How Often Should You Service Your Marine Generator: When Was The Last Time You Did Yours?

True enough, the marine diesel gensets of today are robust, reliable and ready to keep on keeping on, but not by magic! You still need to service yours regularly so that it lasts as long, or longer, than the vessel it’s powering.

Check Your Generator Service Manual

It should go without saying but we still have to utter it sometimes: regular maintenance is cheaper than fixing a problem later. So how often is regular? The answer is in your marine diesel genset service manual. You still have it, right? And in printed form? If not, contact the supplier or do an online search with the model number.

Periodic maintenance goes by the number of hours the genset has completed – usually every 250 hours or every 12 months, whatever comes first. Aim for an annual service around late winter so you have everything ship-shape before the beautiful weather beckons. This can be a bit much for some owners so if this is you, get to know a reliable boat mechanic like THT.

Make Sure You Check and Regularly Replace Your Filters

The last thing we want to hear is, “I never check my filters.” Filters are fundamental to keeping fuel, air and oil clean. They need to be checked, cleaned and replaced as needed.

Bad fuel or water reaching your marine diesel genset is a critical issue. So with water being heavier than fuel, if you see water gather in the clear bowl of your primary filter, drain it or THT can do it for you.

Check Your Oil Levels. For that matter, when was the last time it was changed?

Sure, check your oil levels but when did you last change it entirely? Be honest or be sorry.

Impurities build up in the oil of any engine. Regular oil changes keep oil clean and allow you to check for any leaks. Small leaks left untended turn into biggies. Big leaks lead to engine failure and waterway contamination. Avoid disaster by having the likes of THT rectify an issue early.

When Was The Last Time You Started Your Marine Diesel Genset?

Been tucked up inside during this long, cold winter? It’s better for your marine diesel genset if it’s turned over every fortnight. It likes to warm up too. To give it a good run, turn off the shore power, turn on some of the on-board appliances – to make sure it’s running under a load of about 40 to 60% – and keep it running for about 20 minutes.

Have you checked your sea water cooling system recently?

Annual replacement of the sea water impeller and the sacrificial zinc anodes is essential for keeping the flow of sea water constant. It’s what’s cooling your engine. This is a job best done by an experienced hand who will also remove any calcium or seaweed build-up in the sea strainer and heat exchanger.

Call THT Sales and Schedule a Service For Your Generator

Marine diesel gensets are genius machinery. So simple in their design that any marine mechanic the world over can get straight into for a service or repair. To keep yours as effective as it was intended to be, it just takes some regular maintenance. If you don’t have the time, or knowledge, or just want to say gidday to a team of experts who can spot trouble early, best get yourself down to THT Marine at Royal Street, Tuart Hill today.