Generator Repair Help Across Columbus & Franklin County

It depends on what an outage costs you. A standby generator earns its keep if anyone in the home relies on powered medical equipment, if you work from home, if a basement sump pump keeps water out, or if a winter outage would leave you without heat. That last point matters in Columbus: about 64% of homes heat with natural gas (U.S. Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates), but a gas furnace still needs electricity to run its blower and controls, so a power outage usually means no heat. A standby unit connected to your natural gas line starts automatically and avoids storing fuel. If outages are rare and short for you, a properly connected portable generator may cover the essentials for much less.

Start with safety: never run a portable generator inside a home or an attached garage, even with the door open, because carbon monoxide builds up quickly. Then check the basics. For a standby unit, look at the controller for an error code, make sure it's set to AUTO, check the battery (a weak battery is one of the most common no-start causes), and confirm the gas supply valve is open. For a portable unit, check fuel, the fuel valve and choke, and the oil level — many generators won't start when oil is low. If it starts but won't power the house, the transfer switch or a tripped breaker on the generator is the likely culprit. If none of that works, it's time for a technician.