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Learn the leading causes of “no-start” situations among standby power systems – and
what you can do to prevent them
Darren Dembski, Peterson Power Systems | Apr 01, 2007
With each passing year, our society's reliance on an unlimited supply of electric power
continues to increase. The availability of this continuous power helps businesses
maintain operations, avoid revenue loss, and ultimately protect their bottom line. To
safeguard facilities from the disastrous consequences of power disruption, more
companies are choosing to invest in standby power systems.
Because investing in such a system can be quite expensive — often at a price tag running
into the hundreds of thousands of dollars — companies must understand what it takes
to properly operate and maintain their power equipment, as a lack of generator
maintenance or operation knowledge will undoubtedly result in generator failure at a
time when they need it most.
With today's complex standby power systems, you must understand the basic settings of
your systems, the methods and procedures involved in regular maintenance, and the
protocol to deal with alarm conditions in the case of system failure. This information
will keep you from wasting valuable business time over generator failure due to
inaccurate settings or neglected maintenance. Let's take a look at nine of the most
common reasons generators fail to start in the first place, and what you can do to try and
prevent these from occurring.
1. Battery failure
The single most frequent service call for generator failure is related to battery failure.
Eighty percent of all battery failure is related to sulfation buildup — the accumulation of
lead sulfates on the plates of lead-acid batteries. This buildup occurs when the sulfur
molecules in the electrolyte (battery acid) become so deeply discharged that they begin
to coat the battery's lead plates. When enough plate area has sulfated, the battery will
not be able to provide enough current and will normally need to be replaced. Battery
failure is commonly the result of low electrolyte levels — battery plates exposed to air
will immediately sulfate.
Battery cells are shorted when sedimentary trays fill up with lead debris. You can avoid
shorted batteries if you replace them regularly. Some experts recommend replacing
them every three years.
Although battery failure can result from open cells, this is not a common occurrence.
Open cells are the result of an overcurrent of the battery system. If a generator system
has had several battery failures determined to be caused by open cells, the unit may
require larger batteries capable of higher cold cranking amps (CCAs).
Frequently, battery failure is due to the charger breaker being open or tripped — often
the result of human error rather than actual charger failure. This usually occurs after
service on a generator, or some type of maintenance, where the charger has been turned
off and not turned back on again when the service is completed. Always double check a
generator system after any service or maintenance to make sure everything is
functioning properly.
Because many battery problems are caused by dirty and loose connections, maintenance
is critical. Cable connections need to be regularly cleaned and tightened. Battery charger
failures are difficult to prevent, and cannot be accurately predicted. However,
monitoring the charge rates from month to month will establish a trend that can help
map the potential for failure. A properly functioning battery charger will have a constant
charge rate for any given system. An increase of amperage may show signs of a battery
or charger malfunction.
9. Breaker trip
First, verify that nobody has accidentally pushed a remote emergency power off switch.
If a breaker trips after the automatic transfer switch (ATS), the generator will not start.
The status of the automatic transfer switch should be checked during a power outage.
The ATS should have lights or a display showing the switch position and source
availability. If you find a breaker tripped, make sure you can determine the cause of the
trip prior to resetting.
Never try to manually operate an ATS if you don't know how to do so properly. Severe
bodily injury or immediate death can occur. The transfer switch is smarter than you
think and has a specific reason for being in its current position; attempting manual
operation may drag you into a live bus if done incorrectly.
Dembski is the product support sales representative for Peterson Power Systems, San
Leandro, Calif.
COOLING SYSTEM
Radiator fins must be inspected on a monthly basis and cleared of all dirt and debris.
Make sure the generator is OFF prior to inspecting by shining a light through the front
of the radiator. If the light doesn't shine through the fins, carefully clear the blockage.
Antifreeze levels should be checked on a weekly basis.
Make sure the block heater is plugged in and warm. Block heaters should be plugged in
year-round, as they reduce wear on the generator's engine.
Inspect hoses and the water pump for signs of wear, bulges, cracking, and leaks; check
the hose clamps for tightness.
FUEL SYSTEM
Change fuel filters every 200 to 250 hours, depending on environmental conditions and
how clean the fuel is. At a minimum, change the filter on an annual basis.
Note whether or not wet spots appear around the fittings.
BATTERY AND CHARGING SYSTEMS
The charging gauge (or indicator light) should read OK on the battery charger.
Make sure the battery and charger connections are tight, and clean any corrosion off the
terminals. The battery charger must be turned off before working on the battery or the
starter.
ENGINE
Inspect the engine for leaks and wear.
Check engine belts for wear, cracking, splitting, or looseness.
Check oil levels. In addition, the engine oil and oil filter should be changed annually, or
every 100 to 250 hours, depending on the environment in which the unit is located.
Check the air filter every 100 hours of operation (more frequently in dustier
environments) and change the filter at least once per year. Make sure the filter canister
does not contain dirt or other debris.
Below are five reasons why generators fail to start, accompanied by a guide scale
(rated out of 10) of how hard the problem is to overcome.
1. Battery Failure
Cause: The main reason for battery failure is related to sulphur build-up – the
accumulation of lead sulphates on the plates of lead acid batteries. This build-up
occurs when the sulphur molecules in the electrolyte (battery acid) become so
deeply discharged that they begin to coat the battery’s lead plates.
When enough plate area has sulphated the battery will not be able to provide
enough current and will normally need to be replaced. Frequently the battery
failure can result from the charger breaker being open or tripped – often due to
human error rather than charge failure.
VERDICT: 6/10
Solution:
Cause: This problem occurs with newer generators that are not run on a regular
basis. Closer tolerances within the fuel systems to meet today’s emission
requirements make fuel systems more susceptible to air affecting start-up.
Lighter low-sulphur fuel has a lower flash temperature, which causes the block
heater to flash off some of the fuel within the injectors. One small bubble of air
within a unit injector solenoid can cause an injector not to fire at start-up.
VERDICT: 2/10
Solution:
Look out for visible puddles of coolant (the colour varies by manufacturer, it
usually looks like red dyed diesel fuel.) Inspect oil for colour change, if there is a
crusty milky texture then all signs point to coolant seeping and additives drying up
at the connection.
Internally plugged radiator cores will also cause low coolant level shutdowns.
When the generator is under load, the thermostats open completely and the
radiator cannot allow the proper amount of flow through the core. The coolant
has to go somewhere, so it purges through the overflow line. As the engine cools
off and the thermostat closes, the level drops and activates the low coolant level
shutdown.
VERDICT: 8/10
Solution:
The system will have to be tested under load to cause the thermostats to fully
open. A full load test with an external load bank is the only accurate way to check
the cooling system.
4. Oil Leakage
Diesel generators are designed to operate with a load-most effectively in the 70%
to 80% range of rated output. When generators operate considerably below the
rated output level, the engine can start to over fuel or “wet stack” which causes
damage to the engine.
Wet stacking is the accumulation of carbon particles, unburned fuel, lube oil,
condensed water and acids in the exhaust system and is caused by low
combustion chamber temperature. When a diesel engine wet stacks, the engine
will need to be cleaned up by loading the unit for a few hours and burning off
excess fuel.
VERDICT: 7/10
Solution:
If the diesel engine generator steadily runs loads considerably below the rated
output level, you should pair the generator with an automatic load bank. This will
place a false load on the generator system-keeping the engine properly loaded
and preventing a “wet stack” condition.
5. Breaker trip
VERDICT: 3/10
Solution:
If the breaker trips after the Auto Transfer Switch, the generator will not start.
The status of the ATS should be checked during a power outage. The ATS should
have lights or a display showing the switch position and source availability. If you
find a breaker tripped make sure that you can determine the cause of the trip
prior to resetting.
Maintenance checklist
Check the air filter every 80-120 hours of operation and change the filter at
least once a year.
Check anti freeze levels on a weekly basis.
Inspect radiator fins on a monthly basis to clear all dirt and debris.
Make sure the block heater is plugged in and warm-to reduce wear on
generator’s engine.
Check hoses & water pump for cracks, wear & tear as well as leaks.
Change fuel filters every 200-250 hours.
The charging gauge should read OK on the battery charger.
Check engine belts for splitting, cracking or looseness.
The engine oil should be changed annually, or every 100 to 200 hours
depending on the environment the unit is housed in.