Generators can often be a lifeline for emergency healthcare facilities that are a lifeline to others. Constant and reliable access to electricity is a critical component to a well-functioning system in hospitals and if it fails, this can cause major interruptions to the operations of the entire building. Generator servicing in Brisbane is an important requirement to maintain this consistent electrical supply because it can prevent fault, and most importantly, fatal accidents. Reactive Generators has installed and maintained units for local hospitals for many decades, so we understand the importance of installations that are well suited to these high demands.
Do hospitals have backup generators?
All hospitals in Australia have emergency backup generators, according to national health governing bodies, and that’s because they cannot afford any electrical disruption. It affects life-saving medical equipment and other facilities that require an essential power supply. It takes comprehensive and high-level generator testing and maintenance to ensure that they are always in working order. There are a number of tests that a qualified technician can do to monitor healthy generator function.
Why hospitals must have backup generators?
Let’s start by picturing the scenario where a hospital doesn’t have a backup generator. When the main power grid fails and the hospital suffers a power outage for even just a few minutes, you can imagine how it may cost the hospital economically and how it can disrupt work for the staff. Taking finances out of the question, the most expensive cost is of the well-being of its patients, which cannot be measured in dollars lost because life is much more precious. Hospitals and emergency healthcare facilities, therefore, require generator sets that are virtually full-proof and work at all times. An emergency supply that ensures continuous power in the event of a grid failure can prove to be invaluable. This is good news when considering how much an industrial generator costs. Hospitals need to make this investment because the surgical equipment, patient monitoring systems, and automatic medication dispensers, among other things, need to be operational at all times.
How does a hospital backup generator work?
A hospital’s backup generator will function as an independent source of power that works separately from the power grid. It’s a backup system that should be designed to automatically start working should there be a blackout or fault in the national grid. This would require the installation of an automatic transfer switch. An automatic transfer switch (ATS) is a device used to reroute power from the primary source to a backup generator when a power outage occurs. As well as transferring the load to the backup generator, the ATS will also trigger the generator to start, ensuring the premise receives a continuous stream of power.
Advantages of backup generators for hospitals
1. Protects lives and equipment
The most important advantage of backup generators in environments where public health is at risk , is that human wellbeing is not put in harm’s way during blackouts. The expensive systems and equipment will continue functioning and this can be everything from light switches, to oxygen machines to the elevators.
2. Protection from voltage fluctuations
Hospitals require large amounts of electricity at all times. When outages occur there are also instances of disruption to the typical voltage levels. Reactive Generators specializes in installing units that have built-in voltage management mechanisms which protect the facility from major electrical downtime and damage from overloading.
Step-by-step process of generator installation
1. Ordering Your Generator
Regardless of the type of generator you want, it can take several days or even several weeks for the unit to arrive from the manufacturer. We should ensure that all the authority’s requirements have been met for the installation process before ordering your generator.
2. Concrete or composite pads are installed
After the permits or regulatory requirements are secured, and the generator order arrives, the technicians will need to build a base for the generator on your property. Industrial generators are giant machines, and for them to work correctly and up to code, they’ll need to be positioned up and away from mud and dirt. We’ve always successfully done this by planning and installing a concrete pad. The concrete pad works as a reinforced foundation for your generator, and it will be built specifically for the shape, size, footprint, and weight of your generator. We will then set the generator on its base and begin the wiring process. A transfer switch will then be installed, and all the existing electrical systems will be modified to accept the generator as a second (or primary) source of power.
3. Fuel line installation
The fuel tank and its line to the generator are separate units to the system, so they will need to be installed after the unit is installed. Normally we connect the generator’s fuel line to any existing fuel lines on the property, which may be standard features on industrial properties in Australia. If you don’t have a direct fuel source on the property, we will coordinate the installation of a new, independent fuel tank for your generator.
4. Final tests and inspections
At this point, everything has already been safely installed and integrated into your property electrical system. The generator technician will then perform a final inspection and operational tests. When your generator passes all the checks, provided that you used a licensed expert to ensure professional installation, your generator can be used for service. We will then submit all warranty registration to the generator manufacturer to make sure that you are protected in cases of fault. The technician will also give you a quick crash course on everything you need to know about the operation of your new generator.
Protect your installation investment with regular maintenance
Reactive Generators has been in the business of hospital generator installation and maintaining industrial generators in the Queensland area for many decades now. We know that the best thing for your generator is routine and thorough servicing. Call us on (07) 3710 8212, and we’ll not only install your generator but we’ll also set a servicing schedule to keep it running smoothly. Our team is available to customers in Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast , and Ipswich.
