Service
Generator Servicing & Maintenance
Scheduled servicing for diesel and petrol sets, planned on running hours rather than the calendar, with a load test so the set is proved rather than assumed.
Symptoms we see
- Never been serviced since it was installed
- Serviced on a calendar but runs far more than expected
- Starts fine on no load but struggles when the load comes on
- Oil dark and thin, or coolant low with no known leak
- Warning lamps on the controller nobody has explained
What's included
- Engine oil and oil filter
- Fuel filters, and water separator drained
- Air filter cleaned or replaced
- Coolant condition and concentration checked, topped or changed
- Belts, hoses and clamps inspected
- Battery condition, terminals and charging voltage measured
- Valve clearances at the manufacturer interval
- Controller fault log read and cleared with an explanation
- Run and load test, with readings recorded
Hours, not months
The interval that matters is running hours. A generator on Kiambu Road that carries every outage on the road can pass 250 hours in a quarter; a standby set in Runda may take three years to get there. Servicing both every twelve months means one is neglected and the other is over-serviced.
If the set has an hour meter, that is the schedule. If it does not, fitting one is inexpensive and turns maintenance from guesswork into a plan.
But the calendar still applies
Oil oxidises, coolant loses its inhibitors, rubber hardens and diesel grows things, all without the engine turning over once. A set that has done forty hours in three years still needs its annual, and the parts of that service that matter most are the ones nobody associates with wear: the fuel, the battery and the coolant.
This is why the most neglected sets in Nairobi are in the most expensive houses. A set that never gets used never announces a problem.
The test at the end is the point
A service that finishes with the engine idling on no load has proved that the engine starts. It has not proved that the set can carry your load, because fuel delivery, cooling and alternator performance only reveal themselves under load.
We run the set on load and record the readings: voltage on each phase, frequency, current, coolant temperature and oil pressure. Those numbers next to last visit’s numbers are what tell you a set is drifting before it fails.
FAQ
▸How often should a generator be serviced?
On running hours first and the calendar second. A typical small diesel set wants attention every 250 hours or annually, whichever comes first. An estate set on a bad feeder can reach 250 hours in a quarter, while a Runda standby set may take three years, and it still needs the annual because oil and coolant degrade whether or not the engine turns.
▸My set hardly ever runs. Does it still need servicing?
Yes, and it is the more fragile case. Diesel degrades, batteries self-discharge, seals dry out and moisture condenses in the alternator. Sets that stand idle are the ones that fail on the day they are needed.
▸What is a load test and why does it matter?
Running the set against real or artificial load rather than on no load. A set can start and idle perfectly and still be unable to carry its rating, because cooling, fuel delivery and the alternator are only tested under load. Starting the engine proves very little.
▸Can you service a generator we did not supply?
Yes. Most of what we service was bought elsewhere.