When it comes time to replace a part in your generator, you typically have the choice of purchasing a part from the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) or choosing a part from another manufacturer. The second part will fit and will be more affordable. Yet, some organizations choose to only install OEM parts in their generators. So, does using genuine OEM parts make a difference?
The short answer is yes. Using OEM parts does matter. There are strong benefits to choosing an OEM part. But do those benefits outweigh the higher cost of OEM parts? That depends. Let’s explore your options.
Generators and other equipment are all built and tested by manufacturers. Their safety testing is extensive and covers a huge range of scenarios in order to meet all of your needs in the field. But they certainly did not test for the scenario of having another company’s parts in the generator. It is rare, but possible for aftermarket parts to cause safety issues.
The manufacturer created their generator to meet a certain standard of performance. Parts were carefully selected to work together to create the ideal performance conditions. Sometimes when you replace a part and add an aftermarket part, you will see reduced performance or efficiency from the generator. Whether that matters for your circumstances is highly dependent on your needs.
Typically, when you purchase an OEM part, it comes with its own warranty. If the part should fail again, you’ll have some kind of coverage. This is typically not the case for aftermarket parts which rarely have warranties. If it breaks again, you will need to fix it again.
In addition, adding an after-market part can undermine your overall warranty on your equipment. If the after-market part causes complete failure or breakdown of the unit, then the warranty provided by the OEM will not cover either one part or the whole unit. This can cause significant financial issues if this equipment was expensive.
How long is the service life of your generator? By adding in aftermarket parts, you may be undermining that lifespan. One part of a generator will impact another. So one aftermarket part could cause a shorter lifespan for other parts, not just itself. Of course, in the event of a breakdown caused by an after-market part, you’ll see a reduced lifespan from the generator.
Leddy Power Systems offers genuine OEM and aftermarket replacement parts for all of your repair and maintenance needs. That includes genuine OEM parts for:
Reach out to us today to get parts and service for your generators, whether you want aftermarket replacements or genuine OEM.