DFW Storm Season: Is Your Generator Ready?

If you've lived in Dallas—Fort Worth for any length of time, you know the drill: severe thunderstorms, hail, tornadoes, and the occasional ice storm that shuts everything down. The Texas grid has gotten more reliable since Winter Storm Uri, but outages still happen — and when they do, your standby generator is the only thing standing between your family and hours (or days) without power.

Here's what you need to do before the next storm hits.

1. Schedule a Pre-Season Maintenance Visit

The single best thing you can do is have a certified technician inspect your generator before storm season. We check oil, filters, the battery, the transfer switch, and run a load test to make sure it produces rated power. Most problems we catch are easy to fix — but only if we find them before you need the generator.

2. Check Your Generator's Exercise Schedule

Your standby generator should run a brief exercise cycle every week — usually about 12 minutes. This keeps the engine lubricated, charges the battery, and confirms the system is ready. Check your controller panel to make sure the exercise is programmed and running on schedule. If your generator has been sitting silent for weeks, that's a red flag.

3. Clear the Area Around the Unit

Generators need airflow for cooling and proper exhaust ventilation. Walk around your unit and clear away any:

• Overgrown bushes or landscaping (maintain 3 feet of clearance on all sides)
• Leaves, grass clippings, or debris on the enclosure
• Items stored against or on top of the unit
• Pest nests — mud daubers and rodents are common in North Texas

4. Know Your Fuel Situation

Most DFW standby generators run on natural gas (connected to your home's gas line) or propane. If you're on natural gas, you're generally set — supply continues during power outages. If you're on propane, check your tank level now. Don't wait until the forecast looks bad — propane delivery companies get slammed before major storms.

5. Test the Transfer Switch

The automatic transfer switch (ATS) is the brain of the system. It detects when utility power drops and tells the generator to start. You can simulate a power loss to test it — but if you're not comfortable doing this yourself, have your technician do it during a maintenance visit. A failed transfer switch means your generator won't start automatically, and you might not even know until the lights go out.

6. Review Your Coverage

Do you know exactly what your generator powers during an outage? Some systems are wired to back up the entire home; others only cover critical circuits (HVAC, refrigerator, lights, garage door). If you've added major appliances or a home addition since installation, your generator may no longer be sized correctly. An overloaded generator can trip breakers or shut down under load — right when you need it most.

7. Save Your Technician's Number

If something does go wrong during a storm, you want a certified service provider you can call immediately. Save our number — 972-314-3535 — in your phone now. We offer 24/7 emergency service across Dallas, Collin, Denton, Tarrant, Rockwall, and Kaufman counties.

Don't Wait for the Forecast

By the time a major storm is in the forecast, every generator company in DFW is booked solid. The time to prepare is now — when the weather is calm and scheduling is easy.