failure | Collicutt Energy

The Importance of Load Bank Testing

September 25, 2020
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How do you know your emergency generator will work when the power grid fails? You have invested all this money in a back up generator but what assurance do you have that it will work when you need it most?

We have all heard the stories of businesses that have had to stop production or send employees home because of power failures. Then there are the situations where power failure puts the organization at risk of loosing their inventory or even the extreme case of risk of life at a health care or elder care facility.

The loss of power for any business or organization is not an acceptable outcome!

What Can You Do

So what can you do to make sure your back up generator is ready for use?

One of the best things you can do to ensure your emergency generator is ready for service is to complete a periodic load bank test. A load bank test evaluates the generator’s performance by simulating up to 100% of the generator load within a controlled environment.

What Does Load Banking Do For Your Generator?

When a load bank is performed on your generator it:

Validates Overall Generator Functionality – Completing a load bank test allows the generator to run under a load and validates all of the components of the generator. Voltages and currents are monitored along with temperatures and other critical operating parameters.
Burns Off Unburnt Fuel – The generator has the opportunity to remove any unburnt fuel that may have accumulated in the DPF, a condition called wet stacking.
Removes Carbon Build Up – The generator needs to run at operating temperature to allow for any carbon build up to burn off from injectors, rings pistons, in the DPF, etc.
Checks Coolant System – Load Banking allows for the validation of proper coolant temperatures and the radiator functionality while the generator is at full load.

Take Action

Rather than just assuming that your backup generator will work properly when the power fails, take action now and have your generator load banked. Technicians will monitor all aspects of your generator during the load bank process and identify any areas needing adjustment or repair. This will prepare your emergency generator for any utility power outage!

Call us if you need any assistance with load banking. We have factory trained technicians and load banks ready to provide service to any make or model of generator!

Also, check out these related posts for more generator maintenance tips:

Avoid DPF Failure with These Easy Steps

September 16, 2020
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A Diesel Particulate Filter, or DPF for short, is a special filter on the exhaust system of a diesel standby generator. This filter removes particulates from the exhaust of a diesel engine and entraps them so that they do not pollute the air. This pollution control device is a critical component in your emergency backup generator and it is mandated, permitted, and controlled by the local AQMD in California.

There are thirty-five AQMDs, or Air Quality Management Districts, within the state of California and they regulate the air quality management guidelines within their designated area in the state. Each AQMD has their own requirements for air quality so a generator equipped with a DPF in one AQMD may not be mandated in another.

Like most components of a generator, DPFs require preventative maintenance measures to ensure a long operating life. Failure to implement basic operating procedures and maintenance measures may result in the premature failure of your DPF, generator downtime, and cost you tens of thousands of dollars in repair bills!

But, before we get to those important details, we will dive into the specifics of what a DPF is, how it operates, and why it is required. (more…)

The #1 Reason Your Generator Will Fail

July 17, 2020
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As we discussed in a previous post, the most common cause of emergency generator failure is battery issues!

Your emergency generator relies on electric power to start. This electric power is supplied by the generator’s battery. If the battery has failed or lost its charge, your generator will not start!

The Four Most Common Reasons for Battery Failure

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How a Pre-Lube System Can Save You $500,000

July 10, 2020
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Most people know that one of the quickest ways to destroy an engine is to run it without oil. An even faster way to destroy your engine is to ramp it up to full load in ten seconds or less without proper lubrication!

Did you know that most emergency generators are configured to ramp up to full load within seconds when there is a utility power failure?

If your generator has not been properly maintained or does not have an oil pre-lube system installed to ensure that the engine is always lubricated and ready for a fast start, your investment here may be at risk!

$500,000 Mistake

Over the years, we have helped a number of customers whose large emergency generators have been compromised because the engines have been inadequately lubricated.

In many of these cases we were looking at 1 MW or larger gensets where the customer had spent over $1M on their emergency power systems. The engine replacement on these units was pushing $500,000. Fortunately, we were able to repair the compromised engines at a fraction of the complete replacement cost.

But it begs the question, what can you do to avoid this situation and the costly repair that goes along with it? (more…)

What is an ATS and Why Should You Care

July 3, 2020
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Did you know that your emergency power system has one crucial point of failure that is completely independent of your emergency generator? If this component fails, your generator will not even know it needs to start!

This single point of failure is called an ATS or Automatic Transfer Switch.

An ATS monitors the electrical power from your utility and, when it detects a power grid failure, it signals your emergency generator to start. It then switches your facility from utility power to generator power. When it detects that the utility power is restored, it switches back to the utility and signals the emergency generator to shut off.

Although it is a critical component in your emergency power system, ATS maintenance is often neglected for various reasons. However, this neglect will eventually result in a failure to transfer power when you need it most!

Reasons That an ATS Fails to Transfer Power

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Top 6 Reasons Why Your Emergency Generator Will Fail to Start

June 25, 2020
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Let’s face it, power outages are not only an inconvenience for the average person, they can be very costly for a business and even deadly for care facilities and hospitals. That is why homeowners, businesses, apartment complexes, hospitals, colleges, and many other organizations spend a lot of money purchasing emergency power systems to ensure that they will have electric power should the power grid fail.

But these emergency power systems are not infallible! You cannot just install them and walk away with the false sense of security that they will work when you need them. Without proper maintenance, these units will fail and leave you without power when you need it the most!

Common Sources of Failure

The most common failures that we see in our generator service business are: (more…)