Sizing & Choosing a Generator
1. What size generator does my business need?
The right size depends on the equipment you need to power — HVAC, lighting, computers, machinery, medical or refrigeration equipment. We calculate your total load, including startup surges, and recommend a generator sized to handle it safely.
2. Do I need single-phase or three-phase power?
Most homes and small offices use single-phase; commercial and industrial facilities typically need three-phase for larger equipment. We match the generator’s phase and voltage to your building’s electrical system.
3. Will the generator power my whole building or just critical loads?
Your choice. Some businesses back up only critical systems (servers, refrigeration, life-safety, lighting); others choose full-building backup. We can design either.
4. Should I buy a new or used/refurbished generator?
New units offer warranty coverage, the latest technology, and current emissions compliance. Used/refurbished units lower upfront cost and are ideal when budget or lead time is tight. We’ll walk you through both based on your priorities.
5. What’s the difference between a portable/rental generator and a permanent standby generator?
Rentals are trailer- or skid-mounted units brought on-site temporarily for outages, construction, or events. Standby generators are permanently installed, wired into your building through an automatic transfer switch, and start automatically when utility power fails.
6. How do I know if my current generator is undersized as my facility grows?
If you’ve added equipment, expanded square footage, or changed how the building is used since your generator was installed, a load reassessment can confirm whether it still covers your needs. We can evaluate this as part of a service visit.
Fuel & Fuel Services
1. Which fuel type is best — diesel, natural gas, or propane?
Diesel is powerful and reliable but requires on-site fuel storage. Natural gas and propane are cleaner and convenient where gas service is available. We help you choose based on availability, local regulations, and your runtime needs.
2. How does your fuel delivery service work?
We monitor your generator’s run time and burn rate and dispatch fuel deliveries before you run low, 24/7, with no minimums or trip charges. We deliver premium red-dye diesel.
3. What is fuel polishing, and does my generator need it?
Fuel polishing removes water, sediment, and microbial contamination from stored diesel through filtration and cleansing. Stored fuel degrades over time — polishing extends generator life and reduces blocked filters, worn injectors, and engine failure. It’s especially important for standby generators that sit idle most of the year.
4. How much fuel storage do I need on-site?
This depends on your generator’s size, expected runtime, and local fire code limits on above-ground storage. We can size your fuel tank and help you stay compliant during design and installation.
Installation
1. What’s involved in installing a commercial generator?
Installation typically includes a concrete pad, proper ventilation and exhaust, fuel connections, electrical wiring, and an automatic transfer switch. All work must meet local code and safety requirements, which we handle for you.
2. What is an automatic transfer switch, and do I need one?
An ATS detects a utility power loss and automatically starts the generator, transferring your building’s electrical load to it — then switches back when utility power is restored. It’s required for any standby generator that needs to respond without someone on-site to start it manually.
3. Do I need permits to install a generator, and do you handle that?
Yes, most municipalities require permits for generator and fuel tank installation. As a licensed electrical contractor, we manage the permitting and inspection process for you.
4. Are there noise or setback restrictions I should know about?
Many South Florida municipalities have noise ordinances and minimum distance requirements from property lines, windows, and air intakes. We factor these into placement and can advise on sound-attenuated enclosures if needed.
5. How long does a typical commercial installation take?
Timelines vary by generator size, site conditions, and permitting turnaround with your municipality, but most commercial installations run from a few weeks to a couple of months from order to commissioning.
Rentals & Hurricane Season
1. How does generator rental work?
Tell us your load requirements; we size the unit, deliver it, run cables and make connections, fuel it, and service it for the duration of the rental — then remove it when you’re done. Terms are flexible: daily, weekly, or monthly.
2. What size generators are available for rent?
20 kW to 3,000 kW, from mobile trailer-mounted units to skid-mounted industrial generators.
3. What is the hurricane season reservation program, and how is it different from a regular rental?
It lets you secure priority access to a generator for hurricane season with a reservation fee instead of paying for a full rental upfront. If a storm activates your reservation, we handle delivery, connection, fueling, maintenance, and support for the duration.
4. When should I reserve a generator for hurricane season?
Before the season starts — inventory tightens quickly as storms approach, and reserving early guarantees your unit instead of leaving you shopping during peak demand.
5. Where do you store reserved generators until they’re needed?
We store the equipment at our facility, fully maintained, until it’s dispatched to your property.
6. Can I upgrade or downgrade my reserved generator size if my needs change?
Generators are subject to availability. If your requirements have changed and we have a suitable generator available, we would be happy to adjust your order accordingly.
Maintenance, Testing & Repair
1. How often does my generator need maintenance and testing?
Commercial generators should be inspected and run regularly, with scheduled service at least once or twice a year. Periodic load testing ensures the unit will perform under real conditions when you need it most.
2. What’s included in a preventative maintenance visit?
A complete visual inspection of the generator and its accessories (block heater, battery chargers, fuel tanks), covering our 59-point checklist — oil and filter changes, fuel testing, and load bank services as needed. Visits are scheduled monthly, quarterly, or annually depending on your generator, building, and budget, and we also maintain automatic transfer switches, uninterruptible power supply units, switchgear, fire pumps, and batteries.
3. What is load bank testing, and why does my generator need it?
Resistive load bank testing verifies your generator and its components work properly under your building’s fully loaded conditions. It identifies system efficiency, confirms there are no fuel, oil, or coolant leaks, checks voltage stability, and helps prevent wet stacking and carbon buildup from running on minimal load.
4. What is rust remediation, and why does it matter for a generator?
Generator enclosures and components corrode over time from humidity and salt air — a bigger issue in South Florida than most markets. Rust remediation addresses corrosion before it compromises the housing or components, extending the generator’s service life.
5. What are Megawattage Paints?
Megawattage’s generator painting service, designed to protect and restore generators exposed to South Florida’s weather. Our team uses specialized equipment and premium additives to protect the paint from precipitation and temperature swings, and we work inside an enclosed tent that shields the generator from environmental factors and lets us control the impact of any materials used — for a superior, long-lasting finish. We also offer pick-up and return service for the generator, so the whole process is hassle-free
6. How quickly can you respond to a generator breakdown?
We’re available 24/7, 365 days a year, and pick up the phone every time. During a power emergency, we deploy either a rental generator or a diagnostic/repair technician to your site.
7. Do you offer emergency repair even if you didn’t install or sell my generator?
Yes. Our team services your entire critical power network regardless of brand or manufacturer, so we’re able to step in and support equipment we didn’t originally install.
8. What brands of generators do you service?
We service all major brands and manufacturers — our technicians are recognized for their work on MQ Power diesel generators as well as most other well-known commercial brands, and our maintenance programs cover your full power system regardless of who installed it.
Disaster Relief & Emergency Response
1. What does your disaster relief service include?
Backup generators and emergency fuel delivery, available 24/7, 365 days a year, across South Florida. We’ve built proactive partnerships with agencies ahead of time and enlisted local subcontractors nationwide, so we can plan for and guarantee availability during a disaster rather than scrambling once one hits.
2. Do you prioritize existing customers during a hurricane or major outage?
Customers on a maintenance contract are on our technicians’ schedule before the emergency hits — our team already knows their equipment, so during an outage they’re not competing for attention with every other building in the region calling in at once.
3. Can you support multi-site or portfolio-wide deployments during a storm?
Yes. We service generator fleets across Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Collier, and Monroe counties and regularly support blue-chip, multi-site clients — including government, hospitals, luxury condominiums, and cold storage facilities — making us well-suited for portfolio-wide property management accounts.
Company, Licensing & Service Area
1. Are you licensed electrical contractors?
Yes. Megawattage is a licensed, fully insured electrical contractor. Our team specializes in commercial and industrial generator systems, which require a level of expertise beyond that of a typical general electrician. Because generators involve complex electrical, mechanical, and control systems, our technicians are trained specifically to service, repair, and maintain these mission-critical power systems.
2. What areas do you service?
Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Collier, and Monroe counties, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
3. What industries do you work with?
Property management, hospitality, healthcare and surgical centers, data centers, manufacturing, cold storage, warehousing and distribution, construction, agriculture, event venues, and more — with equipment and service tailored to each industry’s uptime requirements.
4. Are you familiar with backup power requirements for healthcare and assisted living facilities (e.g., NFPA 110, state emergency power rules)?
Yes. NFPA 110 is the primary national standard for emergency and standby power systems, and it defines performance across three dimensions: Type (how fast the generator must reach full load — Type 10, or ten seconds, is the most common commercial requirement), Class (how long it must sustain that load, typically 48–72 hours), and Level (the consequence of failure). The National Electrical Code adds requirements through Articles 700, 701, and 702 covering emergency, legally required standby, and optional standby systems, and the Florida Building Code layers on further requirements around hurricane construction and occupancy classification. Healthcare facilities, assisted living communities, high-rise buildings, and data centers aren’t just better off with backup power — they’re required to have it, and required to have it perform to a defined standard. We build our maintenance and testing programs around these requirements.
Pricing, Contracts & Getting Started
1. How much does a generator rental or maintenance contract cost?
Pricing depends on generator size, duration, and service level — contact us for a free quote.
2. Do you offer service contracts, or is maintenance billed per visit?
We offer ongoing maintenance contracts (monthly, quarterly, or annual programs), and customers on contract get priority scheduling versus one-off, reactive service calls.
3. How do I get a quote?
Fill out the contact form, call us anytime at (954) 328-0232, or email info@megawattage.com. Our team is available 24/7.