Installing a standby generator

[the snooper]

I bought a used small genny just in case of a power cut as we had had a couple since that I have acquired 3 diesels and another 4 petrol and never had a power cut since think I need to get rid of some

 

[madkayaker]

Don't forget that feed in PV panels just dump the power as heat when there is no mains as they have to have mains to provide any power

 

[wookie]

I wouldn't bother with PV panels, sod's law means a power cut happens after sunset.

I've a 1.5kva Lister diesel and that does me fine, it's amazing how little electric you actually need, just enough for your lights and to run the central heating, anything else is just a bonus i.e. TV and computers/internet but depending on the area blacked out by the power cut the internet might be unavailable anyway.

For what it's worth our last power cut lasted nearly 3 days :-) and I never once thought I could do with a bigger gennie.

 

[brewdexta]

I know my average usage was 600W, and this was reducing but I haven't monitored it for a year or two. However peak during normal conditions will be much higher, but as I only want sufficient to keep essentials going during occasional outage and want to save cash for toys that won't be sat around most of the time, I should not just go for a bigun.

I just realised that the 80m of 6mm SWA from the barn down the field is over half way to my nearest neighbour who is a good mate and he has converted a barn for his son in law, I reckon he/they may want to go halves/thirds on a gennie which would make the bigun more attractive. I'll have a chat when I get back from London......

 

[KemppiFrog]

You mention the the 3.5 KVA is a Lister. I lived for a few years off a 3KVA Startomatic. They are rated at full power and 10% overload for 1 hr. It was before the days of internet, but that is hardly a big user. We only used it at night or for the washing machine. Fridge/Freezer was gas, as was cooking. Heating was not an issue (S Portugal) but the pump and burner are only a few watts. Wood fires were the prefered heat, as wood was cheap and heating oil was same price as road diesel.
Fridges are around 400 watts, similar for freezers. Just avoid any motors that need big starting amps. Though the inertia of a 'proper' genset can cope with more than a little petrol unit.

Even when we got connected, they turned it off every Sunday morn for 'servicing' and ditto if it rained. So we kept the genny as a standby. And shared it with the neighbours.
KF

 

[dannyp]

occasionaly run a genney here, have a somewhat unconventinal setup, the control gear is n the wall but it plugs into the genny with a 32A blue commando, and controlls the genny via a flying lead with a trailer plug on it.

means i can use the gennys for other things.

the 3Kw petrol jobbie will just about run the house most of the time ( average load is 500w ish ) but forget and turn the kettel on it stalls

with the 10Kw genset on there you can forget your useing the genorator and been a heavy duity machene it's actulay a lot more efficent that any of the smaller gennys i have and it has a big tank

 

[madkayaker]

That's fine as long as you get the gender correct on all the plugs have many times come across live exposed pins!

 

[mylesdw]

Don't forget the sheer joy that can be experienced when your house is lit up like a Christmas tree while your neighbours are in the dark. You'll need the bigger genny for that.

 

[Shox Dr]

Don't forget the sheer joy that can be experienced when your house is lit up like a Christmas tree while your neighbours are in the dark. You'll need the bigger genny for that.

Until every man and his dog knocks on your door

 

[Pete.]

Don't forget the sheer joy that can be experienced when your house is lit up like a Christmas tree while your neighbours are in the dark. You'll need the bigger genny for that.

Oh yeah there's a lot of smug-points to be had there. Only house lit up out of about 300 blacked out whilst they dug up a smoking cable in February. Funny thing is it even got the cars off the road - turned my busy street into a ghost town.

Well, all except for the one house