The greater Queensland area and surrounding suburbs are some of the warmest places across the country. Daily averages can be as high as 30 degrees Celsius and can exceed this in the warmer months. This means proper generator maintenance in Toowoomba, Ipswich, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and Brisbaneis often required to help handle the summer season. We’ve got a couple of tips to help you when it comes to using your generator in some of the toughest months. We can start with the most obvious tip;your industrial generator needs additional servicing where special attention will be paid to key areas. In terms of how you manage its usage, these are tips for warm weather usage:
What to consider when using your generator in hot weather
1. Inspect the generator before using it
This is especially important for industrial properties that use their generators at high load capacity for long periods of time. It is a good idea to give a full visual, oil, coolant and fuel inspection. Check if there are any stains or puddles around the generator or any other signs that it needs servicing.
2. Keep up with regular maintenance
During the warmer, more humid months, it is important that you keep up with that maintenance before it is too late. Skimping on it may leave you in a situation where your generator just refuses to start. An expert generator technician will do the work of looking into the basics and making sure that the critical parts are in good shape. They can also check in on how the engine is performing in the hotter weather.
3. Coolant and lubricant systems need to be full at all times
If either of these systems is lacking or leaking in the products they need, this is also likely to cause overheating. Coolant leaks are definitely an issue that needs professional attention as soon as possible because there may be internal damage.
· Avoid overloading your generator
You can check for signs of overload by checking the temperature gauge and if that shows no issue then there may be an issue with the internal parts. External factors like increased usage or incorrect load capacity are also culprits of what happens when you overload a generator.
4. Ensure ample airflow for your unit
Some things about how your generator is affected are based on unpredictable environmental factors. In high altitude and hilly areas, there may be lower density than others which impacts how air enters the engine. Low air density issues can also occur in high-temperature environments like ours in Queensland. Bad air supply means there is less oxygen for combustion and the generator’s engine will struggle to produce the same power. This usually causes overheating, which is also exasperated by high humidity, which puts stress on the cooling system. With some planning, in collaboration with a generator maintenance expert, we can ensure that these systems are amply prepared for hotter conditions. In particularly dire weather, it can’t hurt to give it a little extra TLC so that it is prepared to deal with whatever conditions are thrown at it.
What to do if you think your generator is overheating?
If you can see the signs of overheating, then try to minimise, or completely switch off the unit, to avoid further damage to the system. Give a professional a call immediately and they will arrive on-site to diagnose the problem. It is our job, as generator repairs and maintenance teams, to keep your generator operational and ready to carry your critical building load during a power outage. We’re also highly qualified in dealing with any repair-related work to bring your system back online in no time at all. We can also advise you about necessary preventative and preparation programs to maximise your generator’s performance and decrease the probability of failure during the hotter months in these regions.
Generator servicing tips in preparation for hot weather
The hottest months are from December to the end of Januarywhen temperatures can typically get as high as 50°C. Generator equipment is built to work in all temperatures including hot climates, but some additional support wouldn’t hurt. This is because high temperatures, humidity and dust in the summertime can cause internal problems.You may need to have the filters replaced inbefore we reach peak heat and maybe schedule a load test a month or so before. Load testing is a simulation situation where you test your generator to see how it operates at different levels of capacity and it’s important to do it leading up to the hottest months.
