Hospitals Generator Maintenance

Why is Hospital Generator Maintenance Necessary?

Nowhere is reliable, safe power needed more than in a hospital. Hospitals require backup power to support equipment used for life support, operating rooms, intensive care units, and elevators. Without it, the staff and patients are at an increased risk.

Properly maintained hospital generators can last for decades, but require regular, semi-annual maintenance checks in order to keep the building power running smoothly.

Let’s take a look at risks associated with unserviced hospital generators.

The Risks of Unserviced Hospital Generators

As with any unmaintained generator, there are significant risks that can occur due to the environment, unexplained circumstances, or simply negligence. Preventative maintenance insures that your generator will run for decades. Without it, a few common issues that can arise in a hospital, include:

• Engine oil and filter media breakdown
• Wet stacking in diesel engines
• Leaking
• Wearing of the block heater
• Sputtering and stalls
• Fuel tank leaking

While most issues with generators will only lead to frustration, it’s also important to remember that generators run on fuel and electricity—two of the most important, but dangerous raw materials to handle. Improper handling of a generator can cause carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning, electric shocks, fire, or burns.

Lionheart Power Specialists are certified to handle all aspects of generators, so for any questions or concerns, set up a consultation today.

How Often Do Hospital Generators Need to Be Serviced?

While a poorly maintained generator in an apartment, condo, or school generally just leads to stress, an unmaintained hospital generator is a critical safety risk.

 Knowing how often a backup generator will need maintenance is entirely dependent on a few factors. These include:

• Age
• Condition
• Specific issue
• Environment
• Application

For larger hospital buildings that operate a lot of power, LionHeart does advise that a semi-annual inspection also be performed every six months to ensure our expert technicians can conduct a thorough inspection and address any potential concerns that have come up over the past few months.

What Type of Maintenance Needs to Be Done for Hospital Generators?

A typical hospital will use an average of 27.5kWh of electricity and 109.8 cubic feet of natural gas annually. Due to the high energy use and intense vulnerability a hospital building will be in without power, a quarterly PM2 is generally required.

A PM2, consisting of an inspection, oil change, and oil, fuel, and filter replacement, is required to ensure the longevity of the generator and address any potential concerns that might occur. Our technicians will review any recommendations while onsite and provide repair recommendations discovered during the maintenance visit.

Here’s a look at the maintenance needs your hospital’s backup generator will need quarterly or semi-annually.

• Battery Testing
• Lubrication service
• Cooling system
• Generator cleaning
• Engine exercising

You don’t want to find out that your generator needs to be fixed after it’s too late. Getting routine maintenance checks and utilizing preventative methods, will save your hospital time, stress, and money.