GENERAC has a “protect your neighbor $50/$50 referal rebate.” Now that your house is protected against power outages, make sure your friends and family are protected too and you will each receive a check for $50!

CLICK HERE for the rebate form

During a utility power outage, an automatic standby generator provides numerous advantages over a portable generator:

• The American Red Cross recommends permanently installed standby generators as a safer way to provide backup power to a home than a portable generator.
• With an automatic standby generator properly installed outside, your home is protected from deadly carbon monoxide poisoning that is a much greater risk with portable generators.
• Running on the home’s natural gas or LP fuel supply, it is less expensive to run than gasoline and does not need to be refilled.
• They start automatically within seconds of a power outage, and eliminate the need to haul a portable generator outside or run extension cords throughout your home.
• They provide protection 24/7, whether you’re home or away, and they turn themselves off when utility power returns, so there is no need to monitor the unit during an outage.

• Better Viscosity Temperature Response (Higher Viscosity Index) – This means that a synthetic offers protection over a wider temperature range than conventional oil. One can run multi viscosity synthetic oil year round without compromising oil consumption.

• Better Low Temperature Fluidity (Lower Pour Point) – This means that a synthetic will flow at lower temperatures than similarly formulated conventional oil.  This results in easier pull starting or cranking and better lubrication protection at colder temperatures.

• Better Thermal Stability – This is the oil’s resistance to breakdown at higher temperatures.  Synthetics resist high temperature breakdown much better than conventional oils which results in increased hydrodynamic bearing film thickness (longer bearing life) and reduced oil consumption.  Since a small air-cooled engine runs extremely hot, compared to a liquid cooled engine, this is important.

• Better Oxidation Stability – At high temperatures oils oxidize, synthetic inherently hinder this oxidation process much better than conventional oils allowing better protection for longer periods.

• Lower Volatility – Volatility is the oils tendency to “burn off” at higher temperatures.  High volatility means it burns off easily, low volatility means it doesn’t.  Synthetics have a much lower volatility than conventional oils meaning it will be around longer to protect your engine.

• Better Deposit Control – In conventional oil, deposits readily develop and the additive chemistry has to deal with them.  A synthetic actually hinders the development of deposits.

• Better Wear Control – All of the things mentioned above lend themselves to better protection and better wear control of you engine, even under severe operating conditions.  Since synthetics have better “inherent strength” they have the ability to keep functioning at the highest level for the longest possible time.

According to the National Hurricane Center Atlantic tropical storms have been named since 1953. The original name lists featured only women’s names. In 1979, men’s names were introduced and they alternate with the women’s names. Six lists are used in rotation. Thus, the 2009 list will be used again in 2015.

Experience shows that the use of short, distinctive given names in written as well as spoken communications is quicker and less subject to error than the using latitude-longitude identification methods.

Here’s the list for the next 6 years:

Generac Generator Extended Service Plan Video

We recieved multiple request to describe the details of our Generac Generator extended service plans. Here is our response!

For even more videos check us out on youtube at:  http://www.youtube.com/user/GeneracGeneratorFL

SERPENTINE BELTS

Definition: A type of flat rubber drive belt that is used to turn multiple accessories on the front of an engine. It is called a serpentine belt because of the way it snakes around the various pulleys. Many engines now have a single
serpentine drive belt because it eliminates the need for several separate V-belts. A spring-loaded pulley maintains tension on the serpentine belt. This does away with the need to re-tension the belt when it is replaced. Serpentine belts generally last 25% to 50% longer than conventional V-belts.

V-BELTS

V-belts are named for their appearance. They have a relatively narrow outside surface, then get thicker before tapering down. With V-belts, it is common for engines to have multiple belts driving the accessories.

BELT INSPECTION

• Check your engine’s belts before you start the engine, while the engine is still cold. This will help avoid the possibility of an accidental burn from a hot engine component or an injury caused by a moving part of the engine.
• Carefully inspect the belts along their edges and undersides for any signs of wear (see “Visual Signs of Wear”
below). These danger signs indicate a belt may need to be replaced or that a belt-driven component may be failing.

• Belt tension should be checked and adjusted on a regular basis. If the belt tension is too tight, it can cause
bearings in the accessory components, and even in the engine itself, to wear prematurely. If it is too loose, the
belt will slip and squeal, causing the accessory components to work less efficiently. Inadequate tension also
will cause the belt to wear excessively. The most accurate way to check tension is with a belt tension gauge, but
you can estimate correct tension by pressing on the belt along its longest straight section. If the tension is correct,
the belt will only have about 1/2 inch to 1 inch of play.
• Drive belts are necessary to operate the accessory components attached to the engine, such as the alternator,
and the water pump. To fully assess the condition of the belts, do a visual inspection and test the belt tension.

VISUAL SIGNS OF WEAR

• Chunking: Parts of the belt break off when cracks worsen. • Cause: Chunking can happen when several cracks in one area move parallel to the cord line. Heat, age and stress are the primary contributors.

• Glazing: The side or contact area of the belt becomes slick and shiny when a loose belt slips in the pulley. The glazed belt can no longer grip adequately and the belt slips even more. • Cause: When in motion, the belt makes contact with an object in its path such as a flange or bolt. This may be caused by improper belt tension or pulley bearing size. Grease and oil on the pulley can also cause glazing.

• Cracking: Cracks occur because the belt is exposed to heat and stress. • Cause: With continuous exposure to high temperatures, the stress of bending around the pulley leads to cracking. Cracks begin on the ribs and grow into the cord line. As a rule, if three or more cracks appear in a three-inch section of a belt, eighty percent of the life is gone and the belt should be replaced.

• Pilling: The belt's rubber compound wears off and builds up on the drive pulleys (the wheel that is driven by or drives the belt). • Cause: There are a number of causes, including lack of tension, misalignment, worn pulleys or a combination of these factors. Pilling is found most frequently in diesel engines, but is not isolated to them.

• Improper Install: A belt rib begins separating from the joined strands. If left unattended, the cover will often separate, causing the belt to unravel. • Cause: Improper belt installation is a common cause of premature failure. One of the outer-most belt ribs is placed outside the pulley groove, causing a belt rib to run without a supporting or aligning pulley groove.

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