Regular maintenance is key to keeping your standby power generation ready for an emergency. Making sure your battery system is healthy should be a top concern. A depleted or dead battery will result in the failure of the gen-set to start, which could have critical consequences.
While most large gen-set installations incorporate automatic charging systems to help ensure peak battery efficiency, there are also several routine maintenance steps that should be taken to improve battery performance.
* First, be sure that the battery set is not undersized for the starting requirements of the engine. A newly installed undersized battery might work in the warmth of summer, but might fail when temperatures start to fall.
* Cable connections should be clean and tight, as battery problems are often caused by dirty and loose connections. Battery terminals can also be coated lightly with petroleum jelly to inhibit corrosion.
* In cold weather, keep the battery warm whenever possible. A deeply discharged battery can freeze solid in really cold weather.
* Use a mild detergent mixture to remove grease and dirt from the plastic surface of the battery. A layer of dirt can act as a conductive agent, causing the battery to discharge slightly.
* Check the specific gravity of the electrolyte in the battery cells. A fully charged battery will have a specific gravity of 1.260.
* Check the electrolyte level in the battery and replace fluid with distilled water when necessary.
Depending upon the critical nature applications, there is always the option of installing a redundant set of batteries and even a redundant battery charger.
While most large gen-set installations incorporate automatic charging systems to help ensure peak battery efficiency, there are also several routine maintenance steps that should be taken to improve battery performance.
* First, be sure that the battery set is not undersized for the starting requirements of the engine. A newly installed undersized battery might work in the warmth of summer, but might fail when temperatures start to fall.
* Cable connections should be clean and tight, as battery problems are often caused by dirty and loose connections. Battery terminals can also be coated lightly with petroleum jelly to inhibit corrosion.
* In cold weather, keep the battery warm whenever possible. A deeply discharged battery can freeze solid in really cold weather.
* Use a mild detergent mixture to remove grease and dirt from the plastic surface of the battery. A layer of dirt can act as a conductive agent, causing the battery to discharge slightly.
* Check the specific gravity of the electrolyte in the battery cells. A fully charged battery will have a specific gravity of 1.260.
* Check the electrolyte level in the battery and replace fluid with distilled water when necessary.
Depending upon the critical nature applications, there is always the option of installing a redundant set of batteries and even a redundant battery charger.
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