Like every other machine, a generator also gets technical hitches during its lifespan. Regular servicing is therefore of paramount importance to ensure the generator serves its intended purpose for many years. Servicing of generators constitutes lubricating the moving parts and checking and correcting any faulty wiring connections. In servicing a generator, an electrician who is qualified is the right person for the job but a home handyman who is skilled and has the right tools can also perform the task.
Instructions
1. Perform in-depth research regarding the laws of electrical appliances repair and maintenance as there are some towns and cities where there are limitations on the extent of service and repair a home handyman can perform without involvement of a qualified technician. These laws were introduced to curb accidents which may occur from improper handling of the service by the home handyman, causing incidents which may end up endangering the lives of many people, particularly in urban areas.
2. Confirm you have everything you will require in performing the servicing. Wear overalls to prevent any grease and oil stains from getting onto your clothes. Choose a dry work station because most electrical appliances have a potential risk of electrocution when the generator comes in contact with water. Ensure your hands are also dry.
3. Turn off the generator before commencing the service work. If the generator has an auto-start feature, disengage it in case of a power outage while you are working. This helps eliminate electrical accidents which may spark and ignite fires, causing profound damage both to the body and to property.
4. Check the tightness of bolts of the generator, tightening any loose bolts and nuts using the wrench. Bolts which are not fixed tightly will experience a vast change in tension and its clamping force (the force that holds two parts together when using bolts) will be greatly reduced, thus rendering the bolt virtually useless.
5. Apply the non-viscous grease at the axle of the wheels of the generator. This lubrication is essential in ensuring smooth movement of the wheels. The greasing also helps eliminate any screeching sounds made by the rotating wheels. If there are missing ball bearings on the wheels, remove the wheels by loosening their nuts using the wrench and replace the ball bearings.
6. Open the lid of the fuel tank using the palm of your hand and dip the metal rod into the fuel tank of the generator to find out the amount of fuel remaining. If the amount is insufficient, add some fuel. The amount of fuel added should be reasonable so as not to spill when the lid of the fuel tank is closed.
7. Switch on the generator to ensure it is in a proper working condition.
Tags: fuel tank, home handyman, accidents which, amount fuel, ball bearings, electrical appliances
