Finding a company you trust for a major home system can begin with something as small as a maintenance visit. That is how Regina N., a Hampton Roads homeowner, came to Russell’s American Mechanical. Her account is about the part of a service call that happens before the technician arrives as much as about the visit itself.
A recommended safety check, and three unanswered questions
Regina’s generator manufacturer advised her to have a safety check performed and gave her a list of authorized service companies, and she called three of them, none of which could give her a clear answer about when a technician could come.
The fourth call
Russell’s, an authorized service provider for her generator’s make, set her appointment quickly and sent reminder texts as the date approached, including a photograph of the technician who would arrive.
Russell’s American Mechanical scheduled an appointment with me within a few days and was on time, with a friendly smile and a warm handshake.
Regina N., Hampton Roads homeowner
The visit
Technician Jason G. inspected the generator carefully, explained Russell’s maintenance plans, and shared safety tips Regina found useful, and what she remembered most was how he listened.
When Jason speaks with you, he looks directly in your eyes. That means he is listening to your questions and concerns.
Regina N., Hampton Roads homeowner
One visit, and a go-to company
Regina’s story is a small one, and its point is the size of it, because a single maintenance visit, scheduled when it was promised and conducted with attention, was enough to settle a question three other calls had left open.
I have now found a go-to company that I feel will do what they promise, for most of my household needs for repairs.
Regina N., Hampton Roads homeowner
What a generator safety check covers
A manufacturer’s recommended safety check is, in practice, the yearly service a standby generator needs regardless of who recommends it. The technician tests the battery under load, since batteries last two to four years and are the most common reason a generator fails to start, and then changes the oil and filter, replaces the air filter and spark plugs as needed, checks the fuel pressure and the regulator, cleans and tightens the electrical connections, which in Hampton Roads means cleaning the salt film off the battery terminals and the transfer switch contacts, inspects the enclosure for leaks, pests, and debris, reads the controller’s fault log, and runs the unit under a full load, which is the only test that shows whether it will carry the house through a storm. A safety check that skips the load test has confirmed that the engine starts and nothing more. In coastal air a generator that skips a year shows it faster than one inland, and our post on warning signs a generator’s maintenance is overdue covers what that looks like from the yard.
The scheduling was the story
Three authorized companies could not tell Regina when they would come, and one could, which is a reminder that the first thing a homeowner learns about a service company is whether it does what it says before anyone has touched the equipment, and that a manufacturer’s authorization tells you a company is qualified to do the work but nothing about whether it will show up. The reminder texts and the technician’s photograph are the same habit carried forward: a company that tells you who is coming and when is a company that has thought about your side of the door. Members of the Generator Care Agreement receive the yearly service Regina had, with 20 percent off service and diagnostic fees and 15 percent off parts and labor on repairs, and priority scheduling before the season.
If your generator needs a safety check
Russell’s American Mechanical has served Hampton Roads since 1977 and services standby generators across the region. If your generator’s manufacturer has recommended a safety check, or it has simply been a while since the last service, schedule a visit online, through the website chat, or by phone. You will know the date, and who is coming, before the day arrives, and the technician will run the unit under load rather than only confirming that it starts.
