How Long Do Diesel Generators Last?

Generators are an important part of a company&#;s power system, particularly those companies in the industrial sector. Among many other benefits, businesses choose diesel engine generators because they are reliable and have a long life expectancy, which matters because that is a key factor into a company&#;s short- and long-term budget.

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For your business, you need a generator that works at any given time. We live in a volatile environment today, whether it&#;s the economy, the climate or politics. Any one of these things can cause interruptions in business and in the power that supports your business. When interruptions occur, you need a generator that is dependable and that will endure the test of time.

Do Diesel Generators Last Longer Than Natural Gas Generators?

Both diesel and natural gas generators each have their benefits. Diesel has traditionally been the go-to choice, mostly because there are fewer equipment suppliers with the required expertise to provide, transport, set up and maintain natural gas generator sets. Selecting the right generator is also dependent upon numerous other factors such as fuel supply and storage, operating conditions and load requirements. Diesel powered generators do have an edge when it comes to longevity (measured in usage hours).

Part of the reason for this longevity is in the way it is made and what it is made with. Diesel engines are made of simpler and slower moving parts, so the mechanical pieces do not rub together as they do with natural gas generators. As such, diesel generators may not wear out as soon.

A diesel engine-powered generator is reliable, powerful and has a long life span. These things matter because having energy when you need it matters. But how long do diesel generators last? The answer is: it depends. The following is an explanation, including the factors that determine the diesel generator lifespan.

The Approximate Answer

There is no one answer to this question. But there are a lot of approximations. Considering that diesel powered generators are cooled by water and mostly run at RPM, they typically last longer than the standard generator, which is cooled by air and runs on RPM. Diesel powered generators can go at a minimum of 12,000 hours and upwards to 20,000 hours before they require engine overhauls &#; so long as they are exercised and well-maintained. That&#;s a pretty good range. And at 4 hours a day, it will take 14 years before you reach 20,000 hours. That&#;s nearly 1.5 decades of service to you and your business before major engine or generator servicing is required.

But again, these are all approximations. To better understand the length of time your diesel engine generator will last, you need a more accurate answer that takes into consideration several other factors.

The Accurate Answer &#; It Depends

An accurate answer to the question of a diesel engine&#;s life expectancy can only be determined by considering several important factors: (1) maintenance; and (2) generator sizing.

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Maintenance

Any kind of equipment requires maintenance in order to keep it in good running condition. That is no different when it comes to diesel generators. If you want your generator to last upwards of 50,000 hours before a major overhaul is required, then you need to maintain your generator in good running order. This means: (1) the parts of the engine must receive regular maintenance; and (2) the generator must regularly be exercised.

Regular maintenance includes things like regular oil changes or air and fuel filter changes. It also means checking for any kind of change in performance, which could be indicated by any of the following signs:

• Sound

• Vibration

• Smoke

• Increase in fuel consumption

Any of these signs can indicate that the generator needs servicing. But to be able to identify these signs, you must regularly be exercising the generator.

The importance of exercising the generator regularly cannot be overstated. It is fundamental to maintaining the lifespan of your equipment. If a generator does not receive adequate exercise, the machine, when used , can go from cold to hot rather quickly and place unnecessary stress on the engine parts. This stress &#; like the friction caused by other gas engine generators &#; can shorten the life of your generator. To prevent this cold-to-hot process, ensure that you regularly exercise your generator. Regular use of the generator benefits the equipment in the following ways:

• Engine parts are lubricated

• Oxidation is limited

• Uses fuel before it degrades

Accurate Generator Sizing

Diesel generators can be operated at high loads, upwards of 80% to 90% of its capacity. Working your generator in this manner ensures that it acquires enough combustion pressure to keep the piston rings firmly in place, and as such, the longevity of the generator is assured.

Running your generator at high loads, however, does not mean running it over its capacity. There is an assumption that the bigger, more powerful generator a business maintains, the better off it will be. This is not the case. In fact, obtaining a larger than necessary generator can impact the lifespan of the generator. Having too heavy a load for a diesel generator can result in the machine being overworked. No machine, whether it is a diesel generator, or another piece of machinery, like to be overworked. It can heat up and cause serious problems.

On the other hand, having too light a load for a diesel generator can result in several problems, too. Diesel generator sets, or gensets, whether standby- or prime-rated diesel gensets, typically are engineered to operate somewhere between 50% and 85% of its capacity. On the other hand, continuous-rated gensets are set to operate between 70% and 100% of its load. When any of these gensets run at or under 30% of their capacities, wet stacking can occur. Wet stacking is the black oil-like liquid that can leak from exhaust joints, and it leaks because the engine has not reached its minimum temperature or pressure. When the leaking occurs, it may indicate that the machine is under-loaded. If done for extended periods of time, it leads to deposit build-up that can cause things like:

• Power loss

• Poor performance

• Accelerated wear

• Cylinder line polishing

• Engine failure

All of the above has a negative impact on the life expectancy of the generator.

Accurate generator sizing matters and the impact of an improper load size will be detrimental to the life of the diesel generator. To what extent the life of the generator is shortened depends on the extent of the over- or under-sizing of the load. Calculating the size that works best for your company involves considering the generators frequency and voltage dip as well as its recovery time. Other factors also go into the sizing calculation. If you have questions, contact us and one of our representative&#;s can help you calculate the right size diesel generator for your needs.

We&#;ve also put together a step-by-step generator sizing guide to help you calculate your power sizing needs.

Other Factors

There are a number of other factors that also affect the life of a diesel generator. These factors include but are not limited to the following:

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• Generator quality, often according to the manufacturer &#; major brands include Caterpillar, Cummins, MTU, Kohler, HIPOWER

• Size of the engine

• Installation method

• Fuel problems , like gelling or inadequate oxygen levels, etc.

• Availability of parts, particularly for older or outdated generators

• Environment conditions, like extreme weather (from cold to hot), altitude, humidity, salt water and salty air, high amounts of sand and/or dust

Just about any of these things or a combination thereof can results in a shortened life of a diesel generator.  The most important two factors, however, are and will always be the care and love you provide for the machine and the accurate sizing you calculate you need in a generator.

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Contents

If you own or are thinking about buying a diesel generator, you may be wondering how long you can run the generator continuously.

Diesel engine generators are usually the preferred choice if they are to potentially run for extended periods because they can be bought with huge long range tanks. This means you&#;ll be able to get more in a single fuel tank making a diesel engine generator more suitable for continuous use.

The more efficient choice

Diesel generators also have more efficient motors. They will use less fuel than petrol generators over time so are cheaper to run. This is especially beneficial if the generator is being used for prolonged power outages.

As we take a further look into the running time of a generator, it&#;s worth remembering that every generator is different and all require regular maintenance. Make sure you check the user manual for a new generator before you get started.

Throughout this article we look at why diesel generators are better for continuous power and answer the question, how long can you run a generator continuously?

Can you run a diesel generator continuously?

When it comes to diesel, if you are going to run a generator continuously there are a few things you&#;ll need to consider depending on the type of generator you own.

A limiting factor with a portable generator is the size of its fuel tank. For portable generators to be portable they tend to have smaller tanks, meaning you&#;ll have less fuel so your run time will be effected by needing to stop the generator, cool down the engine, and refill the tank.

If you have a standby generator or a portable generator you can buy a larger fuel tank to help with the fuel supply meaning the running generator can produce power for longer.

What limits a generators running time?

With any generator you are limited by it&#;s rated runtime. This is what signifies how much power a generator can supply under what&#;s considered its normal working load. You&#;ll need to check this to ensure you&#;re buying the right generator for the job.

Finally, if you are running diesel generators continuously you&#;re going to require more regular oil changes. Generators that run low on engine oil can face serious problems. Make sure you check your levels on your generator regularly.

Check out our guide to which type of oil you should use for your diesel generator here.

What is considered high hours on a diesel generator?

A diesel generator can last between 10,000-50,000 hours before needing servicing. However, a smaller portable generator will be limited to 2,000-3,000 hours due to its size.

Factors such as the generator type, load on the generator, and environmental conditions such as extreme weather, all come into play.

Typically portable generators run will happily run for a few hours continuously, 16-18 hours are considered high hours.

Can standby generators can run for longer?

Standby generators not limited by fuel supply can run continuously for for up to 500 hours, this is 3 weeks of continuous use. This is dependent on your standby generator&#;s manufacturer recommendations, but at 21 days it is recommended you allow you standby generator to cool and perform general maintenance.

How much diesel does a generator use per hour?

Whether you&#;re using standby generators or a portable generator, you&#;ll need to workout how much diesel your generator uses per hour so you can estimate how long can you run a generator before it needs more fuel.

What affects how much diesel is consumed?

Generators have a fixed RPM, so to work out the fuel consumption you need to consider the load you&#;re putting on the generator, e.g. the amount of equipment or appliances you plan to run on its power.

How to calculate

Below is approximately how many litres per hour you can expect to use given the size and output of the engine and the load placed on the generator.

What are the long term impacts?

Running Diesel engines for several days continuously can have some long term impacts. Firstly the general upkeep needed is going to be greater. Keeping on top of it will greatly extend any generators lifespan.

You also need to think about whether the generator will be adequately loaded during its run time. A few hours won&#;t be a problem, but if you run a generator on a light load for an extended period, you risk what is known as wet stacking. This is when a black oil like liquid drips from the exhaust joints, because the engine is sending unburned fuel into the exhaust system.

Finally, diesel fumes from a generator aren&#;t good for the environment or people, so consider whether your generator really needs to run continuously and make sure it&#;s well ventilated.

Are there alternative options to diesel generators

Alternative fuel supplies such as natural gas generators, are able to run for longer due to being connected to a gas line with a continuous supply of gas. However, they require regular maintenance as they have a lot going on and if not maintained could leave you without backup power in a power outage.

Propane fuelled generators, otherwise known as liquid petroleum gas (LPG) generators, have the advantage that you don&#;t have to wait for the generator to cool before you refill, unlike diesel generators that require the tank to be cool before you refill them, meaning you&#;re able to run the generator continuously while keeping the propane topped up.

However, propane is less efficient than diesel and propane engines have a shorter lifespan, so if you&#;re looking to run your standby generator continuously, propane is probably not the best option.

Conclusion

How long can you run a diesel generator? A larger standby generator with a continual supply of diesel can run for about 500 hours before it&#;s recommended you allow it to cool and check it over. This is going to be your best option if you want to run a generator non-stop for extended periods.

Portable generators are not as suitable as they are limited by the size of their engine and fuel tanks, and other forms of fuel such as Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) are going to be more costly to run for prolonged periods.

If you would like help choosing the best generator for your needs, contact Solent Power today.

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