Off-grid from zero · lesson 10 of 12

Backup, spares, and the habit of maintenance

Set up the generator, the spare-parts wall, and the maintenance calendar so the first failure is a nuisance, not a cold week.

Everything off-grid fails eventually, usually on the coldest or darkest day. The difference between a hard life and a good one is whether the spare is on the shelf and you know what to do. This lesson is the system behind the systems: a generator that has been run in and can be started in the dark, fuses and filters in pairs, fuel that is not stale, and a calendar that remembers the chimney sweep before the creosote does.

The spares reference lists what to stock by system with part numbers; the maintenance reminders email you on the day something is due; the systems binder download is the place to write it all down. Set them up now, while nothing is broken.

Numbers to carry

Run the generator under load monthly, always outdoors and at least 20 feet from doors, windows, and vents because the exhaust contains deadly carbon monoxide; stale gasoline is the number one no-start.
Small-sump generator oil: follow the manual, commonly a break-in change near 20 hours and then every 50 to 100 hours or each season.
Chimney: inspected at least once a year and swept before the season, with a mid-winter look inside no matter how much you burn, since creosote can build fast on smoky fires.

Read

Fuel and spare parts inventory: what to stockpile so nothing grinds to a haltA generator with no spare filter is just a lawn ornament. Here's the honest, tiered approach to fuel and parts stockpiling that keeps off-gr…
Building a spare parts wall: the fasteners and fittings that save tripsThe town run costs you half a day and a tank of fuel. A well stocked parts wall costs you one weekend and a few hundred dollars. Here's how …
Building a small engine repair kit: keeping generators and pumps aliveA generator or well pump that won't start is usually a solvable problem. Off-grid, it's a crisis. Here's the kit and the skills that keep sm…
Power outage triage: what to shut off first when your system is failingWhen your solar system starts failing at the worst possible moment, the order you shut things off in decides whether you lose an evening or …

Use

Do before the next lesson

Build the spares shelf from the reference for the systems you actually own; two of every fuse, one of every filter.
Turn on the maintenance reminders for your systems.
Start the systems binder: serials, part numbers, what you changed and when.

← Lesson 9 Lesson 11: Money, permits, insurance, and taxes →

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