Generator Maintenance and Monitoring
Yearly generator maintenance for all makes, plus remote monitoring setup for Kohler generators.
A home standby generator spends most of its life doing nothing. Then, with no warning, it has to start on its own and carry your house through an outage. Maintenance is what makes that start something you can count on.
We maintain all makes and models of home standby generators, including Generac, air-cooled and liquid-cooled, in Bradenton, Lakewood Ranch and across Manatee County. The brand we sell is Kohler. Air & Energy is a Kohler Titanium Dealer and Titan Certified: Titanium is Kohler's top sales and installation tier, and Titan is its top service tier. As of September 2026, we're the only Kohler dealer in the Tampa Bay area holding both Titanium Dealer and Titan Certified status.
Call Air & Energy at (941) 778-0773, or schedule generator maintenance online.
How often does a generator need maintenance?
The exact schedule depends on the model; Kohler puts it in the owner's manual for each unit. For home standby generators we set maintenance up as a once-a-year visit, and we recommend booking it in spring, before hurricane season starts in June.
Heavy use changes that. During a long outage, Kohler recommends checking the oil after every 8 to 24 hours of running, depending on the size and model. If your generator carried the house for days, have it looked at afterwards, even if the yearly visit isn't due.
What a generator maintenance visit covers
- Oil and oil filter change
- Air filter — inspected, and replaced when it needs it
- Spark plugs — inspected
- Battery test — the generator can't start itself without a healthy one
- Coolant check on liquid-cooled units
- Fuel system check — lines and connections, for leaks and proper supply
- Controller review — fault history read, and anything logged since the last visit followed up
- Transfer switch test — confirming the house moves over to the generator and back on its own
- Run test — the generator started and run before we leave
Before we go, we tell you what we found and anything that needs attention. If something needs repair, you'll know what it involves before any work is done.
Why it's worth doing in a quiet month
Your generator runs a short self-test on a schedule, and between that and a yearly visit, most problems show up while the weather is calm. A worn part found in spring is a scheduled repair. The same part found with a storm on the way is a scramble.
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Remote monitoring for Kohler generators
Kohler's remote monitoring now runs through the Kohler Energy Management app, which has replaced the older OnCue app. If you used OnCue before, Kohler asks you to create a new account in the new app.
With a connected Kohler generator, the app gives you:
- Status alerts — whether the generator is ready, running or needs attention
- Remote test cycles — schedule a test or start one from your phone, and confirm the scheduled one ran (depending on your controller and firmware)
- History — the unit's logs, which help if you bought the house with the generator already in place
- Maintenance records — the service history in one place
Monitoring needs the generator connected to the internet, and what's available depends on the model and controller. We can check what your unit supports and help get it connected and set up in the app.
Not a Kohler?
We maintain all makes and models of home standby generators, including Generac, whoever installed them. The yearly visit covers the same ground; remote monitoring options differ by brand, and we'll tell you what yours has.
When maintenance turns up a problem
Sometimes a visit finds something that needs fixing. Our repairs are partly flat-rate and partly time-and-materials, and larger repairs are quoted in writing before any work starts. For a generator that has already stopped working, see generator repair and service. We also offer emergency service on nights and weekends; outside office hours your call goes to our automated on-call line, and our own on-call technicians respond through it.
Generator maintenance, locally
We started on Anna Maria Island in 1983. Today our technicians handle hundreds of generator maintenance visits a year, all of them W-2 Air & Energy employees. We use no subcontractors. Our own workmanship is guaranteed for one year on everything we do.
Generator maintenance questions people ask us
How often should a standby generator be serviced?
We service home standby generators once a year. The exact schedule for your model is in its owner's manual, and heavy use during a long outage means it should be checked sooner.
What maintenance does a Kohler standby generator need?
Oil and filter, air filter, spark plugs, a battery test, a fuel system check, the controller's fault history, a transfer switch test and a run test, plus coolant on liquid-cooled units. That is the list above.
When is the best time to schedule it?
Spring, before hurricane season starts in June, so anything the visit finds can be fixed while the weather is calm.
Do you maintain Generac and other brands?
Yes. We sell and install Kohler, but we maintain all makes and models of home standby generators, including Generac.
What happened to the OnCue app?
Kohler replaced it with the Kohler Energy Management app. You'll need to create a new account in the new app, even if you had an OnCue login.
Can you add remote monitoring to my generator?
It depends on the unit and its controller, and it needs an internet connection. We'll check what yours supports.
Does maintenance matter for my warranty?
Kohler says scheduled professional maintenance helps keep a generator within its warranty standards. Ask us for the current terms for your unit in writing.
Do you maintain generators near me?
We cover Bradenton, Palmetto, Ellenton, Parrish, Anna Maria Island, Longboat Key and all of Lakewood Ranch, including the Sarasota County side.
Book it before you need it
The best time to find out your generator isn't ready is on a calm day in spring.
Call (941) 778-0773
