KEEPING YOUR GENERATOR IN TOP NOTCH CONDITION

In the event of a power outage, a generator is essential to keeping your your facility running. However, to ensure you have a truly reliable backup power system your generator must be regularly maintained so it is ready to operate when you need it.

By implementing an electrical preventative maintenance plan for your generator, you ensure:

• Reliability and Availability:
  Regular maintenance can prevent unexpected breakdowns and minimise downtime.
• Efficiency and Performance:
  Regular electrical maintenance ensures the generator will operate at optimum efficiency.
• Cost Savings:
  Regular maintenance helps prevent major electrical failures that can be expensive to repair. Additionally, well-maintained generators tend to have a longer lifespan, reducing the need for premature replacements.
• Safety:
  Generators involve high-voltage electrical systems, and faulty or neglected electrical components can pose significant safety hazards.

Electrical Preventative Maintenance Checks for your generator:
Your generator electrical preventative maintenance plan should include:

• Visual Inspections:
  • Inspections of all electrical components, including cables, connectors, and terminals, for signs of damage, corrosion, or overheating.
  • Checking for loose connections and tightening them if necessary.
  • Verifying all electrical enclosures and panels are clean, properly sealed, and free from debris.
• Voltage and Frequency checks:
  Regularly measuring the output voltage and frequency of the generator to ensure they are within the specified range.
• Circuit Breaker and Protective Device testing:
  • Inspections and testing of all circuit breakers, relays, fuses, and other protective devices.
  • Checking for any signs of overheating or damage, such as tripped breakers or blown fuses.
  • Exercising circuit breakers to prevent them from becoming stuck or corroded.
• Grounding System checks:
  • Inspecting the grounding system, including ground rods, grounding conductors, and connections, for integrity and proper bonding.
  • Testing the resistance of the grounding system to ensure it meets the required standards.
• Battery System inspections:
  • Including checking battery terminals and cleaning them.
  • Testing battery voltage and conducting load tests to assess battery health.
•  Control Panel and Wiring checks:
  • Checking the control panel for any loose connections, damaged wiring, or faulty components.
  • Ensuring all control panel switches, indicators, and meters are functioning correctly.
  • Inspecting all wiring insulation for wear and tear and repairing or replacing, as necessary.
• Transfer Switch testing:
  • Testing the automatic transfer switch (ATS) to ensure it can safely and reliably transfer the load between the utility power and the generator.
• Load Testing:
  • Periodic load bank testing assesses the generator’s performance under various loads. This will help identify any issues with voltage regulation, transient response, or frequency control.
• Infrared Thermography:
  • Thermal imaging can identify hotspots in electrical connections and components which can indicate loose connections, overloaded circuits, or other electrical problems.

By prioritising electrical preventative maintenance for your generators, you can minimise the risk of unexpected failures, ensuring the safety of your team and equipment and achieve long-term cost savings with optimised performance.

If you would like to get an electrical preventative maintenance plan in place for your generator to give you peace of mind that you’ll have power when you need it; get in touch with the EAS team today on 07 834 0505.