Last Updated on December 27, 2021 by Jahangir
It is important to maintain your generator in order to ensure that it continues to run effectively. How Often Should A Generator Be Serviced? However, when you fail to do so, the performance of your generator can decrease, and ultimately lead to failure. I will help you identify the best frequency at which your generator should be serviced, in order to ensure its long-term reliability.
In the following article, we will take a look at what optimal operating frequency is for different generators and service intervals that you can choose from.
How Often Should A Generator Be Serviced?
The average electrician will most often follow the manufacturer’s/ manual recommendation and ensure that their generator (especially if it runs on natural gas) is serviced at least once a year. This is especially important for those who run heavy loads such as irrigation systems or even standby power sources like public water pumps. It is also advisable to keep an eye out and make sure your generator was serviced before it resulted in any lost electricity during grid disruption periods.
In contrast, industrial gas generators that run on LPG or other compressed gases should have their cyclic operation tested. The reason being is because the testing will help to identify any problems with mechanical parts within your generator and can save you from unnecessary downtime during normal operations as well as periodic rehabilitation periods connected to older technology.
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Follow the manufacturer’s maintenance plan
This can help to increase the service life of your generator. As described earlier, there are a variety of components within older generators that can lead to premature failure or degradation. To successfully decrease these risks and extend the lifespan of your machine multiple methods have been implemented over time via different maintenance periods available in most gas-electric hybrid designs.
Here is a brief look at some common preventive measures that may be helpful for certain situations:
Perform routine maintenance on standby generators
Performing standby generator inspections and maintenance is especially important for generators that run on larger amounts of natural gas, propane or LPG. Natural gas engines generate a certain amount of carbon monoxide (CO) as they break down the compounds that makeup consumer fuels into usable energy via combustion. The level produced can vary from approximately less than half a part per million to over seventy-five times higher according to EPA standards. In comparison, LPG creates only about five times the quantity of carbon monoxide. With regards to LPG, catalytic converters are usually effective at limiting COs existence in the system when running under 20-25% load for prolonged periods.
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The small amount of exhaust that is present isn’t dangerous, but it does build up over time if left unventilated or allowed to collect inside your generator house causing corrosion and rusting which may lead to premature wear and tear on certain accessories such as corrosion diffusers on your internal combustion engines or onboard filters.
Luckily, there are ways that you can reduce the amount of CO found in an electrical generator’s exhaust: Consider purchasing an infrared heater to help keep the exhaust air temperature more evenly. It’s best if you can install this device in a ventilated area of your generator house so that it only draws on energy once run-time is over, but doesn’t necessarily need to be directly accessible for lift out maintenance after initial setup.
Running a generator every week will make it last longer
A generator should be maintained to keep it in good condition and to extend its life. If you do not run your generator, then several parts i.e battery will be dried out and corroded resulting in the generator will not start through the battery.
So it is important to get your generator checked by a professional at least once every 6 months. It will get the attention of the professional which you are looking for because it’s not just checking up something rather than seeing actual problems with the generator.
Your standby generator should be turned on after every six months
If you have a standby generator then turn it on after every six months. If you do not turn it on then the battery and engine will be dried up and corroded.
You can also do some other things to keep your generator in good condition:
If your standby generator is overheating then purchase a good quality cooling fan or shroud which can help to regulate its temperature while running
Use high-quality fuel, check the oil level often and do not overfill it
Use a surge protector/arrestor on your house panel to protect appliances during startup.
If you are doing regular maintenance then the standby generator will last for many years.
Checking the oil and coolant levels
Performing periodic tune-ups and cleaning of the spark plugs, air filter and normal maintenance will ensure your generator is running at its best.
Checking the oil and coolant levels and performing periodic tune-ups and cleaning of the spark plugs, air filter and normal maintenance will ensure your generator is running at its best.
Don’t let a small problem become a big one
I hope you can avoid not doing maintenance on your standby generator because this will cost you money to repair the generator. If your standby generator is not working properly then it may break down anytime causing you inconvenience. So keep servicing your generator regularly and keep it healthy without any problem.
Thoroughly cleaning the engine compartment means that you will prolong the life of your generator as well as prevent unnecessary failures to occur. You should invest in quality, high octane gasoline to avoid the build-up of harmful deposits.
Invest in an automatic transfer switch
Install an automatic transfer switch to ensure that your generator kicks into action when there is a power cut. This will save you time and money, as it means that the moment the electricity goes out, you can immediately start running on back-up power without having to wait around for assistance. Doing so will reduce the chances of a breakdown occurring.
Battery
Batteries can be dangerous if they are not maintained well, because you have to charge them again and again through the generator engine for starting. If you use your generator properly then it will last for many years without any problem. For a standby generator, it is very much important to keep checking oil and coolant levels. If you are doing regular maintenance then the standby generator will live for many years without any problem.
Air Cleaner Service:
Air filtration helps to reduce the risk of fire. It is not always easy for users to maintain such devices as they do not handle any lint, dirt and other obstructions that exist at places like the engine compartments. Regularly cleaning the air filter helps maintaining your generator’s performance levels well.
Don’t neglect maintenance.
A mechanical air filter will need to be checked for any major damage, which is the basic function of all maintenance. Make sure that there are no large metal particles or dirt trapped in it before starting up your generator output making it difficult to run smoothly.
O-ring and Sediment Cup Cleaning
The generator needs lubrication in order to run smoothly. It is quite easy for users to clean lubricant casing or O-ring sealing using filters with open ends that are made of plastic, so all you have to do is unscrew the filter cap and pass it through oiled passages in their devices.
Don’t ignore maintenance when your backup power system will play an important role during any emergency situations or power outages.
Inspect Spark plug
When your generator is running, there will be a crackling sound that you can hear from inside the unit. This noise occurs due to a spark-producing behaviour of an internal electrical device called Beltshaft Seal and O-Ring Needle Bearing. Correctly cleaning these two parts before running the generator often helps to eliminate this noise.
It is a wise investment for any generator service centre to come up with the best service and maintenance schedules through which it can help you save money as well as keep your generator running at optimum condition by its regular servicing.
Generac generator
Generac generators have extremely high quality. Therefore the generator should not be serviced less frequently than once every two years if you want to get the full value of these generators. There are a few things that can cause damage in the Generac generator which need a replacement immediately, they are oil filters and spark plugs.
Honda Generator
Honda generators are also good quality generators. However, when it comes to servicing and maintenance, Honda has some recommended practices which need attention. One of the most important recommendations is that these generators should be serviced regularly and always they must not be under-run for an extended time.
Preventative maintenance is important for both Honda and Generac generators. However, when talking about the preventive maintenance for the Honda generator it is recommended that
to change all filters before flipping your Honda generator for the first time. It is recommended to go through these recommendations in order to maintain both the quality of these generators and efficiency at optimum level.
Portable Generator
As a backup generator, the portable generator can be moved from one place to another. If they are not in good condition the generator will make a lot of noise when it is started. A generator that has been well maintained and serviced will produce less noise while starting up.
Many power outages, especially those that occur in the winter or during a heatwave can put a strain on emergency power systems. However, with proper regular maintenance, these systems will last much longer. Regular generator servicing will help prevent breakdowns and extend the lives of your emergency power system.
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Mr. Jahangir Alam is an Electrical & Electronics Engineer with a wide range of experience in several fields of Engineering. He finds engineering articles to be very interesting, and that is why he likes to write them. To know more about him, please click here.