At Essex Electrical Services LTD, we offer Generator load testing service. We can also structure it into a service contract to make it part of a maintenance schedule on your standby power system. With this service, we provide a full report of the generator output readings for: voltages, amperages, kW amounts, and more.
Chances are you don’t operate your generator at full power and full temperature unless you’re experiencing an emergency. In fact, your generator may not be used frequently or only run on light loads throughout the year leading you to believe it’s in fine shape. Plus, there’s that saying- “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” The truth is, generators need load bank testing in their maintenance schedule to ensure reliable operation during a power failure, to prevent ‘wet stacking, to extend the generator’s engine life, To have Reliable Operation in an Emergency.
The last thing you want to find out in an emergency is that your standby generator cannot provide the full power you need from it. Load bank testing allows a standby generator to be tested and exercised to verify its overall reliability and its ability to run at its full rated kW output.
During the generator load test, a Essex Electrical Services LTD technician monitors critical engine parameters such as: oil pressure, engine temperature, fuel pressure, etc. These readings are recorded to show that once the unit reaches full rated load, it runs at normal operating temperatures and pressures.
Wet Stacking
As Dirty As It Sounds
Weekly no-load testing is how most generator owners exercise their standby generators. The problem with this practice is under-loading a generator can lead to ‘wet stacking’- when unburned fuel and soot accumulate in the engine exhaust. Wet stacking can manifest in black exhaust and pooling fuel oil, and it is damaging to the engine’s efficiency and life span. A buildup of wet stacking is also a fire danger.
Generator load testing allows the engine to reach its full operating temperature, so it burns out accumulated fuel and prevents wet stacking. This ensures the engine runs cleaner and more efficiently.