Having a well-maintained diesel generator can protect you from power interruptions, which can endanger the life of a healthcare facility if the generator fails. Similarly, an outage in an organization's data center can be costly due to the lack of emergency power. With regular diesel generator maintenance, you can ensure that your diesel generator is there when you need it.
Diesel generators can withstand heavy loads for a long time, and because of this durability, preventive maintenance is the key to ensuring that diesel generators can supply a stable power at all times. Here are some tips to help your emergency power supply prepare for a power outage**.
Conduct general inspections.
Explain the risk of mechanical failure to operators while the generator is in operation so that on-site facility staff can conduct monthly visual and operational inspections. If your staff is not equipped, you can contact Dingbo Power Company for on-site training with our technicians.
Here are some parts that can be checked regularly by a generator maintenance professional.
Exhaust system. Fuel system.
Motor. Control system.
DC electrical system.
Check the oil lubrication.
When the engine is turned off, you have to observe the oil level of the engine with a dipstick. In general, we recommend changing the oil and filter once a year to maintain optimal performance. If your generator has a lot of hours of operation each year, you may want to consider doing this more. Samples can also be tested at this time in order to check some level of operation.
Cooling service. Check coolant levels at scheduled service or monthly check-ins. When the level is lowered, you should have some coolant on hand to meet the units. If the service technician notices this while servicing preventive maintenance in the field, some diesel engines require a certain mixture of antifreeze, water, and coolant additives, so be sure to choose the coolant according to the manufacturer's recommendations.
Clean the outside area of the radiator with a cloth or soft brush. In addition, it is also effective to use water flow or low-pressure compressed air to remove dirt from the radiator.
Fuel filtration system.
Diesel can degrade or become contaminated over time. Regular generator maintenance ensures that your fuel filter is regularly replaced annually to maintain performance. In addition, we recommend that fuel samples be tested as part of annual maintenance, collecting water vapor and being able to concentrate in a fuel tank, which will degrade the fuel.
If fuel tests show degradation or the accumulation of certain chemicals, fuel cleaning and introducing additives into the tank can get your fuel back to a usable state instead of wasting old diesel.
Test the starting battery.
There is no greater risk of your generator not starting than a faulty battery. When the transfer switch senses a utility power failure, the battery's power is required to start the generator so that it can absorb the electrical load. Therefore, insufficient charging or a weak starting battery is the cause of the disaster. Even if you charge and maintain lead-acid starter batteries properly, they can degrade over time. Most generator starter batteries are expected to have a production life of 36 months, although some batteries are only 24 months. We recommend replacing the battery at the end of its life to prevent failure. The battery should also be tested regularly to check for problems.
Load testing. If you want to check and see how your generator is performing under load, the recommended duration for which a technician can perform a load bank test is 2 hours. This testing allows the unit to utilize artificial loads, rather than risking critical loads in the field, to run to full operating temperature for long periods of time.
If you are not sure when the last full service was completed on your generator, or you are looking for a more reliable generator, contact Dingbo Power, you will have a more stable and reliable diesel generator set.