Generator?

[Cogcog]

I amm moving to a rural area with no gas shortly although we have ground source heating installed. My fear is that if we get a power failure we will be truly fooked. I have elderly and infirm relatives and if we lost power in a cold spell we could have serious problems. Made more likley by the cretins currently stealing power cable ( we lost all power for the day a few weeks ago).

I am thinking we should get am emergeny generator, enough to run phones and heaters in their end of the house for a day or so. I have a small generator , enought to run a few lights but i was thinking I should get something bigger. There are a number of 2, 3 and 4.5gva generators on the market, but how much power should I seek to be able to generate, bearing in mind I don't want to overload the generator if kept running for say 24 hours at a time.

[thinfourth2]

Try and find an old lister standby generator.

About 3 times the size and wieght of the modern equivilant but you will be dead when the engine is no longer useable.

It will need its own little house but are utterly fantastic

I'm on the hunt for one also

[netherfield]

Seriously,something like this is what you want to be looking for.

There is no point having something that will struggle if you switch the kettle on.


http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/17-5-KVA-LISTER-PETTER-4...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/lister-diesel-generator-...

Edited by netherfield on Monday 10th October 11:50

[DavidY]

I regularly loose power throughout the year, worst has been for 4 days. I have a 2.8kW Honda generator with a long running 10-16 hour tank. This has proved more than adequate along with woodburners in the two main rooms downstairs and an oil fired range in the kitchen. Typically the gernerator only gets used to power lights, fridge/freezer, oil fired range and central heating pump. Yes I can't use the kettle, but have the range and one of the woodburners (to boild a kettle on) and I can only put the Washing Machine on at night with almost everything else turned off, but neither of those has proved to be a hardship.

[Cogcog]

Met with the GSHP people yesterday who say the house will probably stay reasonably warm for 4 or 5 hours after a power failure. I am favouring a frame generator capable of running a couple of fan heaters and the phones, so about 3-4gva. It may have to live in the garage until required so it will need to be compact and capable of being moved to a ventilated place by my wife if I am not there so I may either put it on a trolley or buy one with wheels/handles.

[DavidY]

I ran an armoured cable back from my garage to a switch by the consumer unit, so that I can plug in the generator without dragging it up to the house. Even though my generator is small 2.8kW it is still a two man lift, or one man drag.

Mine is like this one, should be more than enough for your requirements:- http://www.hartindustrialtools.co.uk/acatalog/ECM2... paid about £400 9 years ago!

[Mr Pointy]

netherfield said:

Seriously,something like this is what you want to be looking for.

There is no point having something that will struggle if you switch the kettle on.


http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/17-5-KVA-LISTER-PETTER-4...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/lister-diesel-generator-...

Edited by netherfield on Monday 10th October 11:50

How would the OP wire a 3 phase generator into a single phase domestic installation?

[thinfourth2]

Be warned

Be careful about you ensure don't backfeed into the grid as you could kill people without even knowing.

[Mermaid]

You need:

http://www.justgenerators.co.uk/pages/powertransfe...

http://www.justgenerators.co.uk/pages/Honda_EM70is...

[DavidY]

I have a 3 position 100amp switch, Position 1 - Mains In, Position 2 - Off, Position 3 - Generator, so you have to go through the Off position to switch between sources.

[MatrixXXx]

You would need a 10-15kVA single phase generator, for a typical house.
To do it properly you need an mains failure panel with changeover contactors. This would start the set when the mains fails and changes over the supply through electrically and mechanically interlocked changeover contactors to prevent back feed into the grid.

[DavidY]

A 10-15kW generator is overkill to keep a house ticking over for a few hours/day or so

[Cogcog]

I only need to run the phones and enough heat to stop the old folks dying.

[DavidY]

Woodburner and mobile!!!

[herewego]

Bottled gas fire.

[Eggman]

I have fancied one of these Army surplus 3.5kVA generators for ages; they don't exactly look expensive either.



Trouble is, I have no real need for one and arriving home with such a purchase would most likely result in domestic disharmony. Girls don't know value when they see it.

[herewego]

Eggman said:

I have fancied one of these Army surplus 3.5kVA generators for ages; they don't exactly look expensive either.



Trouble is, I have no real need for one and arriving home with such a purchase would most likely result in domestic disharmony. Girls don't know value when they see it.

Does it cost more or take up more room than 20 pairs of shoes?

[Eggman]

It occupies the same volume as probably 200 pairs of shoes at a fraction of the cost. See what I mean about value?

[herewego]

Eggman said:

It occupies the same volume as probably 200 pairs of shoes at a fraction of the cost. See what I mean about value?

Don't use the space argument then, just stick to the price.

[Eggman]

I think the fundamental objection may be more to do with it being noisy and painted in olive drab. Therefore, there is absolute certainty that it will randomly leak oil IN THE HOUSE even if it is outside.

It also contains electricity, which swmbo appears to think of as a species of witchcraft.