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Generator Repairs

Before Buying a Generator, Check for Repair and Maintenance Facilities

At no time has the human race been more dependent upon electrical power. At one time, it was needed mainly to provide illumination and warmth. Today, however, not only is it used to drive a constantly growing range of labour-saving gadgets, but it is also the source of energy that powers our communications, our entertainment, and even much of our transport. A power South Africans once took for granted and that only the odd lightning strike might temporarily curtail, since 2014 and the introduction of load shedding, the sale of generators and the need for personnel that are able to perform reliable repairs if required, have soared.

A source of backup or emergency power has long been a requirement of industry, large commercial premises like hotels and restaurants, and public facilities like hospitals where even the occasional weather-related power failure could lead to substantial financial losses or even endanger the lives of critically ill patients. Rolling blackouts, however, have made such provisions even more essential among traditional users while creating the need for an increasing number of residential consumers to consider the purchase of a generator. For added peace of mind, they also want assurance that professional repairs are available if they should prove necessary.

In an industrial plant, where the requirement for power is invariably both high and has a tendency to vary according to the load demand at different times during a typical day’s production, it is a common practice to employ multiple units operating in a programmable, synchronous array. Individual units power up or down and adjust their speed automatically to match changes in the load demand. Unfortunately, no machine can be relied upon to run indefinitely without, at least, some routine preventative maintenance.

Consequently, it is also common practice for many heavy industries to keep a machine or two in reserve. In this way, downtime during essential maintenance need not interfere with production and, should repairs become necessary, the practice also ensures that a replacement generator will always be available. While these can often be performed on site, on occasions, this may not be possible. It will then be important to know that your supplier has an adequate stock of essential spares, as well as the necessary facilities and the skilled staff to get your machine up and running again, as quickly as possible.

For the owners of these machines, it can be a good idea to keep a stock of the more basic spares, such as fuel and air filters on site. It should be possible to replace any old or blocked units without the need for professional help. Although these simple tasks do not really amount to carrying out your own generator repairs, they do play an important role as part of a preventative maintenance programme and, therefore, are necessary to ensure that more serious attention is far less likely to be required.

There is, of course, little doubt that the quality of any machine will determine its useful life and just how often it may need attention. Most often, the best way to obtain such assurances is to shop for one of the reputable brand names. In this instance, Perkins, Cummins, Scania, and Mitsubishi have earned themselves the status of household names for their performance and reliability. Ideal in applications, such as vehicle manufacture, water treatment, food processing, healthcare, and cold storage, to name just a few, while quality machinery is important, so too is finding a supplier that can undertake the essential maintenance tasks while being able to perform expert generator repairs in the event they should become necessary.

A seasoned supplier and manufacturer of tailored power solutions, from gensets to solar panels, PacB group has grown to become a preferred supplier of top-branded generators to South African industries, widely respected for professional repairs and after-sales service.