If you are searching for generator servicing near me, start here. GeneratorRepair.co.za is a free quote service: you describe your generator once, and we pass the request to independent technicians and service agents in your area, who quote you directly. We do not service generators ourselves and nothing is charged for the request. A proper generator service covers engine oil and filters, the air and fuel filters, coolant, belts, the battery and charger, and a test run under load, so the set starts first time when the power goes.
What a generator service includes
A minor or annual generator service on a diesel set usually covers:
- Oil and oil filter: drained hot and refilled to the dipstick with the grade on the plate
- Fuel and air filters: plus draining the water separator, which matters with the diesel bug and condensation in half-full tanks
- Coolant and belts: antifreeze strength, hoses, fan and alternator belt tension
- Battery and charger: a load test of the starter battery, clean terminals and a check that the trickle charger is working
- Run and readings: voltage, frequency, oil pressure, temperature and run hours logged
Petrol and inverter generators get a lighter generator service: oil, spark plug, air filter, a carburettor clean if the set has stood with old fuel, and a run test.
How often to book generator servicing
Most diesel standby sets need servicing every 250 run hours or 12 months, whichever comes first. Heavy load-shedding years push many home and business sets past 250 hours in a few months, so check the hour meter. Small petrol sets need an oil change every 50 to 100 hours. Sets that hardly run still need an annual service, because oil, fuel and batteries age while they stand. Dusty farm and mine sites need air filters checked far more often, and sets near the coast need terminals and the canopy checked for salt corrosion.
Generator service prices and service kits
As a guide, a petrol generator service costs R650 to R1,500. A minor service on a 10 to 30 kVA diesel set is around R1,800 to R4,500 including a diesel generator service kit, and larger sets or a major service with coolant flush, injector checks and valve clearances run R5,000 to R18,000 or more. Call-out to farms and outlying towns is usually charged per kilometre. If the technician finds a fault, it moves into generator repairs and should be quoted separately before work starts.
Planned service or a full maintenance plan
One annual service suits most homes. Businesses, estates and clinics with standby sets often move to a generator maintenance contract with scheduled visits, monthly exercise runs and a logbook, and some add load bank testing to prove full capacity. If parts are needed, see generator parts.
What to include in your request
- Give the kVA size and whether it is diesel or petrol
- Note the run hours and last service date
- Send a photo of the rating plate
- Mention any warning lights, smoke or leaks
- Say where the set is and how to access it
Generator Service for different sites
- Homes: an annual oil, filter and battery service on a petrol or small diesel standby set
- Estates and complexes: scheduled services on the body corporate's standby set for gates, lifts and pumps
- Farms and smallholdings: frequent air filter changes and services on dusty diesel sets running borehole pumps
- Shops, offices and restaurants: a service every 250 run hours on the set that carries tills, fridges and lights
- Factories, mines and sites: planned major services on large three phase sets with oil analysis and coolant flushes
- Lodges, venues and events: pre-season servicing of lodge and venue generators before peak bookings
- Clinics, schools and towers: logged services on clinic, school and pump station standby sets to keep compliance records
Frequently asked questions
Does GeneratorRepair.co.za service generators itself?
Can my generator be serviced at home?
What should I tell the technician before a service?
Does a service void a new generator's warranty?
Generator Service by province and city
- Johannesburg
- Pretoria
- Centurion
- Midrand
- Sandton
- Randburg
- Roodepoort
- Krugersdorp
- Randfontein
- Germiston
- Boksburg
- Benoni
- Kempton Park
- Alberton
- Vanderbijlpark
- Vereeniging
- eMalahleni (Witbank)
- Middelburg
- Secunda
- Mbombela (Nelspruit)
- Rustenburg
- Brits
- Klerksdorp
- Potchefstroom
- Mahikeng
- Polokwane
- Tzaneen
- Kimberley
- Upington
- Bloemfontein
- Welkom
- Sasolburg
- Durban
- Pinetown
- Pietermaritzburg
- Richards Bay
- Newcastle
- Ladysmith
- Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)
- East London
- Kariega (Uitenhage)
- Mthatha
- Cape Town
- Bellville
- Paarl
- Stellenbosch
- George
- Worcester