PacB Group // A Complete Generator Service – What it Should Consist Of

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A Complete Generator Service – What it Should Consist Of

In light of the current uncertainties surrounding the supply of mains electricity by Eskom, the ability for industrial and commercial entities to maintain their operation has become increasingly dependent upon their capacity to generate their own electrical power on-site. However, despite its robust construction, continuity of power can only be assured if the on-site generator receives all of the service and maintenance prescribed by its manufacturer. However, such attention should not simply be limited to the periodic inspections and component replacements recommended as part of a preventative maintenance programme. Ideally, it should cover every aspect of the machine’s active lifespan from the time of its installation to its eventual decommissioning.

On this basis, by far the best plan will be to deal with just a single supplier. In practice, for a supplier’s support to be regarded as complete, whichever company is to be responsible for providing your generator service should begin by ensuring that the equipment it will be supplying is able to meet your unique power requirements when starting up and at times of peak demand. To do so, it will be necessary to perform a needs assessment to determine the total output capacity of the machine or machines that will be required.

This should not be just a matter of pulling a sufficiently powerful machine from stock and delivering it. The professional assessment may, for example, have revealed that the genset is to be used at a number of different sites. In such cases, a quality supplier should be able to offer the option of mounting it on a suitable trailer as part of its generator service. Alternatively, a client may be planning to use the new machine as an emergency backup unit. In which case, the supplier should also be able to integrate a control panel into the genset design as a means to enable automatic line switching when a mains outage occurs.

Having designed and constructed a suitable genset, the next task for the supplier will be to install it. This will involve positioning and connecting it, arranging for the exhaust fumes from its motor to be dispersed appropriately, and generally ensuring that each element of the generator service provided fully conforms to the relevant local safety requirements. When dealing with one of the better suppliers, invariably, one or more of its engineers will undertake to remain on-site throughout the commissioning process before formally handing the thoroughly tested and fully functional installation over to the client.

All new machines will be covered by a manufacturer’s warranty, but a supportive supplier might be inclined to offer an extension of the cover period at no charge. Whereas a client will be free to allocate the responsibility for ongoing generator service to a company of his or her choice, at the end of this period, it makes a lot more sense to stick with the firm that has looked after one’s machine from day one.

Apart from any other advantage, the original supplier is certain to be aware of the spare parts most often required by a given machine, and will have made sure to hold an adequate supply of these in stock. The supplier will also be familiar with each manufacturer’s scheduled preventative maintenance programme and will thus ensure that it is strictly adhered to as part of its generator service.

Machine downtime and the resulting loss of production are some things that no business can afford and, once again, a reliable supplier will undertake to keep any product it supplies performing at its peak, but will have a contingency plan, such as the willingness to install a loan machine in the event of the unexpected. In practice, for a complete generator service that ticks all of the above boxes, PacB Group has become the preferred choice of many leading companies in South Africa.