Read the manual thoroughly and understand all of the instructions, cautions, and warnings before using this equipment. If any section of the manual is not understood, contact your nearest authorized dealer, or contact Generac Customer Service at 1-888-436-3722 (1-888-GENERAC), or www.generac.com with any questions or concerns. 

Simulating an outage to test your home standby generator: When, why, and how?

This article addresses when you should consider testing your home standby generator's readiness and identifying potential unresolved issues, why it's important, and how to perform a simulated outage. Do this before storms, during maintenance, after alarm resolution, or to verify installation. Follow the manual, run under load for 30 mins, and monitor for alarms. Persistent alarms require an Independent Authorized Dealer to address.

 

Environment

This article applies to home standby generators. Note that newer model generators with a PowerZone 200 controller and Premium Mobile Link subscription can perform an Exercise now with transfer power command, which effectively simulates a power outage: Using the "Exercise Now" and "Exercise now and transfer power" commands in Mobile Link

Overview

Testing your home standby generator by simulating an outage is a good practice to help confirm that it's ready to provide backup power when needed. Testing should be a part of verifying the installation of a new unit, preparation for storm season, verifying the resolution of alarms or repair, and even part of routine maintenance.  Testing the generator by simulating an outage goes beyond the regular exercise schedule to load test the unit and verify proper transfer operation, helping to verify all system components are functioning as intended. 

Preparation

• Consult the owner's manual: Steps to simulate an outage can vary by unit. Always refer to your owner's manual for model-specific instructions. General steps are provided below. See the following article for additional information.
• Notify household members: Inform others about the test to avoid confusion. Simulating an outage will momentarily cause a loss of power during the transfer sequence.
• Verify fuel levels if using Liquid Propane: Ensure full levels are above 30% for effective startup and sustaining 30 minutes of continuous operation.

Simulating a power outage

When a home standby generator is set to AUTO, the automatic power transfer functionality can be tested by disconnecting utility power from the site. Note that a delay of five minutes may occur after the power is disconnected while the generator starts up and transfers power. This test will remove power to appliances in the home.

Note: This procedure is not the same as a generator exercise. For more information about generator exercises, see What Is a Generator Exercise? 

Post-Test

• Return power 
• Observe cool down and shutdown of the generator
• Monitor transfer switch operation

Additional information

 

When should you test your generator?

• After the initial install
• Before storm season
• After resolving an alarm or repair
• As part of routine maintenance

 

Why is testing important?

Improves reliability: helps identify potential issues before an actual outage. 

Verifies installation: Testing after installation is a component of verifying proper installation. 

Reduces surprises: Testing helps reveal issues that might otherwise go unnoticed. 

Validates alarms/repairs: Helps to determine if any alarms/repairs require further professional diagnosis after being resolved. 

Checks load management: Assists with validating load management systems and transfer operations.

 

Additional considerations

Run duration: Test for at least 30 minutes to place the full load on the generator and allow the load-shedding system to activate if necessary. 

Alarms not requiring testing: Not all alarms necessitate the additional step of performing a simulated outage test under load.  Those alarms include: 

• Error Code 2800 Auxiliary Shutdown: What Does It Mean When My Generator Displays an Error Code: Auxiliary Shutdown, Code 2800?
• Error Code 2770 Low battery: What does it mean when my generator displays an alarm: Charger Warning, Error Code 2770

 

When to contact a Generac Independent Authorized Service Dealer (IASD)

If testing reveals issues with load transfer, power production, abnormal sounds, or persistent alarms/error codes, it is recommended that you contact your local Generac IASD. 

If you are unsure about the steps, feel uncomfortable performing a simulated outage, or lack a clear understanding of the process, it is best to consult a Generac IASD. Improper operation can result in damage to the unit, or more importantly, serious injury or death. 

 

Why would someone perform an outage simulation?

Simulating an outage tests and checks the following: 

• Utility loss detection
• Automatic Start-up of the home standby generator
• Automatic transfer of power from utility to degeneracy backup (generator)
• Generator load capacity
• Load management system
• Utility restored detection
• Automatic cool down/shut down of generator
• Automatic transfer of power from emergency backup to utility