Recommend me a home generator

[Skyedriver]

Following on from my thread in GG/The Lounge, I'm on the lookout for an electricity generator to supply us at times of power outages.
Needs to be able to run a few lights, 'fridge, freezer, broadband router, phone charger, TV maybe, kettle, maybe a small heater. Not all at the same time.
Anyone in the know able to recommend a suitable bit of kit?
I'm assuming it'll feed whatever using an extension lead or two rather than being a permanent installation to the house.
Thanks for any input.

[alangla]

Skyedriver said:

Following on from my thread in GG/The Lounge, I'm on the lookout for an electricity generator to supply us at times of power outages.
Needs to be able to run a few lights, 'fridge, freezer, broadband router, phone charger, TV maybe, kettle, maybe a small heater. Not all at the same time.
Anyone in the know able to recommend a suitable bit of kit?
I'm assuming it'll feed whatever using an extension lead or two rather than being a permanent installation to the house.
Thanks for any input.

Be aware that the cheaper generators will have output that can be all over the place, especially if there’s an electric motor that stops and starts. Personally, I’ve got a cheap Parkerbrand one that will run things like the fridge and an electric radiator, but I’m planning on keeping the broadband going and charging phones etc using a battery UPS. If the battery runs out I’ll probably disconnect everything from it & try to charge using the generator with nothing else connected.

I try to give the generator a test run with a load every few months, usually I use the strimmer, which it handles fine, but last time I used the compressor for the kids bouncy castle. The output was all over the place for several seconds while the compressor was spinning up to operating speed, definitely not a situation where you’d want electronics connected to it.

[Junglebert]

Check out Pramac, I’ve got one that I use for exactly what you want, unsure of the model number number right now, but I’ll find out and update the post.

[trickywoo]

I’d personally scrap the kettle requirement and have a bottle of gas and a burner.

I’d also be tempted by a battery and solar camping type setup for once in a while backup.

If you want a petrol genny to 100% work when you need it you have to be right on top of the maintenance.

[shtu]

I've done that with a generator similar to this, but a B&Q own-brand that was end of line, https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/236346789504

The main drawback with those is noise, so you might want to consider the "quiet" "suitcase" style ones. Honda are the gucci brand in those, but there are lot of cheap clones about.

Lots of people get caught up in pure sine wave stuff, I've never had a problem running electronics of all sorts on the one I have, which is a fairly typical AVR one. Modern switchmode power supplies are pretty damn good at resolving

Top tip - look at converting your heating system's mains connection to a 3-pin plug, then you can run the heating from the generator supply, which is a lot better than a 2Kw electric heater off the generator.

[OutInTheShed]

trickywoo said:

I d personally scrap the kettle requirement and have a bottle of gas and a burner.

I d also be tempted by a battery and solar camping type setup for once in a while backup.

If you want a petrol genny to 100% work when you need it you have to be right on top of the maintenance.

I'd agree.

I'd consider a battery and an inverter for 'essential' loads.
And some battery lights.

There are many levels of this, you can spend what you want, anything from a 12V battery and inverter up to solar/battery/UPS approaches.
If you go primarily for a battery based approach, you then only need to run a cheap generator for fairly short periods to charge the battery in the event of a prolonged power cut.
Running a generator 24hrs a day mostly to power a fridge, freezer and the central heating is an expensive and/or noisy way forwards.

A couple of people I know have gone down the solar panels, home battery etc route and have added in the ability to charge the battery from a cheap generator. Others are farmers with diesel generators because that's what farmers do. Although a generator to go on the PTO of a tractor used to be common.

[GetCarter]

OutInTheShed said:

trickywoo said:

I d personally scrap the kettle requirement and have a bottle of gas and a burner.

I d also be tempted by a battery and solar camping type setup for once in a while backup.

If you want a petrol genny to 100% work when you need it you have to be right on top of the maintenance.

I'd agree.

I'd consider a battery and an inverter for 'essential' loads.
And some battery lights.

There are many levels of this, you can spend what you want, anything from a 12V battery and inverter up to solar/battery/UPS approaches.
If you go primarily for a battery based approach, you then only need to run a cheap generator for fairly short periods to charge the battery in the event of a prolonged power cut.
Running a generator 24hrs a day mostly to power a fridge, freezer and the central heating is an expensive and/or noisy way forwards.

A couple of people I know have gone down the solar panels, home battery etc route and have added in the ability to charge the battery from a cheap generator. Others are farmers with diesel generators because that's what farmers do. Although a generator to go on the PTO of a tractor used to be common.

Indeed.

I had power out for 24 hours this weekend after storm Amy and was able to power kettle, microwave, and recharge lights/laptops/phones from this.

It had 71% charge left after the outage.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0DFPW2Y2C/ref...

Top tip, make sure your kettle isn't a 3000 watt guzzler. (We have two, one worked, one pulled too many watts)

Edited by GetCarter on Monday 6th October 14:57

[OutInTheShed]

That's a bit like the electrics of a small cruising boat, without the boat, but in a nice package.
See also: Campervans.

[Huntsman]

shtu said:

Top tip - look at converting your heating system's mains connection to a 3-pin plug, then you can run the heating from the generator supply, which is a lot better than a 2Kw electric heater off the generator.

We are quite rural and in a windy place, over head electric lines. I keep wondering about a genny and exactly the above is my idea, we've got oil heating, so if we had a genny to run the boiler 13amp we'd be warm.

Edited by Huntsman on Monday 6th October 16:16

[Skyedriver]

GetCarter said:

Indeed.

I had power out for 24 hours this weekend after storm Amy and was able to power kettle, microwave, and recharge lights/laptops/phones from this.

It had 71% charge left after the outage.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0DFPW2Y2C/ref...

Top tip, make sure your kettle isn't a 3000 watt guzzler. (We have two, one worked, one pulled too many watts)

Edited by GetCarter on Monday 6th October 14:57

Thanks Steve, interesting option, we were "out" for 45 hours this time around, think that might do the biz. not cheap mind. Do you have the solar panel bit? Is it worth it?

[Skyedriver]

Junglebert said:

Check out Pramac, I ve got one that I use for exactly what you want, unsure of the model number number right now, but I ll find out and update the post.

Wonder if they're giving away any old bikes?

[Skyedriver]

shtu said:

Top tip - look at converting your heating system's mains connection to a 3-pin plug, then you can run the heating from the generator supply, which is a lot better than a 2Kw electric heater off the generator.

Wonder where to start?

[GetCarter]

Skyedriver said:

GetCarter said:

Indeed.

I had power out for 24 hours this weekend after storm Amy and was able to power kettle, microwave, and recharge lights/laptops/phones from this.

It had 71% charge left after the outage.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0DFPW2Y2C/ref...

Top tip, make sure your kettle isn't a 3000 watt guzzler. (We have two, one worked, one pulled too many watts)

Edited by GetCarter on Monday 6th October 14:57

Thanks Steve, interesting option, we were "out" for 45 hours this time around, think that might do the biz. not cheap mind. Do you have the solar panel bit? Is it worth it?

Didn't get the solar as (as well you know) we don't get much solar here!

[Cristio Nasser]

Skyedriver said:

Wonder where to start?

Anything with a fused spur, change to a 13A plug/scocket. From your picture, the one that says “heating controls”. But for your system there will no doubt be other equipment that needs mains power too. What is the actual heat source? How is that powered?

[shtu]

Skyedriver said:

Wonder where to start?

Looks like a heat pump system, in which case you're stuffed as you'd need a whopping generator to cover the required draw.

More conventional systems, no problem, it's typically replacing a switched outlet with a 13A socket, which still complies with the requirement for a double-pole isolator, ie, the plug.

Edited by shtu on Monday 6th October 18:04

[shtu]

Huntsman said:

We are quite rural and in a windy place, over head electric lines. I keep wondering about a genny and exactly the above is my idea, we've got oil heating, so if we had a genny to run the boiler 13amp we'd be warm.

Exactly what I do, and it's only 150W or so draw for the boiler, pump and controls.

[NDA]

The only advice I would give on a generator (I've had a couple) is firstly get one with an electric start and secondly realise that kettles and irons are often too much for a 'normal' generator that's running everything else (lights, fridge, freezer etc). A little gas stove for hot water is not a bad idea.

I lived in a house that had frequent power outages - including 4 days over Christmas one year. As soon as I installed the generator (properly wired in) we never had another power cut. Typical.

[Regbuser]

https://hyundaipowerequipment.co.uk/hyundai-dhy125...

[Tisy]

shtu said:

Skyedriver said:

Wonder where to start?

Looks like a heat pump system, in which case you're stuffed as you'd need a whopping generator to cover the required draw.

More conventional systems, no problem, it's typically replacing a switched outlet with a 13A socket, which still complies with the requirement for a double-pole isolator, ie, the plug.

Edited by shtu on Monday 6th October 18:04

It is ASHP so there in no point at all putting a plug on the end of that due to the draw. It's a stupid choice to put in ASHP when you live rural and especially so in Scotland when they need to call on the grid power to make them provide some tepid "heat" in the colder months, which just so happen to be the same ones when there's a lot of storms and the power goes out for days. This is why everyone who lives rural is on oil, because as said by others above, you just stick a 13A plug on the end of your boiler and then plug it into your extension lead from your genny when the power goes out, as the only draw then is from the boiler pump and at least you'll stay toasty.

You don't even need a big genny once your heating is taken out of the equation as you're then down to kettle, lights, phone chargers and telly. Stove top wood burner would take care of the kettle and the rest is low enough draw for either a small genny or a solar set-up with battery storage.

[gotoPzero]

As I said on the thread, look at the Ecoflow Stream. Specifically the Stream Ultra X. 4kWh battery. 800w feed in. Solar input.
Stream Ultra X + 4x500W solar + smart meter will run most houses for 10-12 hours excl big appliances like washing machines etc.