Generator Load Bank Testing Ensures Power Safety and Readiness

If you have an onsite stand-by or emergency generator you want to make sure your investment is ready to do its job. Finding out when an emergency strikes is no time to discover a faulty emergency power capability. Periodic load bank testing will reveal any flaws in your standby power generation and distribution assets and provide you the confidence that your business will continue operating when power contingencies arise.

Like any asset that is critical to your business’ continuity of operations, your generator needs to be exercised and tested. If you generator is underutilized (or never utilized as many are), we can’t stress enough the need to load bank test your system. Any mechanical device needs to run and generators are no exception.

How Often Should a Generator be Load Bank Tested?

Standby generators that don’t achieve the proper exhaust temperature (or fail to operate at 30% of the generator kW nameplate rating) for at least 30 minutes monthly should be exercised under load for 30 minutes each month. They should be load-banked for two hours each year. Emergency generators operating for fire and life safety is regulated by NFPA 70, 99, 110 and has specific load banking requirements based on you type of facility. For stand-by generators that are typically sized to accommodate a buildings full load you need to be aware of wet stacking. Wet stacking occurs when a generator is run at a little or no load and can impact your fuel system.

Yearly load bank testing is an important element of any preventative maintenance program to ensure your standby generator is capable of carrying building loads when required to. In the long run load bank testing will save you money by ensuring your business never shuts down for a single moment when power outages plague the local area. Prime Power Rentals provides turn-key mobile load banks and testing. If you would like more information please contact us