Power outages don’t happen on convenient schedules. Whether it’s a summer thunderstorm rolling across the Arkansas River Valley, an ice storm shutting down central Arkansas, or utility maintenance affecting your facility, backup generators stand between your business and costly downtime. For businesses across eastern and central Arkansas—from agricultural operations that can’t afford to lose climate control systems to manufacturing facilities with sensitive processes—a reliable generator isn’t just nice to have, it’s absolutely essential.
The challenge with backup generators is that they spend most of their time sitting idle, waiting for that critical moment when the utility power fails. This creates a unique maintenance paradox: the equipment that must work perfectly during emergencies gets very little actual operating time under normal conditions. The NFPA 70B standard addresses this challenge by establishing comprehensive maintenance practices designed to ensure your generator will start and run reliably when you need it most.
Understanding generator maintenance isn’t just about following regulations or checking boxes on a maintenance schedule. It’s about protecting your business from the devastating consequences of being without power during critical operations. Whether you’re running a cold storage facility preserving agricultural products, operating a hospital or healthcare facility, or managing a data center, your generator represents your insurance policy against the unpredictable nature of power supply.
Run Testing and Load Bank Testing: Proving Your Generator is Ready
The most fundamental aspect of generator maintenance is regular run testing, which NFPA 70B recommends performing annually at minimum. However, many facilities benefit from more frequent testing—monthly or quarterly—depending on the criticality of their backup power needs. Run testing involves starting the generator and operating it under load conditions to verify that all systems function correctly.
Load bank testing takes this concept further by connecting the generator to a specialized load bank that can apply precise, controlled loads to test the generator’s capacity, cooling systems, and stability under various operating conditions. This testing is crucial because generators that only run at light loads during routine tests may not perform reliably when called upon to carry full facility loads during an actual power outage.
During load bank testing, technicians monitor generator output voltage and frequency stability, engine temperature and cooling system performance, fuel consumption rates, and exhaust characteristics. This comprehensive evaluation can identify developing problems before they cause failures during emergency operation. For Arkansas businesses, this testing becomes particularly important before severe weather seasons when generator reliability is most critical.
The annual load bank test recommended by NFPA 70B provides the opportunity to operate the generator at or near its rated capacity, burning off carbon deposits that can accumulate during light-load operation and verifying that cooling systems can handle sustained full-load operation. This testing also helps identify any capacity limitations that might affect your ability to power all intended loads during an extended outage.
Voltage and Frequency Regulation: Maintaining Clean, Stable Power
Modern business equipment is increasingly sensitive to power quality issues. Computers, automation systems, variable frequency drives, and other electronic equipment require stable voltage and frequency to operate reliably. Generator voltage and frequency regulation testing verifies that your backup power system can provide the clean, stable power that your equipment demands.
NFPA 70B classifies this as online functional testing performed annually, recognizing that voltage and frequency stability must be verified under actual operating conditions. The testing involves measuring how the generator and its automatic voltage regulator (AVR) respond to sudden load changes, verifying that voltage and frequency remain within acceptable limits during various load conditions.
Poor voltage regulation can cause equipment malfunctions, premature equipment failure, or even damage to sensitive electronics. Frequency instability can affect motors, timing circuits, and any equipment that depends on stable power frequency for proper operation. For facilities with critical processes or sensitive equipment, voltage and frequency regulation testing becomes essential for ensuring backup power quality.
The test also evaluates how quickly the generator responds to load changes. When utility power fails and the generator starts, it must quickly stabilize and accept building loads without excessive voltage or frequency excursions. Similarly, when loads are added or removed during operation, the generator must adjust smoothly to maintain stable output. Arkansas businesses with sensitive agricultural processing equipment or manufacturing systems particularly need this assurance of power quality.
Battery and Starting System Maintenance: Ensuring Reliable Engine Starting
The best generator in the world is useless if it won’t start when needed. Battery and starting system maintenance represents one of the most critical—yet frequently neglected—aspects of generator maintenance. NFPA 70B recommends routine inspection of batteries, starting systems, chargers, and cables on a monthly to quarterly basis.
Battery maintenance includes checking electrolyte levels in flooded batteries, verifying proper charging system operation, cleaning corrosion from terminals and connections, and testing battery capacity to ensure sufficient cranking power. Batteries naturally degrade over time, and the hot summers common in Arkansas can accelerate this aging process, making regular inspection and testing particularly important.
Starting system inspection extends beyond just the batteries to include the starter motor, charging alternator, battery cables, and control circuits. Loose connections, corroded terminals, or failing components in any part of the starting system can prevent the generator from starting during a power outage. Monthly visual inspections can identify obvious problems, while more comprehensive testing verifies system capacity and reliability.
Modern generators often include automatic battery chargers that maintain batteries at optimal charge levels. These chargers require periodic inspection to verify proper operation and appropriate charging voltages. Battery voltage that’s too low results in insufficient cranking capacity, while voltage that’s too high can damage batteries and shorten their service life. Regular monitoring ensures batteries remain ready for reliable starting.
The Arkansas Climate Factor: Environmental Considerations
Operating generators in Arkansas presents specific environmental challenges that affect maintenance requirements and reliability. The state’s humid subtropical climate, with hot summers, occasional severe weather, and seasonal temperature variations, creates conditions that can stress generator systems and accelerate certain types of wear and deterioration.
Hot summer temperatures stress cooling systems and can accelerate battery aging. Generators designed to operate in hot climates must have adequate cooling capacity, and cooling system maintenance becomes particularly important before summer months. Coolant levels, radiator cleanliness, fan operation, and thermostat function all require attention to ensure the generator can handle sustained operation during hot weather.
High humidity levels can promote corrosion of electrical connections, affect insulation systems, and encourage growth of microorganisms in diesel fuel. Fuel system maintenance becomes especially important in humid climates, as water condensation in fuel tanks can lead to microbial growth that clogs fuel filters and injectors. Regular fuel testing and treatment helps prevent these problems.
Severe weather events common in Arkansas—thunderstorms, tornadoes, and occasional ice storms—create the conditions that most often require generator operation. This makes pre-season maintenance particularly valuable. Spring maintenance before storm season and fall maintenance before potential winter weather helps ensure your generator is ready when severe weather strikes.
Fuel System Maintenance: Keeping the Tank Clean and Full
Generator fuel systems require regular attention to ensure clean fuel delivery and reliable engine operation. Diesel generators, which are common for standby power applications, face particular challenges with fuel quality and storage. NFPA 70B recommendations for fuel system maintenance recognize these challenges and establish practices to maintain fuel quality and system reliability.
Regular fuel testing helps identify problems before they affect generator operation. Water contamination, microbial growth, fuel degradation, and sediment accumulation can all compromise fuel quality and engine performance. Testing intervals depend on fuel age, storage conditions, and local climate, but annual testing represents a reasonable minimum for most applications.
Fuel system inspection includes checking tank levels, inspecting for leaks, verifying fuel line integrity, checking filters, and examining fuel quality. Maintaining adequate fuel supplies is essential for extended-duration outages, but fuel that sits too long can degrade and cause problems. Many facilities implement fuel rotation programs to ensure fresh fuel availability.
Fuel polishing services can clean stored fuel by removing water, sediment, and microorganisms. This service becomes particularly valuable for facilities with large fuel storage tanks or those in humid climates where condensation and microbial growth present ongoing challenges. Regular fuel polishing helps maintain fuel quality between complete tank refills.
Control and Transfer Switch Integration
Most generator installations include automatic transfer switches that detect utility power failure and start the generator automatically. The generator and transfer switch work together as an integrated system, making it essential to test and maintain both components as a coordinated unit.
Transfer switch maintenance typically includes exercising the switch mechanism, verifying proper operation of voltage sensing circuits, testing time delay functions, and confirming proper electrical connections. The switch must detect utility failure quickly, signal the generator to start, transfer loads to generator power smoothly, and then return to utility power once it’s restored and stabilized.
Control system testing verifies that all automatic functions operate correctly: the generator receives start signals properly, responds to emergency stop commands, provides appropriate status indications, and shuts down correctly after utility power restoration. Modern generators include sophisticated control systems that monitor numerous parameters and require comprehensive testing to verify proper operation.
Integration testing between the generator, transfer switch, and facility systems ensures smooth transitions between utility and generator power without disrupting critical loads. For facilities with multiple generators or complex power distribution systems, coordination between all components becomes crucial for reliable backup power operation.
Exhaust System and Engine Maintenance
Generator engines require maintenance similar to any diesel or natural gas engine, but with considerations specific to standby power applications. NFPA 70B maintenance recommendations recognize that standby generators often accumulate relatively few operating hours but must perform reliably after sitting idle for extended periods.
Regular engine maintenance includes oil and filter changes, air filter service, coolant system maintenance, and inspection of belts, hoses, and engine mountings. While manufacturers provide maintenance schedules based on operating hours, generators used primarily for standby service should also follow time-based maintenance intervals to address aging of fluids and components during storage.
Exhaust system inspection identifies problems such as leaks, corrosion, or blockages that could affect engine performance or create safety hazards. Exhaust leaks can introduce dangerous carbon monoxide into buildings, while restricted exhaust flow affects engine performance and can cause overheating. Regular inspection helps identify these problems before they affect generator reliability or create hazardous conditions.
Engine compression testing, valve adjustment, and fuel system service represent more comprehensive maintenance activities performed on longer intervals. These services help maintain engine performance and reliability, extending generator service life and ensuring consistent power output during emergency operation.
Documentation and Record Keeping
Comprehensive documentation of generator maintenance activities, test results, and performance trends provides invaluable information for optimizing maintenance programs and predicting future service needs. NFPA 70B emphasizes the importance of maintaining detailed records that track generator condition and performance over time.
Maintenance records should document all test results, service activities, component replacements, and any problems encountered during testing or operation. This information helps identify developing trends, such as gradually declining battery capacity or increasing fuel consumption, that might indicate developing problems requiring attention.
Run logs documenting generator operation during both testing and actual power outages provide valuable information about system performance and reliability. These logs help verify that generators operate within specified parameters and accumulate sufficient operating hours to keep engines in good condition without excessive runtime that accelerates wear.
Many modern generators include electronic monitoring and data logging capabilities that automatically record operating parameters and maintenance needs. These systems complement manual record keeping and can provide early warning of developing problems through automated monitoring and trending of key performance parameters.
Planning for Extended Outages
While most power outages last only a few hours, severe weather events can cause extended outages lasting days or even weeks. Arkansas businesses must consider how their generators will perform during these extended-duration outages and plan maintenance programs accordingly.
Extended operation places different stresses on generators than brief test runs or short-duration emergency operation. Cooling system capacity, lubrication system performance, fuel supply adequacy, and overall system reliability become increasingly important as run time extends. Maintenance programs should verify that generators can sustain operation for the duration of expected outages in your area.
Fuel supply planning must consider both storage capacity and potential for fuel delivery during emergencies. Severe weather that causes power outages can also disrupt fuel delivery, making adequate on-site fuel storage essential for extended-outage capability. Regular fuel testing and maintenance ensures that stored fuel remains usable when needed.
Spare parts inventory planning helps ensure that minor component failures don’t disable generators during extended outages when replacement parts may be difficult to obtain. Maintaining supplies of common wear items—filters, belts, hoses, and fluids—allows quick repairs that keep generators running until utility power returns.
Professional Generator Maintenance Services
Implementing comprehensive generator maintenance requires specialized knowledge, equipment, and experience that most businesses don’t maintain in-house. Professional generator maintenance services provide the expertise and resources necessary to keep backup power systems reliable and compliant with NFPA 70B standards.
Qualified generator technicians have the training and experience to diagnose problems, perform complex testing, and recommend appropriate service activities. They bring specialized test equipment for load bank testing, voltage and frequency analysis, and comprehensive system evaluation that provides detailed insight into generator condition and performance.
Regular service contracts with professional maintenance providers ensure that generator maintenance happens on schedule, with proper documentation and comprehensive attention to all system components. These contracts typically include routine testing, preventive maintenance, priority emergency service, and ongoing consultation about generator performance and service needs.
For Arkansas businesses looking to ensure backup power reliability, partnering with experienced generator maintenance professionals provides peace of mind that your generator will start and run reliably when utility power fails. The investment in professional maintenance pays dividends through reduced downtime risk, extended equipment life, and compliance with industry standards that demonstrate your commitment to business continuity and operational reliability.
This blog post was created by Ag Electric Services, LLC, an Arkansas based electrical and general contractor serving the following areas of Central and Eastern Arkansas: McCrory, Augusta, Newport, Wynne, Brinkley, Des Arc, Forrest City, Hickory Ridge, Cherry Valley, Tuckerman, Jonesboro, Searcy, Pangburn, Heber Springs, Greers Ferry, Rosebud, Quitman, Romance, Kensett, Georgetown, Cabot, Beebe, El Paso, Hickory Plains, Carlisle, Lonoke, Little Rock, North Little Rock, Sherwood, Jacksonville, Maumelle, Conway, Mayflower, Vilonia. If you would like more information about the services we provide, please click “Services” in the main menu, or contact us through the online information request form on the “Contact Us” page.