Hale’s Storm Team Response Protocol
Storms can be predicted or simply appear out of nowhere. Hale’s Electrical Service TEAM has you covered with a protocol in place and ready for your Generac Backup Power needs! Our team command is mobile and ready to meet your needs head on through a carefully developed protocol that is well rehearsed by all team members. When your power goes out and your generator does not come on, continue reading to find out the steps we will take to get you back online and living life normally once again!
MAKING THE CALL:
If a storm or hint of a storm is predicted our team prepares to answer calls 24/7, as usual, keeping in mind an increased call volume. Since Hale’s employees are our after-hours response team year round, we do not depend on an answering service. Your generator challenge will be addressed upfront with a live Hale’s employee. Our service team rotates “on-call” status throughout the year and during events, predicted or not, more staff is on call to meet your needs.
Simply call our office at (804) 518-3060 and select Option 5 or go to our Connect with Us page. If you are mobile you can dial direct!
If multiple calls are coming in, we have a line-up of rollover call employees to ensure that every call is answered. If for some reason the calls are overwhelming or phone service is lost, please leave a message and we will return the call ASAP. We can also, cellular service permitting, receive emails for service by filling out our Connect with Us Form.
Our goal is to be there for you personally and not employee other service companies to take our calls and transfer them to us. We understand your power needs and the urgency of your challenge, we are your trusted service provider since 2003!
PRIORITIZING NEEDS:
When calling for an emergency, please remember that we will be prioritizing our calls based on our fleet and the urgency of your needs. For your peace of mind, our medical needs customers come first! Oxygen, dialysis, medication refrigeration and specific medical apparatus are customers who have limited time resources to be back up and powered. Next, we take on our special needs cases of mobile, handicapped, group and infant resident homes.
Depending on the severity of the storm, we may assemble our teams in quadrants, pre-planned, to address and mobilize the needs in each quadrant for coverage and time effectiveness. Once you are on the list, please be patient! If your power returns prior to our getting to you, please contact us so that we can move you down the list and others still without power up the list. By working together, we can do the greatest good for the greatest number!
DISPATCHING DURING THE STORM:
Emergency Management Department and storm severity dictate when our crews will be able to move and begin getting power back to our customers. During raging storms, it is neither safe nor prudent for our service technicians nor your generator. Once roads and neighborhoods are reachable safely our fleets will move.
The inside of your generator likes wet conditions no better than you do. Please don’t ask us to open your generator in severe conditions if we feel it may compromise the operation of your generator in the future. The reason your generator has an enclosure is to keep the weather out! Our professional staff monitors the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, Virginia State Police, the local weather apps, NOAA and Local County Emergency Management Officials and Sheriff’s Departments for indication of safety. Once we receive approval to be out, we will begin sending our fleet of Technician Teams out.
STORM TEAMS:
During major storms, our technicians assemble a TEAM to work more effectively and therefore you will be charged a TEAM rate. These teams work rapidly together as a well-oiled machine and practice throughout the year with regular service visits where you are only charged your standard service fee. During these times standard service might take half as long to be performed as usual, due to the team effort. We take pride in the fact that our teams are interchangeable and work together seamlessly to provide for your needs anytime of the year!
HALE TEAMS work together for safety as well! Storms produce many unpredictable circumstances in travel as well as on job sites and even in public. Many people are desperate for power to return and our technicians work together to ensure each other’s safety as well. We ask that you help us keep them safe! Ensure that the pathway to your generator is clear, free of storm debris and ready for them to get to quickly, safely and easily. We appreciate you!
STAFF INFORMATION NEEDS:
Our trained staff will man phones until the need for our emergency services calms down. Know that our professionals will act quickly to meet your needs. Please be prepared to give them the following information: Name, phone number, address, generator brand (we only work on Generac, Centurion, Honeywell, Watchdog, Carrier brands made by Generac Power Systems), generator size (if you do not know size, be prepared to tell us if it opens from the top or front/side), when the last time it exercised and the battery date. DO NOT JUMP START YOUR BATTERY! Tell us what fault light or code is on the generator and on older models if the red light is solid or flashing.
DO NOT TRY TO START / RESET YOUR GENERATOR YOURSELF as it will clear the fault and cause our technician potential problems in troubleshooting your generator! Calling us immediately may prevent a service call emergency and we may be able to help you get back online right away and provide for your needs later once the storm passes or our calls are more caught up.
HOW LONG CAN MY GENERATOR RUN BEFORE I NEED SERVICE?
Air-Cooled Generators manufactured before 2010 will need service at approximately every 80-100 hours or every three (3) days. Generators manufactured 2010 to current can operate up to 200 hours before requiring a service in most cases. This is every 6-7 days. No matter when your generator was manufactured, it is always good to let your generator cool down and check the oil.
Allow the engine and generator to cool down for approximately 20-30 minutes and then check the oil. If your oil appears to be low, add NO MORE THAN 4 Ounces per day. If you find this is not enough, contact us for instructions. Overfilling your generator oil will cause more problems. Overfilled oil will damage and saturate your air filter causing your generator to smoke and choke for the necessary air to operate. The additional build-up of oil inside your generator will cause it not to operate correctly and may damage your generator.
Following these simple instructions will help you keep your generator running smoothly during a major storm event. Your help in keeping your generator operational makes our job and your service invoice much easier on all of us!
CAN I TURN MY GENERATOR OFF?
YES! Our recommendation is that you follow these steps to save your starter additional wear and tear:
TO TURN OFF:
Turn off the breaker inside the generator (usually at the back of your generator)
Turn off the generator
TO RESTART:
Turn on the generator, let it run 30+ seconds
Turn on the breaker inside the generator
By following these simple steps you can save unnecessary wear and tear on your generator’s starter by not loading it immediately with everything running. (Similar to starting a car with lights, radio, wipers, etc on high – this is hard on the starter!)
MY AIR CONDITIONER IS NOT RUNNING:
Many air conditioners will need to “reset” themselves once the power goes out and the generator transfers power. It is our recommendation that you simply turn off your air conditioner for approximately 15-30 minutes and then turn it back on again. If your air conditioner circuit is on your generator for backup power, this should place your air conditioner back in line and operational.
HOW DO YOU PREPARE FOR A STORM?
Share with us in the comments below how you prepare for the storm and be sure to visit our storm pages for more preparation ideas based on the different seasons and storms. Be sure you know where your generator key and spare keys are in case your generator is locked and you need access. Our technicians have master keys to your generator but they do not carry extras to hand out!
