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The most common problem that I encountered on a large number of residential and commercial sets was battery explosions.
If your set has an internal battery trickle charger, disconnect it.
Eventually the battery will fail.
The set won't start.
Replace the battery and run for another 3 to 6 years without any attention.
If you leave the trickle charger connected, eventually the battery will fail.
At that point there is a high probability that the battery will explode violently.
Render first aid to any injured bystanders.
Clean up a lot of spilled sulfuric acid. (Baking soda in water works well, followed by a clean water flush.)
The set won't start.
Replace the battery and run for another 3 to 6 years without any attention.
Incredibly, not everyone disconnects the trickle charger at this time.
-------------------- Ohm's law
Not just a good idea; It's the LAW!
Issue number 2. Radiator maintenance.
There is a fill line on the radiator. Do not overfill the radiator.
I had a lot of customers who had a yard boy who serviced the standby generator.
Every Monday they would fill the radiator to the very top.
The next Saturday or Sunday, during the weekly outage, the coolant would expand and push some coolant out of the overflow.
After a year or so, the original coolant with the corrosion inhibiting properties would have all been replaced by water.
Not good.
One customer had a more educated worker. He topped up every week with anti-freeze. (In the tropics)
After a year or so, the set was cooled by almost 100% anti-freeze.
The floor in the generator room was green and very slippery.
A year of losing anti-freeze on the floor will do that. (No smoking please.)
Issue number 3. Oil changes.
When you change the oil, changing the oil filter is even more important than new oil.
Look at the exhaust system every few years. Exhaust piping on standby sets tends to corrode.
Fairly short, infrequent running and lots of condensation left behind after a short run will do that.
If the exhaust stack is vertical, try to put a bend on the end. That is more permanent and more dependable than a flap valve.
You did check the flap valve didn't you?
-------------------- Ohm's law
Not just a good idea; It's the LAW!
Issue 4: The sensors (thermal and vibration) are there for a reason. Pay attention to them. If they're telling you things are either banging around or burning up, do something now! (A regular run-and-check goes a long way toward proactive - rather than reactive - repairs.
Converting energy to motion for more than half a century
