Things That Go Bump in the Generator Room
Every fall our techs open up generator enclosures that nobody’s looked at in a year. Nothing scary about that on a sunny afternoon. It gets scary at 2 a.m. when the grid drops and the unit just sits there.
Here are the four things we find most often, and how to deal with them before winter.
Dead Batteries
Batteries are the number one reason a standby generator won’t start. The charger quits, the terminals corrode, or the battery’s just old. Most are on borrowed time after three or four years, and cold weather cuts whatever cranking power they have left. We load test them, check the charger, and clean up the terminals.
Wet Stacking
A diesel that only ever runs light on its weekly exercise never gets hot enough to burn all its fuel. Carbon and unburned fuel build up in the exhaust, and you’ll see black, oily residue around the joints. It runs fine right up until you put the building on it. An annual load bank test burns it out and proves the unit can actually carry the load.
Bad Fuel
Diesel breaks down over time. Fall temperature swings cause condensation, water settles at the bottom of the tank, and microbes grow where the fuel and water meet. That gunk ends up in your filters. We sample the fuel, drain the water, swap filters, and polish fuel when it needs it. Keeping the tank topped off over winter helps too.
Critters
When it gets cold, rodents want somewhere warm, and an enclosure with a running block heater is about perfect. We pull nests out of air filter housings and radiators all the time, and one chewed wire can kill the whole start sequence. Add wasps in the control panel and, down in Florida and Texas, the occasional snake. Seal up gaps and keep brush cleared away from the unit.
Get It Done in October
Winter is the real horror season for generators. Colorado cold snaps come early, Florida hurricane season runs through November 30, and Texas hasn’t forgotten February 2021. Servicing now means you fix problems on your schedule instead of during an outage. And test the transfer switch while you’re at it. A perfect engine doesn’t do you any good if the ATS never transfers.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should an industrial generator be serviced? At least once a year for a full service, with inspections in between. Critical facilities like hospitals and data centers usually need more, and many fall under NFPA 110 requirements.
What is wet stacking? Wet stacking is a buildup of unburned fuel and carbon in a diesel generator’s exhaust, caused by running at light load for long periods. A load bank test is the most common fix.
Why won’t my generator start in cold weather? Usually a weak battery. A failed block heater, contaminated fuel, or low coolant protection can also keep it from starting.
Book Your Fall Service
If your unit hasn’t had a real service this year, call your nearest Generator Source branch in Brighton, Jacksonville, Pensacola, or Austin. Our EGSA-certified techs work on commercial and industrial generators from 20kW to 4MW+, and we’d rather find the monster in October than in January.