Caring for Your Industrial Engine
Caring for Your Industrial Engine
Industrial engines tend to get more use than regular engines, which can result in extra wear and tear on them and reduce their overall lifespan if they are not cared for properly. 
Regular engine maintenance is vital to ensuring consistent operation. Using the following tips can help your engine perform at its best.
Get Regular Oil Changes
Fresh oil is what keeps the various parts of your engine clean, cool, and lubricated. However, oil can begin to degrade over time, making older oil less effective than new oil. Oil changes should be performed at regular intervals to maximize oil performance.
Don’t Forget the Filter
Your filter allows your engine to breathe as it traps dirt, dust, and other debris to keep them from damaging the internal parts of your engine. However, your filter can become clogged and less effective at its job if it is not replaced regularly. Even exposing your engine to small particles like dirt or sand can result in costly repairs, so it’s important to change or inspect your filter every time you perform an oil change.
Check the Coolant
If your industrial engine overheats, it can cause irreparable damage. The easiest way to protect your engine is by making sure it has enough coolant circulating through it. Check your coolant regularly and ensure it never drops below the recommended level. If you have enough coolant but you still notice that your engine is running hot or overheating, there could be another problem with your cooling system, so you should have it inspected by a repair professional. Coolant can also deteriorate with time, even without use. Coolant sampling is a great way to ensure the quality of the coolant is sufficient.
Maintain the Fuel Level
If you have a gas or diesel engine, it is important to keep the fuel level well above the empty range. Some of the water and sediment that’s produced by gasoline and diesel will settle at the bottom of your tank, which can result in a lot of it accumulating over time. If you are consistently running your engine down to empty, you’re pulling fuel contaminated with all the extra debris that has been collecting there. This means more sediment will need to be filtered through, which may clog your filter faster and cause particles to enter your engine and damage parts. A good rule of thumb is to maintain at least a half-tank of fuel consistently.
Examine Your Belts
The rubber belts of your engine are responsible for running various components, like the fan and alternator. Belts are very durable and typically last a long time, but they can begin to wear down and crack after so much use. If one of them breaks while your engine is running, it can result in major internal damage. You should check the belts regularly to look for any tears or cracks. Also, keep an ear for any squealing that might be coming from your belts. Squealing often indicates the belt has worn down and needs to be replaced before it has a chance to break.
Inspect for Leaks
Leaks can cause a lot of problems for your engine. You’ll want to check for fuel hose leaks, oil leaks, and coolant leaks every time you perform maintenance. Leaks can cause your engine to work harder to function, making it more likely to break down. You should also check for any loose or damaged seals and other connections as these can also negatively affect your engine’s performance.
Power the Engine Regularly
If your engine doesn’t get consistent load, it could have a problem turning on, and you won’t know about it until you need it. You can make sure that it will work as expected by running the engine for half an hour at least every 30 days under load. This will allow you to assess its performance and address any repair needs sooner rather than later.
Don’t Skip Service Appointments
It might not seem like a big deal to skip a service appointment every now and then, but it can actually be detrimental to your engine’s health. After all, without maintenance checks, you might not notice a problem with your engine until the issue has caused a serious malfunction to occur. A qualified technician will be able to take care of maintenance tasks and also identify any issues with your engine early on so that you can avoid those major problems that often happen as a result of poor maintenance.
Benefits of Industrial Engine Maintenance
Without proper maintenance, wear and tear will begin breaking down your engine’s parts and components. It will be forced to work harder to deliver the power you need. Eventually, this will lead to a breakdown, which can cost a lot of money to repair if you don’t need to replace it altogether. Making sure your engine has the care it needs will provide a host of benefits, including:
- Reliability.
You can have peace of mind knowing that your engine will operate when you need it to. - Protection of your bottom line.
You won’t have to worry about a loss of production that can result from an engine breakdown. - Cheaper repair costs.
A well-maintained engine will be less likely to need major repairs later because you’ll be able to catch smaller issues and address them before they have the chance to progress. - Long engine life.
Regular maintenance minimizes the impact of wear and tear on your engine so that it will last longer. - Improve fuel efficiency.
Maintenance allows your engine to run more smoothly and use fuel more efficiently, reducing your overall fuel costs. - Reduced emissions.
A well-maintained engine releases fewer pollutants into the environment than a poorly maintained one.
How Often Should You Perform Maintenance?
Engines today are capable of running much longer between maintenance intervals, but this doesn’t mean that you should wait until your engine begins to show signs of wear. Generally, you will want to maintain your engine at least every three months. However, this could be more often or less often depending on the engine model, how frequently it’s used, application, and other conditions.
Learn more about industrial engine maintenance by contacting Valley Power Systems today. We serve the power needs of businesses throughout California.
Industrial engines tend to get more use than regular engines, which can result in extra wear and tear on them and reduce their overall lifespan if they are not cared for properly. Regular engine maintenance is vital to ensuring consistent operation. Using the following tips can help your engine perform at its best.
Get Regular Oil Changes
Fresh oil is what keeps the various parts of your engine clean, cool, and lubricated. However, oil can begin to degrade over time, making older oil less effective than new oil. Oil changes should be performed at regular intervals to maximize oil performance.
Don’t Forget the Filter
Your filter allows your engine to breathe as it traps dirt, dust, and other debris to keep them from damaging the internal parts of your engine. However, your filter can become clogged and less effective at its job if it is not replaced regularly. Even exposing your engine to small particles like dirt or sand can result in costly repairs, so it’s important to change or inspect your filter every time you perform an oil change.
Check the Coolant
If your engine overheats, it can cause irreparable damage. The easiest way to protect your engine is by making sure it has enough coolant circulating through it. Check your coolant regularly and ensure it never drops below the recommended level. If you have enough coolant but you still notice that your engine is running hot or overheating, there could be another problem with your cooling system, so you should have it inspected by a repair professional. Coolant can also deteriorate with time, even without use. Coolant sampling is a great way to ensure the quality of the coolant is sufficient.
Maintain the Fuel Level
If you have a gas or diesel engine, it is important to keep the fuel level well above the empty range. Some of the water and sediment that’s produced by gasoline and diesel will settle at the bottom of your tank, which can result in a lot of it accumulating over time. If you are consistently running your industrial engine down to empty, you’re pulling fuel contaminated with all the extra debris that has been collecting there. This means more sediment will need to be filtered through, which may clog your filter faster and cause particles to enter your engine and damage parts. A good rule of thumb is to maintain at least a half-tank of fuel consistently.
Examine Your Belts
The rubber belts of your engine are responsible for running various components, like the fan and alternator. Belts are very durable and typically last a long time, but they can begin to wear down and crack after so much use. If one of them breaks while your engine is running, it can result in major internal damage. You should check the belts regularly to look for any tears or cracks. Also, keep an ear for any squealing that might be coming from your belts. Squealing often indicates the belt has worn down and needs to be replaced before it has a chance to break.
Inspect for Leaks
Leaks can cause a lot of problems for your engine. You’ll want to check for fuel hose leaks, oil leaks, and coolant leaks every time you perform maintenance. Leaks can cause your engine to work harder to function, making it more likely to break down. You should also check for any loose or damaged seals and other connections as these can also negatively affect your engine’s performance.
Power the Industrial Engine Regularly
If your engine doesn’t get consistent load, it could have a problem turning on, and you won’t know about it until you need it. You can make sure that it will work as expected by running the engine for half an hour at least every 30 days under load. This will allow you to assess its performance and address any repair needs sooner rather than later.
Don’t Skip Service Appointments
It might not seem like a big deal to skip a service appointment every now and then, but it can actually be detrimental to your engine’s health. After all, without maintenance checks, you might not notice a problem with your engine until the issue has caused a serious malfunction to occur. A qualified technician will be able to take care of maintenance tasks and also identify any issues with your engine early on so that you can avoid those major problems that often happen as a result of poor maintenance.
Benefits of Engine Maintenance
Without proper maintenance, wear and tear will begin breaking down your engine’s parts and components. It will be forced to work harder to deliver the power you need. Eventually, this will lead to a breakdown, which can cost a lot of money to repair if you don’t need to replace it altogether. Making sure your engine has the care it needs will provide a host of benefits, including:
- Reliability.
You can have peace of mind knowing that your engine will operate when you need it to. - Protection of your bottom line.
You won’t have to worry about a loss of production that can result from an engine breakdown. - Cheaper repair costs.
A well-maintained engine will be less likely to need major repairs later because you’ll be able to catch smaller issues and address them before they have the chance to progress. - Long engine life.
Regular maintenance minimizes the impact of wear and tear on your industrial engine so that it will last longer. - Improve fuel efficiency.
Maintenance allows your engine to run more smoothly and use fuel more efficiently, reducing your overall fuel costs. - Reduced emissions.
A well-maintained engine releases fewer pollutants into the environment than a poorly maintained one.
How Often Should You Perform Maintenance?
Engines today are capable of running much longer between maintenance intervals. However, this doesn’t mean that you should wait until your engine begins to show signs of wear. Generally, you will want to maintain your industrial engine at least every three months. This could however be more often or less often depending on the engine model. How frequently it’s used, application and other conditions may require additional maintenance.
Learn more about industrial engine maintenance by contacting Valley Power Systems today. We serve the power needs of businesses throughout California.