Home / Standby generator removal
Building and plant standby
Replacing a backup set or retiring an old one? We buy the outgoing unit and work out how it leaves the building.
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Five lines. We call back with a number.
Fastest way to a firm number
Getting it out
| Location | What it usually takes | Send us |
|---|---|---|
| Pad at grade | Flatbed with a picker, or a tilt deck | Photo of the pad and driveway |
| Parkade or basement | Riggers, sometimes a partial teardown | Ceiling height and the route out |
| Rooftop | Crane lift, booked ahead | Building height and street access |
| Fenced compound | Depends on the gate | Gate width and who has the key |
Swapping in a new set?
Generator sitting idle? Get a number today.
Worth knowing
Emergency sets and the bylaw
Metro Vancouver doesn't require emergency-only standby sets to be registered under its non-road diesel bylaw, though they still have to be maintained so they don't bother people nearby. More on the rules.
Standby sets in depth
Standby sets are wired into a building's power and often sit somewhere awkward. A little planning makes the removal routine.
A licensed electrician disconnects the generator from the transfer switch and the building's distribution. If the set runs on natural gas or propane, a licensed gas fitter shuts off and caps the line. That work falls under Technical Safety BC's rules, so we leave it to the trades. Once both are done and signed off, the set is just equipment, and that's when we move it.
The automatic transfer switch can come out with the generator, or stay if a new set is going in. Tell us which before the electrician starts, so they know what to leave in place. Old switchgear, breakers and cable runs that come out with the set can go on the same load. See our page on switchgear and tanks for what we take.
Generators on rooftops, in parkades or in basement mechanical rooms usually need a crane or riggers, and sometimes the set has to come apart into the engine, alternator and enclosure. If a crane has to set up on the street, the city may need to issue a permit for the lane closure. Photos of the room, the doors, the ceiling height and the route out help us plan it properly.
Day tanks and sub-base tanks need to be pumped down before the set moves. We don't haul loose fuel, so your fuel supplier or a pumping company takes out what's left. Tell us roughly how much is in there, because a full sub-base tank changes the plan and the weight.
Leave the oil and coolant in the engine unless it's leaking. Starting batteries can stay too. Everything is drained and recycled properly once the set reaches the recycler or a rebuilder, so there's nothing to clean up first.
Removals can be timed around tenants, after hours or on weekends, and around the hours a loading bay is free. Tell us about elevator bookings, security sign-ins and anyone who needs notice before a truck arrives.
If you're replacing an old generator, we can time the pickup so the old set leaves the same day the new one goes in, or the day before. That keeps the pad or room clear for the installer and cuts down on the time the building runs without backup.
For a strata-owned generator, whoever the strata authorizes signs for the sale, usually council or the property manager, with written approval. For a commercial building, it's the owner or someone with signing authority. Tell us who that is when you send the photos.
Send photos of the nameplate (make, model, kW and engine serial), the hour meter, the enclosure and where it sits, plus the route out of the building. Tell us whether it ran when it was last tested. With that, we can usually give you a number and a removal plan without a site visit.
Questions
Often. A crane lift takes planning and sometimes a street permit, so we settle the plan before we quote.
Yes, once your electrician has disconnected it. See switchgear and tanks.
Whoever the strata authorizes, usually council or the property manager, with written approval.
No. We buy standby generators that run, that failed their last load test, or that haven't been started in years. Tell us when it was last tested and what happened, and send a photo of the hour meter.
Yes. Most standby sets have low hours anyway, since they only run for tests and outages. Even high-hour sets have value in the engine, the alternator and the copper, so send the details and we'll quote it.
Sets that can run again may be rebuilt and reused. The rest go to a licensed recycler, where fluids are drained and the steel, copper and aluminum are recycled. Either way, it doesn't end up in a landfill.
Send photos of the unit, the nameplate and the way out. We'll plan the removal.
