What should we pay attention to when using cooling water in diesel generator set

Cooling water plays an important role in the operation of diesel generators. it can effectively cool the unit and maintain the temperature balance of the unit. Thus, it requires high quality on the used cooling water, and the following key points should be paid attention to during operation:

Filling with hot water in winter

In winter, it is difficult to start the engine. If you add cold water before starting, it is easy to freeze the water tank and intake pipe during the process or it cannot be started timely, which causes the problem of recycling water or even water tank fracturing. Filling with hot water can increase the temperature of the engine and make it easier to start; on the other hand, it can avoid the above freezing phenomenon.

Antifreeze should be high quality

At present, the quality of antifreeze on the market is uneven, and many of them are shoddy. If the antifreeze does not contain preservatives, it will severely corrode engine cylinder heads, water jackets, radiators, water blocking rings, rubber parts and other components. At the same time, a large amount of scale would be generated, causing poor engine heat dissipation and engine overheating failure. Thus, we must choose products from manufacturers with good reputation.

Replenish soft water in time

After filling the water tank with antifreeze, it is just needed to add soft water (distilled water is better) under the premise of no leakage, if the liquid level of the water tank is found to be lowered. As generally used glycol type antifreeze has a high boiling point, what evaporates is the moisture in the antifreeze, it is not needed to replenish the antifreeze, just add soft water. It is worth mentioning that: Never add hard water that has not been softened.

Drain antifreeze in time to reduce corrosion 

Whether it is ordinary antifreeze or long-term antifreeze, it should be released in time when the temperature becomes higher, so as to prevent the corrosion of the machine parts. As the preservatives added to the antifreeze will gradually decrease or become invalid with the extension of the use time. What's more, some simply don’t add preservatives, which will cause a strong corrosive effect on the parts. So the antifreeze should be released in time according to the temperature, and after releases the cooling pipeline should be thoroughly cleaned.

Change the water and clean the pipeline regularly

It is not recommended to replace water frequently, as the minerals have been precipitated after the cooling water has been used for a period of time, unless the water is very dirty and may block the pipeline and the radiator. Even if the newly replaced cooling water is softened by treatment, it contains certain minerals. These minerals will be deposited on the water jacket and other places to form scale. The more frequently the water is replaced, the more minerals will be precipitated, and the thicker the scale will be. Thus, it should be replaced the cooling water based on the actual situation. Regularly replace the cooling water. The cooling pipeline should be cleaned during replacement. The cleaning fluid can be prepared with caustic soda, kerosene and water. At the same time, maintain the drain switches, especially before the winter, replace the damaged switches in time, and do not replace them with bolts, wooden sticks, rags, etc.

Not to release water immediately at high temperature

Before the engine stalls, if the engine is at high temperature, do not stop and drain the water immediately. Remove the load first and let it run at idle speed. When the water temperature drops to 40-50℃, then drain the water to prevent the cylinder block, cylinder head and water contact with water. The temperature of the outer surface of the sleeve drops suddenly due to the sudden release of water and shrinks sharply, while the temperature inside the cylinder is still very high, and the shrinkage is small. It is easy to cause cracks in the cylinder block and cylinder head due to the excessive temperature difference between the inside and the outside.

Open the water tank cover when draining water

Although part of the cooling water can flow out If the water tank cover is not opened when discharging water, as the water volume in the radiator decreases, a certain degree of vacuum will be generated due to the closed water tank, which will slow down or stop the water flow. In winter, the water is not discharged thoroughly, which will cause damages by freezing.

Idling after releasing water in winter

In winter, it should be started the engine to idle for a few minutes after the cooling water in the engine is discharged. It might remain some moisture in water pump and other parts after the water is discharged. After restarting, the residual moisture at the water pump can be dried by its temperature, to ensure that there is no water in the engine, to prevent from water leakage caused by the freezing of the water pump and the tearing of the water seal.

If you have any problem with the using of cooling water in diesel generators, please feel free to contact us. Our company, Guangxi Dingbo Power is one of leading manufacturer of Perkins diesel genset in China, who has focused on high quality but cheap diesel generator for more than 14 years. If you have plan to purchase genset, please email us at dingbo@dieselgeneratortech.com. Guangxi Dingbo Power will supply high quality diesel generator and perfect after sales service. Guangxi Dingbo Power is responsible factory, always give technical support in after-sales.