Electricity is one of the most important utilities that is needed by virtually everyone. From residential homes to commercial buildings such as offices, hotels, hospitals, factories, and even on farms, it is essential to most daily activities. Hardly can anyone do without it. The source of electricity for most people is usually from the public grid.
Occasionally, for some reason, there can be a disruption in the supply of electricity, and this leads to a power outage. Power outages can be due to factors such as poor weather conditions and so on. For some other people especially in the villages or farms, it may also be a case of a lack of supply of electricity to the area. You can read about what to do during a power outage here.
No matter the reason for a lack of electric supply from the grid, it is crucial that you are not without power. A lack of electricity may negatively impact your home or business depending on how long it is out. Several things can go wrong so you must be prepared for such a time. A good way to prepare for this kind of a situation is to install a generator as a form of power backup on your premises.
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What Is A Generator?
Generators are power generating equipment. They are usually used as a source of backup power during a power outage or to supply electricity where there is no supply from the power grid. Installing one ensures that you are properly covered during an outage and all your equipment, devices and gadgets can keep functioning. Generators range in size as well as capacity and may be powered by diesel, natural gas, gasoline, or liquid propane. They can be mobile meaning they may be moved about, or they may be permanently installed on your premises.
Maintaining Your Generator
Aside from installing a generator, it is equally important to give attention to it by regularly maintaining and servicing it. Also, when it has an issue, it should be repaired promptly. A generator is a piece of mechanical equipment and as with all machines, it needs to be constantly serviced to function optimally. It needs to be oiled. It also uses things such as water and coolants, oil filter, fuel filter and so on. It has a similar mechanism to those in cars. As you would take care of your vehicle, so you should take care of it. You can see the different parts of a generator in this article.
Doing this helps to extend its lifespan and helps to ensure that it does not break down when you need it most so that you are left stranded.
Most service and repair companies offer different service level agreements to help you manage this. This can be monthly, quarterly, every six months, or once a year. The frequency of maintenance will largely depend on how often it is put to use. When it comes to preventative maintenance, some of the things that are checked can include:
- The performance of the generator using load testing.
- Checking or changing the oil, oil filter, fuel filter, plugs and coolant if necessary.
- Checking that pipes and other sensitive parts are still intact and unbroken.
- Fuel treatment and polishing, etc.
By regularly doing the above or more, your generating set can perform at its peak and you can be certain that this will bring about its longevity.
Repairs
Sometimes, due to factors such as constant usage, irregular service, or been left for a long while without use, your generator may develop a fault. When this happens, then it needs to be repaired. Most times when a generating set is faulty, it would not function. Sometimes, it would function, but this can aggravate the problem and the earlier it is fixed, the better for you and the equipment. Not doing so immediately can reduce its lifespan or may warrant that you to carry out expensive repairs. You can find reasons why your generating set may not start in this link.
When repairing your generator, the technicians will first troubleshoot to ascertain what the issue is. They do this using different sets of procedures as well as testing. This helps them to isolate the issue, give recommendations as well as options for its resolution and then repair it. All these can either be done on-site or if your generating set is mobile at the technician’s place.
Sometimes, like all mechanical equipment are wont to do, your generator may develop an unexpected issue even when you service and repair it often. When this is the case, generator repair companies can provide you with 24-hour emergency services so that you are not stranded at any time.
Another thing that technicians can do is supply you with parts needed for replacement in your generator. They have a network of parts suppliers and contacts who can make even fewer common parts available.
Much more than maintaining or repairing your generating set, a generator repair and services company offer services such as sales, installations, and rentals. Sales and installation may involve several processes such as choosing the right capacity for your needs. It also includes the design of where to locate it putting local permits into consideration, connecting the necessary components such as fuel tank and exhaust pipes, etc.
Conclusion
Electricity is crucial to our daily lives as it is needed to power most of the appliances that we use both in private residences and commercial properties. Occasionally, there might be an issue with its supply. To avoid getting caught flat-footed when this happens, it is wise to have a generator installed as a backup. It is also important that your generator set be kept in optimal working condition by constantly maintaining and repairing it when necessary.
