3 Most Common Generator Problems

As one of the most tornado-prone states, Kansas is always at risk of power outages during the tornado season. Windstorms, heavy rains, and blinding blizzards are also common here, requiring residents to back up their power supply with generators to keep their homes running during power outage instances.

While generators are designed to be sturdy and built to last, like any other machinery, they can also develop various problems over time. But when they do, most homeowners have no idea what went wrong and what they can do to get their power generator back to normal. Read on as we discuss some of the most common generator problems, along with some tips to avoid and deal with them to help minimize downtime.

3 Common Generator Problems and Solutions

Here are some of the generator problems that most people experience at some point:

1.     The Generator Doesn’t Start

One of the most common complaints we hear from our clients is that their generator isn’t starting even though there’s plenty of fuel in it. Unfortunately, there’s no instant fix to it, as it could happen due to several underlying issues. These may include battery failure, problems in the check value, line leak, carburetor buildup, or sometimes simply air trapped in the fuel supply system or a faulty connection.

Since there can be several possible causes of a generator failure, it’s best to have a technician inspect it to find and fix the fault.

2.     Stalling

Generator stalling during operation is another common issue people come to us for. This is most often due to dirty or worn-down filters. Check your generator’s oil and air filters and clean or replace them, and your issue should be resolved.

If you have a generator that runs on natural gas, a faulty spark plug could also be the reason for stalling. Check if it’s cracked or worn out. If it is, replace it. To avoid this problem again in the future, replace the spark plugs every 100 hours of generator use; that’s a rule of thumb.

3.     Leaks

If you’re running low on fuel, oil, or coolant more quickly and your usage has remained the same, there could be a leak in your generator.

Leaks in generators can occur for several reasons. Sometimes they indicate a problem in your generator, such as a filed pump system, while at other times, they could simply be a result of regular wear and tear. Generator leaks can also occur due to consistently overfilling the fuel tank or crankcase breathers.

Fortunately, leaks are easy to prevent with regular maintenance, avoiding overfilling the fuel tank and replacing crankcase breathers with recirculating breathers.

Regular Maintenance is the Key to a Smoothly Running Power Generator

Like any other machine, your generator needs upkeep and maintenance to function at its best. Should you need a reliable technician for generator maintenance or to fix the issues that have already occurred, get in touch with Ryan Electric.