When you have come to find that your suitcase generator is having some issues, this can be rather concerning when you are unaware of what to do next – however, there is no need to worry as there are plenty of potential solutions that you can try.
A suitcase generator is one of the most useful tools for a backup power supply for people who are looking for a smaller unit that can solve their power issues.
The last thing you would want to occur is for your suitcase generator to falter or fail in the event of a power failure so what should you do if your suitcase generator breaks? Read on to find out more.
What is a Suitcase Generator?
The term ‘suitcase generator’ is another phrase used to refer to typical portable generators that do not need to be plugged into the mains supply in order to supply power to your appliances.
These kinds of generators are typically used in places such as campsites or even for smaller jobs on a construction site such as powering a specific tool.
These can also be perfectly utilised in your home as they can be used for backup power in an emergency and will be more than enough to be able to give power to some of your home appliances.
How To Fix Your Suitcase Generator
When you have found that your suitcase generator is no longer functioning at its maximum capacity, it can be rather confusing to assess what you should do next.
There are some very simple solutions that you can try which could identify your problem and solve it all together without needing to pay for a repair team.
Check Fuel
One of the first things that you should do when you have found a non-functional portable generator is to check the fuel levels, as simple as this sounds it is a much more common problem than many people would think.
Even without being told, this is most likely one of the first things that you had considered may have happened, your generator running out of fuel, however, it is always good practice to make sure before you enlist the help of a professional. If this is your issue, then you can simply top up your generator with its respective fuel source and this should solve your issue.
Check Oil
If your generator has shut itself off completely, one of the reasons why this may have happened is due to the oil level becoming too low. Many portable power generation units have an in-built feature that means that when the oil levels get too low that the generator automatically turns off to save the internal components.
To check if this is your issue, use a dipstick to see how much oil is left in the generator, if this level is low then you should, of course, refill it until it is at a usable level.
Field Flashing
Field flashing is another phrase that is used in conjunction with jump-starting your generator as there may have been some kind of issue with the engine.
A note you should make before you commit to doing this is that this should only really be done on a condenser generator and not on inverter generators.
While your generator is being stored for a long period of time, it is possible for the magnetism in the generator’s rotor can diminish. This would reduce the generator’s ability to produce electricity effectively and could therefore result in your generator failing.
Check the Workload
When your suitcase generator has begun to fail and stop giving off any power, then one of the main reasons this may be happening is that your generator may be overloaded with appliances and is unable to cope with the workload.
The workload of your suitcase generator will need to be below a certain level to ensure that your generator is not being asked to give out power to more units than it can realistically cope with.
When faced with this issue, you should first try to take some of the workloads off of your generator to see if it begins working again – if not, you may need to try another solution or enlist the help of a professional to get involved in the crux of the issue.
Circuit Breaker Issues
If your generator has stopped turning on altogether, this can be a fairly concerning issue to be faced with, however, there are some solutions that you can try to fix this.
One of the main things that could be your issue is that your circuit breaker may have tripped, causing the generator to turn off altogether.
In order to fix this issue, you will simply need to go to your circuit breaker board and see if the switch that your generator is connected to has been turned off. If so, then you will need to flip this switch back on and your generator should begin working again.
Replace Fuses
Another of the most common issues that can befall a generator of this kind is that similar to your circuit breaker issues, you will need to replace the fuses.
Before replacing your fuses, however, you should try to find out what the issue was that caused your fuses to blow to ensure that this does not happen again.
Conclusion
To conclude, there are a number of ways that you can fix your suitcase generator at home without needing to call in for a repair team to help as this can save you a lot of time and money in the long run.
At Pleavin Power, we can supply a wide range of different services that can help you with your generator maintenance such as generator relocation, engine reconditioning and generator repairs.
If you are interested in speaking to a member of our team for more information, please do not hesitate to contact us at 0151 832 5007 or email us at [email protected] and we will be happy to answer any queries you may have.
Jack is the owner of Pleavin Power which was founded in 2017. He has worked in the power industry for over a decade and has an extreme focus on providing a quality service to clients across the UK. This has led Pleavin Power to becoming the market leader in the Critical, Prime & Standby Power markets.
