you do these things it will help the longevity of your generator.  When Norcal Electric & Pump Work walks a customer through generator issues, we use the following list to help troubleshoot potential problems:

1. Start by checking the overall condition of the generator. It might seem silly, but really, you should start by checking the overall condition of your generator. By taking a brief overview you can get a general idea for loose links, faulty wiring and other potentially corroded elements. It’s a good idea to check around the generator also to double check and make sure it’s clean. You wouldn’t want any debris getting into your generator. Did you know that debris in an alternator is one of the most common ways to damage your generator? Checking the condition of the overall generator is the first step to discovering what may or may not be wrong with your generator. It’s a great way to ensure you’ll have a lower service repair and maintenance bill.

2. Fix anything loose, stuck or fraying (wearing out).  Now that you’ve taken a good look at the overall condition it’s time to fix anything that you noticed. If there’s wiring issues or anything that looks more advanced then “basic” fixes, let us (or someone in your area) help repair your generator. When in doubt, leave it to the professionals.

3. Check the distilled water in the battery.  You don’t want to be running low here so it’s best to regularly check and make sure that you have enough distilled water for your battery.  It’s also important to check your battery, as they should be replaced every 2-3 years.

4. Change the lubricant oil and filters. Just like your car, your HVAC unit and other technologies, your generator requires regular maintenance and changing of all oils and filters. This should be done about once a year. The manufacturer’s instructions should help inform you of what the appropriate top-off levels are.

5. Clean the spark plugs. Clean your spark plugs. Enough said. Except that you should also replace them once a year too.

6. Check the bolts. Like any other piece of equipment, the bolts on your generator will gradually loosen over time due to vibrations.  Usual wear and tear is bound to happen; as long as you regularly check and maintain it you can avoid serious issues down the line.

7. Check the fuel. This is especially important if it’s been a while since you’ve used your generator.  When your gas has been sitting unused for a long period of time (6 months or longer) it becomes less efficient.

8. Check to make sure the following pieces of equipment are properly calibrated. Realistically, this should probably be done annually, if not biannually. These things should also be checked by a seasoned professional, not you. Depending on how often you utilize your tools will tell you how often to check on it. Think about it this way though, better safe than sorry. Here are the tools you want to check are adjusted correctly:

• Automatic voltage regulator
• Injectors
• Turbocharger
• Fuel pump

These are just a few of the things that we do before doing generator repairs and maintenance. If you need help with regular maintenance services or repairs, please do not hesitate to give us a call. We’d love to help you out if we can.
Norcal Electric & Pump Work is Chico, Paradise, Oroville/Yankee Hill and Northern California’s one-stop-shop for all your Electrical and custom construction project needs. From Generator sales and repairs to HVAC sales and repairs – we’re here for you every step of the way.  We pride ourselves on going above and beyond to provide our customers with practical solutions for their Electrical needs. Please give us a call today at one of the following numbers and we’d be more than happy to take care of whatever you need from generators, heating and air, electrical and lighting, and more! 

• Chico:                    (530) 345-5003
• Paradise:             (530) 872-3922
• Oroville/Yankee Hill        (530) 538-9350

Generators are one of the most essential tools any business or home should have. When the power goes out a generator keeps you warm, it keeps you sane and most importantly it keeps things running like you didn’t lose anything.  Investing in a generator is a smart decision but we don’t need to tell you that, you already know! In fact you’re now wondering how to make the most out of your money, the answer is easy. Just like any other piece of equipment or part of your house it’s important to maintain your generator so we’re going to give you a few tips on how to regularly maintain your generator and keep it in tip-top shape!

1. Whether it’s a portable generator or a standby generator your generator should be serviced twice a year, no matter what. Whether you’ve had an occasion to use it or you use it every day it’s necessary to get it serviced. This will help on wear and tear due to weather so try to make sure to do it during mild-temperature times, ideally in spring time.
2. Record all maintenance and issues. If everyone of us organized our lives we would be in a much better place, but seeing as how that’s not likely, let’s start little: create a generator maintenance record book. This will allow you to keep up with the dates of services, any issues, when it needs to be fixed etc. etc.
3. Regularly check your generator!  It could get dirty, could spring a leak – you never know what you might find between your bi-yearly service. We’ll write an upcoming blog with what to look for when checking your generator, so stay tuned for that!
4. Proper storage and placement of your generator will help prevent minor wears and tears from occurring, thereby prolonging the life of your generator. If you have a standby generator you should be wary about how easy it might be to get “injured” i.e. how close is it to the gutters or that big tree? Clearing it from potentially dangerous things will help prolong the life!

These are just a few of our tips for maintain your generator, if you are unsure about an issue we always recommend calling a professional generator repairs or sales company such as ourselves.  If you have any questions or concerns about anything please give us a call anytime, day or night! We’d love to help you.

Norcal Electric & Pump Work is Chico, Paradise, Oroville/Yankee Hill and Northern California’s one-stop-shop for all your Electrical and custom construction project needs. From Generator sales and repairs to HVAC sales and repairs – we’re here for you every step of the way.  We pride ourselves on going above and beyond to provide our customers with practical solutions for their Electrical needs. Please give us a call today at one of the following numbers and we’d be more than happy to take care of whatever you need from generators, heating and air, electrical and lighting, and more! 

• Chico:                    (530) 345-5003
• Paradise:             (530) 872-3922
• Oroville/Yankee Hill        (530) 538-9350