Diesel Generator Voltage Problem | Causes & Quick Fixes
Using a diesel generator can provide the much-needed sense of security that a homeowner or an office building needs at the time of crisis. In the event of a catastrophic power blackout, the first thing that many house owners do is rev up their standby genset devices and that is enough to make them immune to the consequences of outages brought upon individuals who weren’t as proactive.
However, as awesome as the diesel generators are, and as extensive as their range of applications may be (and trust us, it’s quite a list), their performance and overall dependability may hit a ceiling if the owner isn’t careful. Sometimes, even a brand new standby unit may experience operating issues and if you can’t seem to find a root cause for it, then perhaps the culprit is the over-voltage that is causing the entire system to malfunction.
Whether your backup generator voltage is too high or vice versa, it’s a considerable problem that warrants your attention. In any of the aforementioned situations, you must waste no time consulting a team of experienced and knowledgeable experts who are extremely well-acquinted with the anatomy of a power generator and may even be able to prescribe you the best genset model based on your needs. (our team at Ablesales certainly ticks all the right boxes).
Now, as we shall see in due course, over-voltage is a serious threat to your gadget’s lifespan and output capacity, and if left unchecked for a considerable period of time, is more than capable of entirely damaging your equipment. So, in order to preserve your investment, here we shall take a look at the main causes behind generator over-voltage and what possible measures can be taken to prevent or mitigate the same.
# 6 Main Causes Behind Generator Over-Voltage:
There are various reasons behind overvoltage problems in diesel generator sets; a few of them are discussed here so that you get aware of the basic reasons.
1. Fluctuationg RPM Output:
Due to unstable RPM, it will result in unstable voltage output. This is the reason behind the excessive sounds coming from the generators. The noise that a generator creates is due to fluctuating RPM. Fluctuating engine speed on clogged or dirty fuel, a damaged fuel filter, and an insufficient quantity of fuel are some causes behind the excessive noise created by the genset’s engine. The owners when installing the diesel generators must check the power supply well to reduce the chances of overvoltage as it can be destructive to a large extent.
2. Voltage Controllers Not Installed Properly:
This is the first and foremost consideration while installing a diesel generator to look at whether the voltage regulators/controllers are accurate or faulty. Faulty voltage controllers can be destructive as they are the basic reason behind overvoltage and under-voltage. People don’t pay too much attention to whether they are using a faulty voltage regulator device when that could have a major impact on the wellbeing of the entire establishment, A number of appliances or electrical components attached to the system are at risk of malfunction.
3. Poor Quality Electric Wires:
Defective cables are also the cause of overvoltage. A defective cable that is either worn out or with a broken jacket and skinning insulation can raise the voltage which sometimes causes short circuits and leads to high destruction due to overvoltage of power. Sometimes, an output cable might be of adequate quality but hasn’t been replaced in due course, causing it to experience natural wear and tear, in which case, using that cable to operate a high-end diesel genset unit could be a major risk.
Therefore, to tackle the situation, experts suggest that the owner must properly check the circuits, connections, and terminals well as sometimes cables are in perfect conditions. But open and broken terminals and connections must also be inspected thoroughly as it may cause voltage issues. Check that all the terminals are properly tightened up as well.
4. Measure Genset Voltage Prior To Putting a Load:
When you connect the load with the generator sets you should check the load first so that you can avoid the situation of overvoltage in time. You must know that the output voltage of a diesel generator that has no load is higher than the voltage of a generator that does not have any lead either.
Load rejection is another factor that must be considered before revving up the unit and using it to power sensitive appliances. Load rejection may cause the machine’s motor to rotate at a higher rpm than normal, which in turn causes the voltage injection rate to de-stabilize and having it reach extreme values that many household grids are not meant to handle.
5. Shoddy Maintenance Record:
Sometimes, the most accurate answers lie in the easiest of explanations, and when everything has been tested to your satisfaction and still the genset continues to display voltage irregularities, then perhaps the solution lies in gauging your machine’s maintenance history. Lack of proper maintenance is also a cause behind the overvoltage of many standby generators.
Every piece of equipment needs proper maintenance which can’t be neglected. Similarly, the installed generator sets need complete repair and maintenance to avoid any sudden accident happening at the workplace. Not many owners know that a poor maintenance record isn’t just detrimental to the performance of their standby gensets but may also hamper the operational efficiency of the devices connected to the machine, causing them to experience failure or worse, complete mechanical breakdown.
6. Excessive Electricity Supply:
Sometimes excessive power supply to the generators becomes a reason for overvoltage problems in diesel sets. Unstable power supply affects the working of generators which in respect react adversely. This excess supply sometimes can be dangerous in respect of the safety of the organization.
While you might be surprised to learn that the output voltage supplied to the genset under free-load (zero load) is higher in value than the output voltage when the genset is under load, the user must still ensure that this value should never exceed the threshold value as labeled on the owner’s manual. The voltage output may spike significantly when you suddenly take the load off, so make sure that load conditions must remain relatively consistent for the voltage output to stay linear.