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Generator maintenance checklist
A service visit form for a standby or prime power generator. It covers making the set safe, engine fluids and filters, the fuel tank and its bund, battery and controls, and a run test with readings, then the outcome, parts and the customer's signature. Every question is listed below, and you can fill the live form in on this page.
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What should a generator maintenance checklist include?
A generator maintenance checklist should cover leaks, the enclosure and exhaust, engine oil and coolant, belts, hoses and filters, the fuel level and condition, the battery and charger, the control panel and emergency stop, and the changeover switch. It should record a run test with voltage, frequency, oil pressure and temperature, and confirm the set was left in auto, ready to start.
Last updated . Facts checked by the SiteSurvey team on 5 October 2026 against GOV.UK: storing oil at a home or business, regulation 5 of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 and regulation 4 of the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989.
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Every question in the generator maintenance template
Service visit for a standby or prime power generator: engine, fuel, battery and controls checks, a recorded run test, defects, parts and sign-off. 8 sections and 77 questions. Follow-up questions and guidance appear only when an answer calls for them, so the person on site never sees the ones that do not apply.
Make it your own: every question is editable
This is a starting point, not a fixed form. Once it is in your SiteSurvey account you can reword any question, add or remove questions, sections and answer options, and add your own logo, so it fits the way your team works and the jobs you do.
Details you only enter once
Add this form to a project in SiteSurvey and it fills in what the project already knows, so nobody on site retypes it and every form on the job uses the same names. Anything filled in can still be changed.
- Project: the project name
- Customer: the project's customer
- Site: the site, when the form is opened for a space or a product
- Address: the site address, from the space or the project
Job and generator
The job, the site and the set.
- ProjectShort answer
Filled in from the project in SiteSurvey.
Fills in from the project name - Job or contract referenceShort answer
- CustomerShort answerFills in from the project's customer
- Site*Short answerFills in from the site, when the form is opened for a space or a product
- AddressShort answerFills in from the site address, from the space or the project
- Date of visit*Date
- Arrival timeTime
- Type of visit*Choose one
- Planned service
- Call-out for a fault
- Run test only
- What was reported, and by whom?NotesShown when “Type of visit” is “Call-out for a fault”
- Engineer nameShort answer
- Generator make and modelShort answer
- Serial numberShort answer
- Rating (kVA)Number
- FuelChoose one
- Diesel
- HVO
- Gas
- Petrol
- DutyChoose one
- Standby
- Prime or continuous
- Hours run, from the meterNumber
- Date of the last serviceDate
Before you start
Make it safe and look it over.
- Is the set switched out of auto so it cannot start while you work on it?Yes or No
- WarningDo not work on the engine or alternator until the set is out of auto and cannot start. Tell the site contact the standby supply is unavailable while you work.Shown when “Is the set switched out of auto so it cannot start while you work on it?” is No
- Standby supply unavailable from and to, and who was toldShort answerShown when “Duty” is “Standby”
- Oil, coolant or fuel leaksChoose one
- None
- Minor weep
- Leak
- Canopy, enclosure and mountingsChoose one
- OK
- Defect
- Exhaust and laggingChoose one
- OK
- Defect
- Air inlets and outlets clearChoose one
- OK
- Blocked or restricted
- Photos on arrivalPhotos
Engine
Fluids, filters, belts and hoses.
- Engine oil levelChoose one
- OK
- Topped up
- Low or contaminated
- Oil and oil filter changed?Yes or No
- Coolant levelChoose one
- OK
- Topped up
- Low or contaminated
- Antifreeze protection, if testedShort answer
- Belts and hosesChoose one
- OK
- Worn: replace soon
- Replaced
- Air filterChoose one
- OK
- Cleaned
- Replaced
- Fuel filterChoose one
- OK
- Replaced
- Water drained
- Engine heaterChoose one
- Working
- Not working
- None fitted
Fuel
Tank, level and condition.
- Tank capacity (litres)Number
- Fuel level (%)Number
- CheckUnder a quarter of a tank. Tell the customer: a standby set is only as good as the fuel in it.Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
- Secondary containmentChoose one
- Bunded or double-skinned tank
- Tank in a separate bund
- None
Shown only when the answers above make it relevant - GuidanceGOV.UK says the oil storage rules for businesses in England and Wales apply to a generator with a connected oil supply tank of 201 litres or more, including stand-by generators. A bund must hold 110% of the capacity of the container. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own rules.Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
- WarningNo secondary containment on a tank of 201 litres or more. Raise it with the customer.Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
- Bund or outer skinChoose one
- Dry and clean
- Rainwater in the bund
- Oil in the bund
- Damaged
Shown only when the answers above make it relevant - Fuel conditionChoose one
- Clear
- Water or sediment found
- Not checked
- Age of the fuel, if knownShort answer
- Fuel sample taken?Choose one
- Yes, sent for analysis
- No
Battery and controls
Starting, charging, alarms and changeover.
- Battery voltage (V)Number
- Battery age (years)Number
- Battery chargerChoose one
- Working
- Not working
- Terminals and leadsChoose one
- Clean and tight
- Cleaned
- Corroded or loose
- Control panelChoose one
- No alarms
- Alarm showing
- Alarm cleared on this visit
- Which alarm?Short answerShown only when the answers above make it relevant
- Emergency stopChoose one
- Tested: works
- Tested: failed
- Not tested
- Changeover switch or panelChoose one
- Tested: works
- Tested: failed
- Not tested
- None fitted
Run test
Readings with the set running.
- Type of test*Choose one
- Off load
- On the building load
- Load bank
- Not run
- Why was it not run?Short answerShown when “Type of test” is “Not run”
- Run time (minutes)NumberShown only when the answers above make it relevant
- Load (kW)NumberShown only when the answers above make it relevant
- Voltage (V)NumberShown only when the answers above make it relevant
- Frequency (Hz)NumberShown only when the answers above make it relevant
- Oil pressureNumberShown only when the answers above make it relevant
- Coolant temperature (°C)NumberShown only when the answers above make it relevant
- Any abnormal noise, vibration or smoke?Yes or NoShown only when the answers above make it relevant
- Describe itShort answerShown when “Any abnormal noise, vibration or smoke?” is Yes
- Automatic start on mains failureChoose one
- Tested: started and took the load
- Tested: failed
- Not tested: customer did not allow
Shown when “Duty” is “Standby” - Has the set been left in auto, ready to start?Yes or No
- WarningThe set is not in auto and will not start if the mains fails. Tell the site contact before you leave and record who you told.Shown when “Has the set been left in auto, ready to start?” is No
- Who did you tell?Short answerShown when “Has the set been left in auto, ready to start?” is No
Outcome and parts
How the set was left and what happens next.
- Outcome of the visit*Choose one
- Serviceable, no defects
- Serviceable with defects outstanding
- Not serviceable
- What needs doing next, and who will do it?NotesShown only when the answers above make it relevant
- RecommendationsNotes
- Did you use any parts or materials?Yes or No
- Parts and materials usedRepeat for each part. Each one asks:Shown when “Did you use any parts or materials?” is Yes
- ItemShort answer
- Part numberShort answer
- QuantityNumber
- Next service dueDate
- Departure timeTime
Sign-off
Customer and engineer.
- Is the customer or their representative available to sign?Yes or No
- Why not, and who will you send the report to?Short answerShown when “Is the customer or their representative available to sign?” is No
- Customer nameShort answerShown when “Is the customer or their representative available to sign?” is Yes
- PositionShort answerShown when “Is the customer or their representative available to sign?” is Yes
- Customer commentNotesShown when “Is the customer or their representative available to sign?” is Yes
- Customer signatureSignatureShown when “Is the customer or their representative available to sign?” is Yes
- Engineer nameShort answer
- Engineer signatureSignature
See it filled in
A completed generator maintenance report, made by SiteSurvey from a fictional site visit: every answer, the photos, the guidance that applied and the sign-off, ready to send as a PDF.
Generator maintenance FAQs
What does the run test record?
Whether the set was run off load, on the building load or on a load bank, for how long, with the load, voltage, frequency, oil pressure and coolant temperature, and any abnormal noise, vibration or smoke. For a standby set it also records whether automatic start on mains failure was tested.
Why does it ask whether the set was left in auto?
A standby generator switched out of auto for servicing will not start if the mains fails. The form asks the engineer to switch it out of auto before working, and to confirm it is back in auto before leaving. If it is not, the form shows a warning and records who on site was told.
Does the fuel tank need a bund?
GOV.UK says the oil storage rules for businesses in England and Wales apply to a generator with a connected oil supply tank of 201 litres or more, including stand-by generators, and that a bund must hold 110% of the capacity of the container. The form asks for the tank capacity and, at 201 litres or more, the type of secondary containment. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own rules.
What engine, fuel and battery checks are included?
Oil level and whether the oil and filter were changed, coolant and antifreeze, belts and hoses, the air and fuel filters and the engine heater. Fuel is checked for level, with a warning under a quarter of a tank, and for water or sediment. Battery voltage and age, the charger, terminals, panel alarms, the emergency stop and the changeover switch are recorded too, with test results where a test was done.
Is generator maintenance a legal requirement?
No law sets a generator service interval. Regulation 5 of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 requires work equipment to be maintained in an efficient state, in efficient working order and in good repair, and regulation 4 of the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 requires electrical systems to be maintained, as far as necessary, to prevent danger. Follow the manufacturer's schedule and any site or insurer requirement for how often.
How is the visit signed off?
The engineer records the outcome as serviceable, serviceable with defects outstanding or not serviceable, with parts used and the next service date. The customer signs on the device, or the form records why nobody could. It works offline in the SiteSurvey app and goes out as a PDF or a share link.
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Portable appliance inspection and test record: each appliance with its ID, location, class, visual checks, test readings, pass or fail and the action taken.
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