Troubleshooting Your Generator: Signs It’s Failing And In Need Of Generator Repair Service | Myrtle Beach, SC

Troubleshooting Your Generator: Signs It’s Failing And In Need Of Generator Repair Service | Myrtle Beach, SC

When it comes to keeping your home powered during an outage, generators are pretty handy. However, generators are mechanical and electrical devices that can run into several problems. Since some people in Myrtle Beach, SC, don’t use their generator very often, they might not know when something is amiss with their generator until it’s too late. If you notice any of the following problems with your generator, contact a professional generator repair service electrician as soon as possible.

Generator Won’t Start

If you have an oil-burning home generator that has stopped working, something may be blocking one or more of its filters: either in or on top of it. This can happen when you’re starting up your machine for an initial run and regular operation over time.

Suppose it’s clogged enough with dust and dirt particles after several hours of running time without being drained properly before storage each evening. In that case, they’ll eventually become clogged enough that they won’t allow any airflow through them anymore. Thus no fuel will make it into your engine.

Generator Runs but Doesn’t Generate Power

This can also cause problems with starting up your home’s emergency backup power system. If you have a manual-start model, check if any loose or missing wires are connected. If so, contact a generator repair service technician to tighten them up and make sure they’re seated properly in their sockets or terminals on your home’s breaker panel before powering up again.

Breaker Trips Regularly

A breaker tripping regularly can indicate a problem with the generator or power supply. The best way to determine an issue is by having a generator repair service check the breaker itself. If it’s regularly tripping, then they need to replace it with one of higher amperage. If there’s no issue with the circuit breaker itself and no issues with any other appliances on the circuit, it may need to look at other possible causes like low oil pressure or low engine speed.

Engine Surges

This is when the engine revs up or down quickly. It may happen once or twice and then stop, or continue every few minutes. The cause could be a dirty air filter, which leads to a restriction in airflow through the engine. Or it might be a faulty fuel pump, which causes the engine to draw too much fuel at once and then run out of gas. Either way, it indicates that something isn’t right with your generator. Suppose you’re using your generator for emergency power during an outage. In that case, this sudden surging can be dangerous because it can lead to carbon monoxide poisoning if you’re not careful about how long you run it and how much fuel you use at one time. It’s best to have a generator service to avoid health hazards to your family.

Engine Will Not Idle Down

If your generator engine is not idling down, it could indicate a problem. If the engine will not idle down without assistance from you, there is likely a problem with the carburetor or something else in the carburetion system. If you do not know how to fix this type of problem, then you should contact a professional generator repair service who can help you diagnose and repair it.

Electrical Loads Are Not Balanced

The generator should be able to handle all of the electrical loads simultaneously, so you need to make sure it’s large enough for your needs. If you have a couple of lights, a TV, and some appliances, you’ll want to make sure that the generator can handle these loads together.

This is especially true if your home has an electric water heater or air conditioning unit. These are two very common household appliances that use a lot of power and can quickly cause problems for generators. It’s important to hire a generator repair service to do house rewiring or recommend the best option if the load doesn’t balance.

Loud Rumbling Noises

The first thing to know about generator noise is that it’s normal. The engine can be loud when it starts up, especially if you have a larger unit, and the sound will increase with load. If you’re using your generator for an appliance like a refrigerator or an air conditioner, the noise will get louder as these appliances pull more Power from the generator.

Generator noise also decreases with engine speed: running your generator at higher RPMs will make it quieter than running at lower RPMs. If that’s not the case, it means there is a problem, and you should contact a generator repair service in Myrtle Beach, SC, immediately. You may want to avoid idling your generator. Doing so increases fuel consumption and makes unnecessary noise, and wastes fuel.

There’s a Strange Smell

If you smell gasoline, diesel, or burnt oil coming from your generator, it could signify a failing start/run capacitor. The smell of smoke is also indicative of a bad exhaust valve. If your unit is overheating and you smell an electrical burning, it may be time to look at the power regulator.

If you notice a strange odor coming from your generators, such as gas fumes, diesel fumes, or burnt oil, this could mean that one or more internal parts are failing. Additionally, if you notice an electrical burning smell around your home generator as it operates, something has gone wrong inside the electric motor itself. The same goes for any smoky smells emanating from said electric motor during operation: Those indicate internal damage caused by friction between moving parts within the device. This is a sign that you need a generator service.

Generator Overheats and Shuts Off

If your generator starts overheating, especially in hot weather, it may be time to have a generator repair service replace it. Overheating can cause permanent damage to the engine and lead to expensive repairs. If your generator does overheat and shut off, wait for a few minutes before trying to start it again. This gives the engine time to cool down and not overheat again when you try starting it.

However, if this happens repeatedly, there may be something wrong with your generator that needs professional attention from an authorized generator repair service technician at an authorized service center.

Your Reliable Generator Services in Myrtle Beach

If you’re looking for a professional generator repair service to help find out what’s wrong with your generator in Myrtle Beach, SC, don’t hesitate to reach out to Mister Sparky Generators. Our team is highly trained in handling these issues and more.

Photo By Den Rozhnovsky at Shutterstock