A standby generator sits idle for months and must start within seconds, right when the grid goes down. We provide preventive and corrective maintenance with a tiered protocol, load testing and a technical report after every visit, so the backup power of your building, clinic or company does not fail when you need it most. And we go further: we service and adjust the transfer switch and, when a failure keeps coming back, we find its root cause.
Most standby generator failures are not in the engine itself but in everything around it. These are the points good maintenance checks before you find out during a blackout.
The number one cause of “won’t start”. A failed charger or an old battery leaves the generator silent.
Stored diesel degrades and clogs filters and injectors right when the generator picks up load.
Old coolant, a dirty radiator or cracked hoses shut the generator down on high temperature.
If the generator only ever runs unloaded, the engine builds up soot and unburned fuel.
The generator starts, but the transfer switch does not pick up the load or return to the grid.
Controller warnings pile up until they become a shutdown in the middle of the emergency.
Elevators, water pumps, intercoms, cameras and common areas. A clear report for the property manager and board.
Critical equipment and cold chain. Equipment history and maintenance records for audits.
Town halls, government offices, schools and universities.
Supermarkets, malls, hotels and restaurants: sales, refrigeration and security.
Process plants, warehouses, mills and cold storage where downtime costs money.
Towers, nodes and server rooms that must stay online.
Camps, well sites and job sites running prime-power generators.
Pumping stations and treatment plants that supply the community.
Each level includes everything in the previous one. Frequencies are adjusted to how the generator is used (standby, prime or continuous), its running hours and the manufacturer’s manual.
Keep the generator ready to start.
Everything in level 1, plus:
Everything in level 2, plus:
Generators that will not start, will not produce voltage, shut down or show alarms. Diagnosis with the controller software, repair and parts replacement, with a report of the cause and the fix. Contract customers get priority response.
A generator is part of a system: the transfer switch that hands it the load, the controller that runs it and the failures that leave a trace. We take on the whole system.
The generator starts, but the load does not transfer or does not return to the grid. We check the whole switchgear and leave it tested.
When a failure keeps coming back, replacing the part is not enough. We find out why it happened, with evidence, so it does not happen again.
We connect to the controller and the engine with each manufacturer’s software to see what the display does not show.
The most cost-effective way to keep your generator ready: we schedule the whole year, remind you before every visit and give you priority for corrective work. Here is an example for a standby generator:
Prime-power generators (camps, job sites, off-grid areas) are scheduled by running hours.
This is our base protocol. We adapt it to your equipment manual and include it in writing in the proposal.
| Task | Monthly | Preventive | Annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oil level and condition, leaks | |||
| Oil and oil filter change | |||
| Belts, pulleys and tensioners | |||
| Mounts, exhaust and muffler | |||
| Laboratory oil analysis (optional) |
| Task | Monthly | Preventive | Annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tank level, leaks and hoses | |||
| Water drained from the separator | |||
| Fuel filter change | |||
| Stored fuel inspection |
| Task | Monthly | Preventive | Annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coolant level, hoses and clamps | |||
| Engine block heater working | |||
| Coolant concentration | |||
| Radiator and air filter cleaning |
| Task | Monthly | Preventive | Annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battery and charger voltage | |||
| Terminal cleaning and tightening | |||
| Battery capacity test | |||
| Starter motor and charging alternator |
| Task | Monthly | Preventive | Annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cleaning, ventilation and visual inspection | |||
| Power connection tightening | |||
| Stator insulation resistance test | |||
| Thermography of connections and switchgear | |||
| Voltage regulator and stability |
| Task | Monthly | Preventive | Annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Test run with readings (V, Hz, A, kW, pressure, temperature) | |||
| Alarm and event history | |||
| Transfer and retransfer test | |||
| Safety shutdown tests | |||
| Controller configuration backup | |||
| Load bank test |
A generator that is only started with no load can “pass” the test and still fail in a blackout. With a resistive load bank we run it in steps (for example 25%, 50% and 75%) while recording voltage, frequency, pressure and temperature. This proves it delivers its rated power and burns off accumulated deposits.
Photos, operating readings, findings and the condition of each system, in PDF.
Maintenance log, hours, parts and failures, ready for audits and inspections.
What needs attention now, what can wait and what it costs, with no surprises.
Date of this service and the next one, visible on the generator.
Supporting record for management, insurers, audits and regulators.
| Hour meter | 1,284 h | Normal |
| Voltage L-L | 220 V | Normal |
| Frequency | 60.0 Hz | Normal |
| Oil pressure | 52 psi | Normal |
| Temperature | 84 °C | Normal |
| Batteries | 23.9 V | Check |
Answer honestly. Nothing is stored: the result is calculated on your screen.
Has it run under load in the last month?
Were the oil and filters changed in the last 6 months?
Are the batteries less than 3 years old?
Was the transfer switch tested with a simulated outage in the last 6 months?
Is there a written maintenance record?
Is the controller free of active alarms?
Lockout/tagout, personal protective equipment and a risk assessment before any intervention.
Used oil, filters and batteries go to a licensed waste handler.
Genuine filters, oils and batteries, or certified equivalents, depending on the brand.
Preferential response for corrective work for annual-plan customers.
Experience with the engines and controllers most used in Colombia, in open or soundproof generators, standby or prime power, and with each one’s configuration and diagnostic software.
Brands belong to their manufacturers. JAC Engineering provides independent services and is not an official dealer of any of them.
Intervals, parts and settings for each engine and generator.
Emergency systems must be tested periodically, with a written record of tests and maintenance.
International standard for emergency and standby power systems: inspections, monthly exercise under load and annual load bank testing.
Colombia’s technical regulation for electrical installations, applied to all electrical work.
Fill in what you know. Sending opens WhatsApp (or your email) with the message ready; nothing is stored on the site.
It is a structured investigation of why a failure happened: we review the controller history, measure on site and analyze the evidence until we reach the underlying cause, not just the symptom. We recommend it when a failure keeps recurring, when the damage was costly or when you need a formal report for management, the insurer or an inspector.
Yes. We maintain, adjust and test automatic transfer switches (ATS), and replace or upgrade their controller when needed. A generator in perfect condition is useless if the transfer switch does not hand it the load.
An operational inspection every month, a preventive service with oil and filter change every 250 hours or 6 months (whichever comes first, or as the manufacturer specifies), and a comprehensive service with a load test once a year. Prime-power generators are scheduled by running hours.
Not for inspections or preventive maintenance: the generator is serviced while the grid keeps feeding the load. The transfer switch test does involve a brief, controlled interruption, scheduled with you at the least disruptive time.
An operational inspection takes about an hour per generator; a preventive service, two to four hours depending on size and access. Load bank testing is scheduled separately.
Yes. We handle corrective work with on-site diagnosis, and annual-contract customers get priority. Response time is agreed in the contract depending on the city.
Your choice: the contract can include preventive consumables (oil, filters, coolant) or we quote them at each visit. Repairs are quoted separately after diagnosis.
Yes. Every visit leaves a technical report with photos and readings, plus the equipment history. It is the record property managers, auditors, insurers and inspectors ask for.
Yes. We service generators of different brands and ratings, open or soundproof, with DeepSea, ComAp, DEIF, Caterpillar, Cummins and other controllers.
Transfer switches that do not operate, paralleling that does not share load and controller commissioning.
View →Codes, live data and configuration of Caterpillar engines and generators (page in Spanish).
View →Engine, control, regulation and paralleling: learn how your generator works (in Spanish).
View →If you are not sure, it is time to check it. We will send you a no-obligation proposal.