Electricity is crucial for any business to run. Power disruptions can cause significant delays or backlogs in your operations and may even result in having to scrap products. As a result, any business must have an industrial generator to ensure uninterrupted power in case of an outage. 

Since your generator is critical to your operations, it must remain in optimal condition. One way to do this is to perform regular inspections. How often you inspect your generator will depend on various factors, including the generator performance manufacturer’s recommendations.

Why Should You Inspect Your Industrial Generator? 

Preventive maintenance for industrial generators should start with regular inspections to help you monitor and improve your generator’s performance. They can also help prevent your generator from failing when you need it the most. There are many benefits to regularly checking your generator, including the following. 

• Early detection: Regular inspections can help identify issues such as low coolant, clogged lines and leaks. Proactively detecting problems allows you to rectify the cause before it becomes a more costly concern. 
• Improves performance: By constantly monitoring your generator’s condition, you can improve its performance. If there is plenty of fuel and oil in the generator, it can perform optimally at all times.
• Increases life span: Improved performance and early detection of problems ensure your generator lasts longer, as its components are in peak condition. The improved efficiency can prolong your generator’s life. 

When to Have Your Industrial Generators Inspected

According to your manufacturer’s recommendations, you may need to inspect your industrial generators several times, including before use, monthly, annually and when you notice a performance decline.

The inspections’ extent will depend on when you perform them. Some may only be quick, visual checks to identify any visible issue, while others will be in-depth inspections that evaluate your generator and its components. Here is a breakdown of how often you should have your generator inspected.  

According to Manufacturer’s Recommendations 

Generators should come with an owner’s manual that details all the manufacturer’s recommendations for keeping your generator in good working condition. This document should state how often you should inspect your generator, including when to replace specific components. 

Before Use

You should perform a quick visual check every time you use your generator. During this inspection, look for any visible issues and signs of overheating or leaking. Ensure you have sufficient fuel to provide power, and perform a test run if you haven’t used your generator recently. The test run can help you identify any issues that may impact its performance. 

Monthly

Performing a monthly, in-depth generator inspection can help you catch any problems early, especially if you use your generator regularly. Ensure your maintenance team has your generator on their monthly checklist. Check the oil and fuel levels, topping them off as needed. Run an alignment test to identify problems early to prevent issues from worsening. Check the internal and auxiliary components for wear and damage. 

Annually 

Industrial operations are busy, so monthly evaluations may not be feasible for your team. If that is the case, they should aim for one full-scale inspection and service once a year. Even if your team can perform inspections more regularly, annual reviews are essential. These should check every component and device in the generator or involved in its operation, including: 

• Air filters
• Oil reservoirs
• Exhaust systems 
• Wiring 
• Casings 

During annual inspections, it is also crucial to evaluate your generator’s performance through load tests and vibrational analyses. These tests will help your team understand how well the generator works and if there is a way to improve its efficiency. Annual tests will help you know what needs repairs and how using your generator throughout the year may wear it down. 

When Performance Declines

If you notice your generator’s performance is declining slightly or underperforming, it’s time for a thorough inspection. An evaluation can identify what impacts performance, allowing you to correct it to ensure your generator performs at its best. When performance decreases, an inspection can help determine if you need to repair or replace your generator. 

Some signs that your generator’s performance may be deteriorating include shorter operation times, increased power consumption, overheating and increased vibration. 

How Should an Industrial Generator Be Serviced?

How you service and maintain your industrial generator will depend on the type and model you have. The owner’s manual will guide you on how often to service your generator and the various components. Your team may be able to handle some of the repairs and maintenance. However, getting certified professionals to install, repair and maintain your generators to ensure optimal performance is always a wise idea. 

Create a checklist and schedule based on the manufacturer’s recommendations for the parts you can service. Some manufacturers may even have a preventive maintenance list as a guideline. Regardless of the type of generator, there are a few servicing steps to follow every time. 

• Check fluid levels: Check your generator’s oil, coolant and fuel levels during a service. Low oil and coolant levels can cause a generator to underperform, overheat, sputter or fail. Look at the coolant reservoir marks and the oil dipstick to see if you need to add more. 
• Clean debris: Ensure your generator is clear of anything that can hinder its performance, including leaves, branches, snow, and rocks. Also, look for small animal nests, particularly if you use your generator infrequently. 
• Test the battery: Test the startup batteries to ensure they work correctly. Ensure they are clean to avoid corrosion, which can cause their performance to deteriorate.
• Change filters: During service, change the generator’s air and oil filters. Dirty filters can prevent the generator from operating.  

Prepare for Your Next Generator Inspection With Industrial Electrical Company

Generator service and maintenance are crucial to ensure it operates properly and can pass your team’s various inspections. Industrial Electrical Company provides industrial generator repair and maintenance services to help you keep your equipment running smoothly. Our generator services include automatic transfer switch maintenance, certified factory retrofits and startups and load bank testing. 

We are on hand 24/7 to help you maintain your generator and deal with emergencies to keep your operations running smoothly. Contact our team today to learn more about how we can help you! 

How Often Should a Generator be Load Tested?

Have you ever asked how often should a generator be load tested? During times of an outage, many companies must have a reliable standby generator in order to keep their essential services operating. Something as simple as a power outage can determine life and death situations for hospitals and clinics. Fortunes can be lost for those working in the financial sector during downtime.

Side note: If you don’t already have a power outage contingency plan, you may want to consider putting one together to mitigate your risk in case of an emergency.

For these situations, and many others like them, it is crucial for companies to test their emergency backup generators periodically, ensuring everything is in working order for when they are actually needed the most. This process is called load bank testing. 

Load Banks & Their Purpose

A load bank is a piece of equipment that is specialized to produce an electrical load. It then applies that load to a generator by bringing the engine up to a particular operating pressure and temperature to simulate the equipment that is meant to be used during a power outage emergency.

To put it simply, load bank testing is basically a dry run to test the emergency generator’s performance. The purpose of this testing is to catch any problems or flaws with the system before an emergency situation occurs. 

One of the many benefits of load bank testing is the peace of mind you will get knowing that your generator will work properly during an emergency. Another benefit is the amount of money you can save by catching any faults with the system during testing, rather than during an emergency when time costs money. 

Prevention is the key to handling small issues before they become major issues during an emergency. Load bank testing is your ultimate prevention plan. 

How Often Does A Generator Need Testing?

The National Fire Protection Agency, or the NFPA, has set standardized guidelines that organizations and businesses must follow. Businesses with potentially critical situations will follow the NFPA 110 guidelines, while organizations with less critical situations follow the NFPA 70 guidelines. 

Source: Link | Photo by: Senior Airman Levi Riendeau | VIRIN: 081029-F-7747R-002.JPG

Depending upon the purpose of the generator and how it is classified, the schedule for load bank testing your generator will vary. For example, the testing for crucial services such as hospitals and clinics where there is the possibility of serious injury or even loss of life is more frequent than that of a grocery store. Financial organizations and data centers follow the stronger NFPA guidelines, as well. 

For most businesses, the NFPA recommends that all non-mission critical generators should be tested from 30% to 50% of their maximum load once a month for thirty minutes each time. Diesel generators in potentially critical situations can be tested more frequently. However, this is dependent on industry regulations and individual requirements. 

If at any time during the monthly test there is a failure of some sort, it is recommended that load bank testing occurs for a minimum of two consecutive hours once the repairs have been made.

Depending upon each company’s needs, some companies prefer to hire a load bank tester whenever it’s time for their generator to be tested while other companies prefer to have one on-site permanently. 

For businesses that operate several generators, it is more advantageous to have a load bank stationed on-site permanently. However, other smaller businesses may wish to rent a load bank tester rather than buying. 

Things to Consider During the Pre-Testing Procedure 

Following a checklist during the testing procedures is essential for maintaining safety for the persons completing the test. A checklist will also help ensure all steps are followed during the procedure protecting the generator from a complete power failure during the test.   

Before conducting the test, the tester should put the appropriate safety clothing on. This includes wearing head, hearing, and eye protection, as well as gloves, steel-tipped boots, and a high visibility vest. 

Anyone who works with load bank testing should be experienced and have a license or certification for administering the testing. Hiring a certified organization is highly recommended for handling the load bank testing process rather than attempting the testing with your organization’s internal maintenance staff.