<span style="font-weight: bold;">Mithilesh Singh, Marketing Communications, FG Wilson Asia Pacific,</span> pins down ways and measures to maintain generator sets. <p></p> <p> If you are working on a construction site, the likelihood is that you will have a generator set running to provide temporary power, possibly running all day for the duration of the project. </p> <p>Buying a generator set can be an important decision, and once you have it installed, some simple advice can help you maintain it for a long and productive life.</p> <p>There are many different generator sets in the market and all of them fill a useful niche. If a generator set is going to be used infrequently and not worked very hard, it is worth looking at lower cost products. But when it is going to be relied upon and used more regularly, lifetime cost, efficiency and durability need to be weighed up. </p> <p> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Filters and fluids</span><br /> In any diesel engine, it is important to think about filters and fluids. Our experience is that over the life of a generator, these account for only about 3 per cent of operating costs but they have a huge impact on all the other costs and on the effectiveness of the generator. Whatever generator set you own, it is important to fit genuine filters and change oil as specified in your operator manual. To save money, it is tempting to use lower cost filters or to let routine maintenance slip, but in the longer term this is only going to cause problems and cost more money. </p> <p> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Fuel tips</span><br /> Be careful to buy diesel only from reputable suppliers and avoid contaminated fuel. Try to keep your tank full of fuel as this prevents condensation from forming, which is the number one cause of algae growth within the fuel tank. In case you do not run your generator regularly, remember the shelf life of the diesel in the tank. Diesel fuel starts to deteriorate after about 100 days. The fuel begins to break down, clusters up and drops to the bottom of the tank as a dark sludge. This can block filters and injectors, reduce engine-efficiency and leads to engine smoke. </p> <p><span style="font-weight: bold;">Post installation check-up</span><br /> </p> <ul> <li>Check fluid levels (oil, coolant, fuel) before the onset of cold weather.</li> <li>Check rubber components such as hoses and fan drive belts weekly.</li> <li>Drain any water from the fuel system.</li> <li>Once started, do not power off the engine until it has reached a minimum operating temperature of 80¦C. This prevents intake valves and exhaust valves from sticking.</li> <li>Check air cleaners and the air intake daily, more often in snowy conditions.</li> <li>Fill the fuel tank when the generator set is powered off.</li> <li>Keep all the batteries fully charged and warm (this is especially important if the generator set is not operating regularly).</li></ul> <p> Reasons and solutions Sometimes, the simplest steps are also among the most effective. Some of the most common reasons why generator sets fail to start are because the battery has lost its charge, the unit has run out of fuel, or had poor quality fuel pumped into the tank. These are easily taken care of with a low cost battery charger and by keeping an eye on the fuel situation.</p>