Wialon Hosting
Navi.zoneGenerator fuel consumption: how to calculate it per hour and spot fuel drains
Generator monitoring is a tracker and a fuel level sensor that remotely show how much fuel is in the tank, when the generator ran and whether there was a drain. Data goes via GSM to the Wialon platform, so you can monitor it from a phone or computer without visiting the site.
Why a generator needs fuel control
Generators often stand where nobody is around: behind a shop, on a farm, by a residential building (HOA), at a warehouse. You can only check how much fuel is in the tank and how many hours it has run on site — and only at the moment of the check.
Without data, you can't tell whether the fuel was used for work or drained. A tracker with a fuel level sensor settles this: level, refuels and running time are recorded continuously.
What generator monitoring shows
For a generator that runs unattended, the key is to see a problem immediately, not at the next visit. All data is available in the Wialon web portal and mobile app. The system shows:
- current fuel level in the tank and a chart for any period;
- refuels and drains: when and how many litres;
- generator starts and stops;
- engine hours for the maintenance schedule;
- location — if the generator is mobile or could be stolen.
How to catch fuel drains from a generator
The fuel level sensor continuously measures the tank level, and Wialon plots a chart. The system recognises a sharp drop in level as a drain and sends an alert.
For the litres on the chart to be accurate, the tank is calibrated during installation: fuel is added in portions of known volume and the sensor readings are recorded. Without calibration the system sees the level but not the exact number of litres.
Refuels are recorded the same way, so you can compare how much fuel was filled according to the documents with how much actually went into the tank.
In the report, each event has a time and volume in litres. If a drain happened at night when the generator wasn't running, the chart shows it immediately: the level drops without an engine start.
Engine hours and generator maintenance
Generators are serviced by running hours, not by the calendar. The tracker records the generator's running time, and Wialon counts engine hours automatically.
This shows how many hours the generator ran in a week or month, when maintenance is due and whether fuel consumption matches run time.
Engine hours together with fuel level give consumption per hour of operation. If noticeably more fuel than usual was used over the same number of hours, it's a reason to check the tank or the generator itself.
What you need to control generator fuel
Installation is done on site: the sensor is fitted in the tank, the tracker is connected to the generator's power supply, the tank is calibrated, and drain, start and stop alerts are set up in Wialon.
The solution suits shops, farms, residential buildings (HOAs), warehouses — anyone whose generator runs without constant supervision. Fuel level sensor data is processed in Wialon or in Navi.zone on the Business plan.
A tracker + fuel sensor kit with installation and calibration costs 9,839 UAH (without installation — 6,050 UAH). It includes:
- Teltonika FMB125 tracker with interfaces for a fuel level sensor;
- a fuel level sensor in the generator tank;
- installation and tank calibration.
Updated: