A commercial standby generator should be on a documented service schedule, exercised under load every month and, for Level 1 systems, load bank tested at full capacity every year under NFPA-110. Fuel should be sampled for lab testing during scheduled visits, and batteries and the transfer switch should be checked before winter and before hurricane season. Healthcare facilities also answer to NFPA-99, which adds documentation, testing frequency and reliability requirements.
Monthly: Exercise Under Load
NFPA-110 requires monthly exercising under load. If your generator has not carried 30% of its rated load for at least 30 minutes a month, it does not meet NFPA-110. A generator that only starts and idles is not getting the run it needs.
Yearly: A Full-Capacity Load Bank Test
For Level 1 systems, NFPA-110 requires annual full-capacity load bank testing. The test runs the unit up to 100% of nameplate against a portable resistive load bank and records the results. We offer 2-hour and 4-hour load bank tests, sized to your facility’s requirements.
On a Documented Schedule: Standard Service
Between those tests, the generator needs standard service: oil change, filter, coolant and fuel system service, battery testing and transfer switch testing and exercise. The right interval depends on the unit, how it is used and what your authority having jurisdiction requires, so we set each unit on a documented schedule and track it for you.
Because our maintenance pricing is based on labor and supplies, not generator size, the rate is the same whether you have a 20kW or a 199kW unit, and rates are locked in for a full year.
Every Scheduled Visit: A Fuel Sample
Diesel degrades, water condenses and microbial growth happens in tanks that sit. We take fuel samples during scheduled visits and send them directly to a third-party lab on your behalf, then polish the fuel on site if it needs it.
Seasonally: Before the Freeze and Before Storm Season
In North Texas, schedule service before the first hard freeze: battery testing, a fuel sample, a transfer switch test and a load bank test if one is coming due. On the coast, schedule pre-season service before hurricane season opens on June 1, so any repairs the testing turns up are done before the first storm.
Severe storms bring short, frequent outages, and every one is a real-world start for your transfer switch. That is why the ATS is exercised and tested on schedule.
Healthcare Facilities: Plan for More
NFPA-99 applies specifically to healthcare facilities and adds documentation, testing frequency and reliability requirements beyond NFPA-110. If you serve patients or residents, your standby power has to meet a higher bar, and the records have to prove it. Every Paradise EPS service ends with audit-ready documentation, and we let you know before a testing window closes.