Protect Your Generator from Ants
Summer, fall, winter, spring … Ants are everywhere! Repeatedly calls come in for a non-operational generator. On troubleshoot and service visits our technicians find ant infestation to be a large challenge for controllers within the generator. Often times ants, or evidence of ants, are found on service and our homeowners are alerted to place ant traps or contact their exterminator as soon as possible. Once evidence is seen the pesky ants have already imbedded themselves into your electronics and wiring, and the damage has begun.
Ant infestation resulting in component damage is not covered by any warranty and comes under the clause of being out of the control of the manufacturer. Controller repairs / replacements can become very costly, ranging from several hundred, to several thousand dollars of homeowner money. Just like other areas of your home affected by rodents and pests, your generator is one more area for you to police and be mindful of upkeep. One more reason for regular generator maintenance and service technician visits to protect your investment.
Ants as well as other pests and rodents are drawn to the heat of electronics. They seek shelter from weather or to build a nest and on occasion, appear accidentally as they forage for food. The electromagnetics of controllers can draw ants and other pests into your generator. Once the ants enter and are shocked or electrocuted a chemical substance called pheromones is released. Pheromones attract more ants and fairly soon you have an overabundance of ants and damage.
Once a colony of ants has discovered your electronics controller, it can begin short circuiting your controller’s circuitry, which causes your generator to fail. This failure can happen even though the technicians were recently there, even though it performed the weekly test cycle that day, and a storm arises that night. Ants can work quickly to cause major damage, depending on their environment and needs or reason for entering your generator (shelter, food, warmth). Sometimes ants chew through the wiring jackets, much like mice can. Once this insulation / jacket has been compromised, wiring is exposed to the elements of moisture, humidity, heat and cold, also allowing for breakdown and damage.
Protect yourself and your investment:
- Check your generator regularly for signs of ants, wasps and mice.
- Use specialty labeled products to set inside or around your generator, keeping in mind any pets you may have and their safety (Spraying inside your generator is not recommended). Alternately you may want to contact a pest control professional to ensure the ants have not and will not move into your home, garage, barn, and other living areas.
- Cleanliness counts! Check regularly for trash or other attractants that may draw ants in.
- Seal entry points! This is usually done at the generator and transfer switch at installation. In time caulking and other sealants breakdown and weather may be the largest culprit for entry points to reopen. Review and correct any potential entry points. Ask your technician at service to assist you in this review!
Hale’s Electrical Service and our HaleYES Team want you protected and don’t want to have to give you a repair invoice for ant damage. Protect yourself…protect your investment.
