Category Archives: portable generators

portable generators

Hurricane Season Power Generator Service

Cars drive through hurricane flooded streets.Hurricane Season runs June through November, and many of us living in Florida appreciate having a portable generator to provide emergency electrical power when public utility service is disrupted by a storm, or even an auto accident.

Email Jimmy Stockton at Black Creek Services today –  [email protected] or Contact Us using our handy Contact form to make an appointment for maintenance or repair of your portable generator.

  • Pickup and delivery service is available.

Our Hurricane Season Power Generator Service Special  will help you have your portable generator ready to provide electrical power for your home and family, when you need it.

Briggs and Stratton Portable GeneratorFeatures offered in our Power Generator Service:

  • Inspecting your power generator for damaged or corroded parts, loose wires or damaged wiring insulation.
  • Inspecting all nuts and bolts, and tighten or replace them as needed. (Many generators vibrate a lot, and vibrations can cause bolts to loosen and cause a problem later.)
  • Change the oil. (Changing your generator’s oil at the beginning of every storm season follows the guidelines in most owner’s manuals.)
    • Keeping your generator lubricated is very important to reliable operation. We recommend that generator owners check the oil level of their generator before and after every use, and change the oil per the manufacturer’s instructions.
  • Filling the gas tank with fresh fuel and adding Briggs & Stratton fuel stabilizer to battle the effects of ethanol.
    • We recommend generators owners replace the generator’s fuel with new gas every 30 days during Hurricane Season.
  • Inspect and clean or replace the air filter.
  • Replace and check the gap on the spark plug.

This short video by Honda gives some good reminders for how to use and properly take care of your portable generator. Please see the Owners Manual that came with your portable generator for your specific generator. Safety is always important!

10000 Watt - Briggs & Stratton Portable GeneratorWhether you live in Jacksonville,Orange Park, Mandarin, Green Cove Springs, Fleming Island, or Middleburg, Pickup and delivery service is available.

 

Hurricane season in FloridaDo you use a Power Generator for your business? We can service it to keep it ready to go, too!

portable generators

Portable Generator Maintenance

Many people living in Florida have purchased a Portable Generator to provide some electrical power if their primary electrical service is lost.

Thankfully, for most of us our primary electrical service is very reliable.

hurricane weatherBut during Florida Hurricane Season (June through November each year) or even during a more common thunderstorm, or as the result of an accident, there can be a power outage that can last from minutes to hours, even days. And to provide a reliable backup source of electrical power, we have a portable generator.

Because our primary electrical power service is so reliable, often our portable generators can sit for months without being needed. If they are not run periodically, they may not perform when we need them.

8000 Watt Briggs & Stratton Portable GeneratorIt’s a good idea to have a professional service your portable generator once a year.

In addition to annual professional maintenance of your portable generator, most generator manufacturers recommend:

1.  Read and follow the instructions in the manufacturer’s Owner’s manual for your portable generator. If you do not understand the instructions clearly, give them a call; most manufacturer’s have a telephone number in the Owner’s manual, and many are toll free.

2.  Put a fresh half gallon of fuel in the generator fuel tank, once each month, and run the generator for at least an hour. Drain any left over gasoline from the fuel tank. Gas goes stale when left sitting in a fuel tank for a month, and is harder to start.

As an alternative, some people add a fuel stabilizer to the fuel in their tank, which helps the fuel stay fresh longer.

3.  Check your generator starting method.

  • If your portable generator is a manual, pull-start, check the pull rope for wear as you pull it to start the generator each month. A worn rope should be replaced so it doesn’t break when you really need that generator.
  • If your portable generator is a battery started model, check the charge on that battery, and re-charge it if necessary.
  • Some portable generators have a manual start capability as a backup for the battery starting capability, and in those cases, you should check both ways of starting your generator.

portable generator with a small engine4.  While running your generator each month, plug in a small appliance; a lamp or a portable drill or kitchen hand mixer, and run the appliance to make sure that the generator is producing electricity.

5.  Remember that Portable Generators produce exhaust gases when they operate, including carbon monoxide with is colorless and has no odor, and can be deadly.  Always operate you portable generator outside of your home or business. And do not run a portable generator near an open window, because the carbon monoxide can blow into the home or business and endanger anyone inside.

6.  Protect your Generator. When you operate your Portable Generator, shelter it from wet or damp conditions. This prevents shock hazards from the electricity being produced by the generator (and to keep your generator from shorting out, or from being damaged by corrosion). Then store your generator in a safe, dry place, to keep it ready for use during an emergency.

7.  Generator fuel is flammable. Store fuel (usually gasoline) in a safe container, and in a safe, cool and well ventilated place. Don’t store the fuel in the same space as where you operate the Portable Generator. Never add fuel to a generator until the generator cools down. Better to use flashlights for a while than take a chance on a fire or explosion!

Generac Portable GeneratorBlack Creek Services, Inc. provides reliable Portable Generator maintenance and repair service for clients in Middleburg, Fleming Island, Green Cove Springs, Orange Park, and Jacksonville, Florida,  in our shop in Middleburg, Florida.

  • Email us at [email protected] or use our handy Contact Form to make an appointment to drop off your small engine powered Lawn Mower, Lawn Tractor, Portable Generator, or Pressure Washer at our Middleburg, Florida shop.
  • We also can provide pickup and delivery service for clients in our service area.

If your portable generator is hard to start, runs rough, or won’t start at all, before you start pricing a replacement, Contact Black Creek Services, Inc. for a FREE estimate. Often, with some minor repairs, we can have your portable generator running right and reliable again in no time.

 

lawn mowers, portable generators, pressure washers, small engines

Outdoor Power Equipment Winter Care in Jacksonville FL

1 Comment

lawn mower in outdoor shed - available from Home DepotWhen it’s wintertime, a lot of people put their outdoor power equipment away until the Bermuda grass starts turning green again in the spring.

But before you put your outdoor power equipment away, it’s important to do some winter care for your outdoor power equipment.

Doing a little preventive maintenance winter care on your equipment will help you avoid problems when you try to start it up in the spring.

One of the easiest preventive maintenance steps to protect your power equipment this winter is to add  fuel stabilizer to your gas tank.

  • We recommend that the first step in any small engine maintenance is to review the instructions in your power equipment Owners Manual.
  • Next run your lawn mower, lawn tractor, or pressure washer (outside). Running the engine will get the fuel additives and preservatives that protect your small engine from the effects of ethanol damage through your engine fuel system.
  • Finally, top off your fuel tank to prevent accumulation of moisture that could lead to corrosion.

Please read our Portable Generator article for preventive maintenance recommendations.

Don’t have time for winter care to repair or maintain your outdoor power equipment?

Black Creek Services has over 20 years of experience, working on small engines. We work on:

  • lawn mowers
  • lawn tractors
  • portable generators
  • pressure washers

Just email Black Creek Services a call at [email protected] or Contact us. We can help you keep your small engine-powered equipment maintained for a fair and reasonable price.

  • Pickup and delivery service is available, too!

Black Creek Services, Inc. LogoWhen springtime rolls around, we can also help you make sure your power equipment is ready for a busy season with a Springtime Small Engine Maintenance Service.

Black Creek Services, Inc. offers in-shop portable generator, pressure washer, lawn mower, and lawn tractor maintenance and repair for clients living in the Jacksonville Florida area. We do our work in our Middleburg, Florida shop.

  • If you have questions about maintenance or repair of your small engine powered outdoor gear, Please Contact us to make an appointment to bring your portable generator, pressure washer, lawn mower, and lawn tractor in, or we can provide pickup and deliver service.

We work on outdoor power equipment for people living in Jacksonville, Orange Park, Fleming Island, Green Cove Springs, and Middleburg, Florida.

We like to help people get their small engine-powered equipment running right again!

lawn mowers, portable generators, pressure washers, small engines

Summertime Outdoor Equipment Maintenance

Troy-Bilt lawn mower cutting a lawnThe days are longer, the lawns are growing like crazy – it’s not the time to have your lawn mower or lawn tractor sputter and cough and not run when you go to cut the grass!

Black Creek Services performs maintenance on Lawn Mowers, Riding Lawn Mowers, and Lawn Tractors in the Jacksonville, Florida area. And we can perform repairs, if necessary.

Our service area includes Fleming Island, Orange Park, Green Cove Springs, and of course Middleburg, where our shop is located.

  • Black Creek Services 904.449.3986 offers equipment pick up and delivery service for people in our service area.
  • We also provide maintenance and repair service for Portable Generators, and Pressure Washers.

Black Creek Services 904.449.3986 can perform routine maintenance on your small engine-powered outdoor equipment, or repairs, as needed, to get your equipment ready to go, when you need it!

  • Cost: Payment required – Estimated maintenance service fee is based on type of equipment to be maintained.

– – Repairs and pickup and delivery service fees are in addition to maintenance fees.
– – Call 904.449.3986 for an estimate and to make an appointment for your equipment.

Contact Black Creek Services today or Call us 904.449.3986 to make your appointment to get your Outdoor Power Equipment Ready to Go when You are!

portable generators

Ready for Florida Hurricane Season in Jacksonville?

Being prepared during this hurricane season in Jacksonville Florida is very important.

Hurricane Season for the United States Atlantic Coast runs from June through November.

Hurricane winds pushing waves to batter beach.Waiting until you see a storm nearby in the Atlantic, or see a Hurricane Watch or a Hurricane Warning being flashed across your television or smart phone screen could be too late to protect yourself, your family and loved ones and your property.

A little preparation goes a long way to being prepared for a hurricane coming to the Jacksonville Florida area.

Please take some time to go over Hurricane Preparedness lists like the one at the NOAA National Hurricane Center.

A few minutes spent gathering resources and preparing a plan for you and your family can mean the difference between survival and sorrow.

  • Do you have a portable generator for providing emergency electrical power to your home or business?
  • Is your portable generator maintained annually, and run periodically, to make sure it is ready when you need it?

Generac Portable GeneratorBlack Creek Services, Inc. provides reliable in-shop portable generator maintenance and repair. No portable generator is too big or too small.

If you have a portable generator, and it needs annual maintenance, or you are having trouble getting it to start or stay running, or it will not provide the power that it used to, use our Black Creek Services Contact form. Or you can Call 904-449-3986 for an estimate or to make an appointment to get your portable generator ready to go when you are!

  • We also can provide pickup and delivery service for clients in our service area.

Let us help you have confidence that your portable generator is one thing you don’t have to worry about during this Florida Hurricane Season.

When you call us, if we aren’t able to answer the phone, please leave your name and phone number, and a brief description of what work you’d like done.
portable generators

Do you have the right Generator?

1 Comment

From heating and cooling to running the refrigerator, the microwave, the TV and even re-charging our cell phones, electrical power is something most people don’t want to be without very long.

10000 Watt - Briggs & Stratton Portable GeneratorTo provide temporary electrical power during a power outage, such as during a storm, or worse, in the event of hurricane damage, many people have purchased portable generators.

Most people have heard that portable generators cannot be run inside their home (or even in their garage) because the exhaust of the small engine that runs the generator can produce hazardous levels of deadly carbon monoxide in closed spaces.

portable generator with a small engineBut some portable generator owners don’t understand that portable generators are only supposed to be used to power several appliances in their home or office, via heavy duty extension cords plugged into the generators electrical outlets.

Actually, before buying a portable generator, the first step is supposed to be deciding what your temporary power needs are, and then buying the generator that will provide sufficient electrical power to run the appliances you pick. Read more about determining the size portable generator that you need in our Black Creek Services article – What Size Portable Generator Do You Need?

Some people have tried connecting their portable generators directly to their home or business breaker panel/electrical distribution panel. This is dangerous, because it creates an electrical hazard not only for the people using their portable generator this way, but also can backfeed electrical power into the local electrical grid, endangering others in the family, neighbors, and electrical  service personnel when they start to restore normal electrical power to the area.

Portable Generators are for temporarily powering several appliances for a home or office.

Permanent stand-by generators are larger units that can be installed for homes or offices and wired into breaker panels/distribution panels to provide backup power when there is a power outage. If you want to provide power to more than just a few appliances during a power outage, we recommend you look into a stand-by generator. In Clay County, Florida, a good resource for more information is our Clay County Florida Electrical Cooperative.

Most people find portable generators an affordable option.

hurricane weatherIs your portable generator ready to provide you electrical power during a power outage? When is the last time you started it up and ran it for 5 to 10 minutes?

If you can’t get your portable generator to start, or if you’d like to make sure your portable generator is ready for the next Hurricane, Call Black Creek Services 904.449.3986 for our Hurricane Season Generator Service, or Contact Black Creek Services! You can’t beat our in-shop service prices, and we can also provide pickup and delivery service.

portable generators

What size Portable Generator do You Need?

Briggs and Stratton Portable GeneratorPortable generators can provide emergency power for your home or business when your electrical power service is disrupted.

The size/power capacity of portable generators are measured in its rated wattage output.

  • Before buying a generator, you need to decide how many appliances you need to provide power for.
  • Then size your portable generator to provide power for the total of the STARTING watts you need.

More considerations when shopping for an emergency generator for your home or business are discussed in the Ready.gov/ article about preparing for a Power Outage.

A guide to seeing what size generator you will need appeared in this recent article in Forbes magazine.

Read more tips for portable generators in our article, Safe Operation of Portable Generators.

10000 Watt - Briggs & Stratton Portable GeneratorHaving problems with your portable generator? Or do you have questions about buying or maintaining your portable generator? Give us a call at Black Creek Services 904.449.3986, or Contact Black Creek Services.

We like helping people keep their portable generators running!

lawn mowers, portable generators, pressure washers, small engines

Springtime is Outdoor Equipment Maintenance Time!

Pink springtime blossomsSpringtime is such a great time of year! Buds are blossoming, the grass is starting to grow again, leaves are popping out on shrubs and trees! Time for Outdoor Equipment Maintenance!

Is your Lawn Mower, Lawn Tractor, Riding Mower, Portable Generator, or Pressure Washer ready for Spring?

Black Creek Services can perform routine maintenance on your small engine-powered equipment, or repairs, as needed, to get your equipment ready to go, when you need it!

  • Cost: Payment required – Estimated maintenance service fee is based on type of equipment to be maintained.
    – – Repairs and pickup and delivery service fees are in addition to maintenance fees.
    – – Call 904.449.3986 for an estimate and to make an appointment for your equipment.
  • We offer equipment pick up and delivery service for people in Middleburg, Fleming Island, Orange Park, and the Jacksonville area, from our Middleburg, Florida shop.

Contact Black Creek Services today or give us a Call 904.449.3986 to make your appointment to get your Outdoor Power Equipment Ready to Go when You are!

portable generators

Safe Operation of Portable Generators

2 Comments

Are you thinking about buying a portable generator for emergency electrical power to your home or office during a power outage, such as during a hurricane?
Here are a few quick tips for safe operation of portable generators to help you get started.

8000 Watt Briggs & Stratton Portable Generator1. Portable generators are designed for providing temporary power to one or several appliances. The number of appliances they can support is based on the output of the generator and the power requirements of the appliances.

2. The first step in buying a generator is deciding how much wattage you need during an emergency power outage. The size of your generator in wattage is determined by which appliances you want to power and how much total startup energy they need.

See our Chart for approximate wattage needs of various appliances.
– – (Click on the Chart below to see enlarge the chart.) – –

watts of power needed chart

3. Check the rating of the extension cord that you use to connect each appliance to your portable generator. Make sure the cord is designed to carry the full amount of electrical current to the appliance.

4. Portable power generators are not designed to be run continuously, nor run inside your home or garage.  They should be run (outside)  for short periods of several hours, and then shut down for several hours before being run again.

Generac Portable Generator5. We recommend adding a fuel stabilizer to your fuel tank , and running your portable generator for at least 10 minutes each month, to keep it ready to go when you need it.

For more tips on the safe operation of Portable Generators, please see these tips shared by:

Is your portable generator not running or giving you other problems?
Black Creek Services can provide reliable maintenance and repair servicing to your portable generator.
We will help you keep your small engine powered portable generator ready to go when you need it!

Call 904.449.3986 to make an appointment to drop off your small engine powered Lawn Mower, Lawn Tractor, Portable Generator, or Pressure Washer at our Middleburg, Florida shop.
  • We also can provide pickup and delivery service for clients in our service area.