Generator Maintenance Monitoring

Types of generators and maintenance requirements
There are two categories of generator power installations. Emergency Power Supply Systems (EPPS) are an independent power supply system for life-critical infrastructure. For example, hospitals are legally required to have EPPS. The maintenance of such systems is tightly controlled and regulated.

The second category is standby generators. These allow the continued function of the facilities during power outages. Typically they are found in office buildings, hotels and factories.

Both types of generators can benefit from a preventative maintenance program. The maintenance required differs for different models and manufacturers. The maintenance program will be usually broken down into daily checks, weekly and monthly maintenance. Certain events should take place after a specified number of runtime hours.

It is recommended that as a minimum there are two major maintenance events each year. More frequent maintenance is required for EPPS and heavily used standby systems. The preventive maintenance events should include :-

• Load test of the generator
• Multipoint inspection based on the engine manufacturers recommendation
• Fuel tank cleaning and maintenance
• Fluid level checking, top off and changes