Choosing a Home Generator
Author: Brian Jenkins
These questions should guide you in choosing a home generator:
Size of Generator
It's really not the physical size that we're referring to but the amount of wattage of a generator. To determine how much wattage you need, you first have to decide if you need a portable or stationary generator. The common thinking is that portable generators create less power than do stationary ones, but thanks to innovations in technology, an increasing number of portable generators with large wattage capacity are now available.
The stationary generators are types of generators that automatically provide power when there's an outage in your city. Most of them run on natural gas and they are good to have if you live in an area that experiences power failures regularly.
Again, depending on wattage, a generator can supply power for a wide range of devices and appliances: from a small reading lamp to a number of huge appliances.
Our next topic - appliances - will help you determine the wattage you require.
Appliances
Most companies that sell generators, air compressors and other power equipment provide wattage guidelines to facilitate the task of shopping for a generator. If you type awattage requirements generatorsa on any search engine, you're liable to find one.
We have collected a few types of appliances and their respective wattage requirements. A rule of thumb is to list the appliances that your generator will supply power to and then add up the total watts of all the appliances.
Note: it's good to remember that some appliances have higher start-up ratings than run ratings. Always choose the higher start-up rating when calculating your total wattage requirement. Appliances like circular saws, sump pumps, small refrigerators and a clothes washer have both start-up and run ratings. The reason for this is that some appliances fall under the category of ainductive load appliancesa. This means they require supplemental power to start up and then extra power to run. They may require a small wattage when starting, but have to rely on extra power to continue running.
The wattages below are estimates only. For safety purposes, always read the manufacturer's guidelines of any appliance you purchase. Your generator retailer is also in a position to provide exact wattage requirements.
Appliance Wattage (run) Wattage (start-up)
Hand drill (3/8 inches) 500 750
Fridge or freezer 1200 3000
Television set 400 0
Microwave 750 0
Sander (belt) 1200 1700
Home alarm system 100 0
Radio 225 0
Sump pump 1700 3200
Toaster 1500 0
Coffee brewer 1200 0
Frying pan 1200 0
Stationary or Portable?
Stationary generators, also called permanent or standby generators, have one advantage: they start immediately either with a push button or automatically when a power failure occurs. Portable generators on the other hand have to be taken out of their storage, filled with gas or diesel oil, and then activated. Most stationary generators have an automatic activation system, and there's generally a 10-30 second wait before they start running.
Portable generators are powered by either gas, oil or liquified petroleum gas. Gas portable generators are usually the cheapest; you can buy one for around 0.00. The disadvantage, however, with this type of portable generators is that they usually have a limited run time. You need to keep filling them with fuel if you use them all day. But their greatest attraction lies in their mobility. Whether you're at home, in a camp site, or in your summer cottage, your portable generator comes in handy.
The kind of fuel you use for your generator will depend on what's available in your area. Most generators in the market today are bi-fuel generators. They can run on natural gas or on propane.
Accessories for Safety
Depending on the appliances that will be powered by your generator, you may need certain accessories for safety reasons. For example, if you want to use your computer, you'll need UPS (unlimited power supply) to prevent data loss during transfer time.
Always use the right extension cord for your tool or home appliance. When the tool or appliance is located far from where the generator is installed, use three-prong or three-wire cords with higher gauges.
As for the wiring system, your generator has to connect to the wiring system of your home through a transfer switch. This is to prevent backfeeding into municipal utility lines. It also protects your generator from potential damage because of overloading from your neighbors who are using the same line transformer.
Ask a certified electrician to install your generator and to ground it. Grounding is essential to prevent any electric shock. Also, never go beyond the power capacity of your generator. When there's a power failure, always plug in the larger appliances first, followed by the smaller ones. Do not operate a generator near heating ducts and in areas where there is rain or snow.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/accessories-articles/choosing-a-home-generator-512697.html
About the Author
About Author:
Brain Jenkins is a freelance writer who writes about power equipment and power sources for the home, often described as a home generator.
There really isn’t sufficient information here to fully answer the question.
You would do well to contact a couple of electrical contractors in the area and get detailed bids with lump sum prices. They might even give you a ball park number so you can decide if you really want to get serious.
Installing an Automatic Transfer Switch?
I’d like to install a standby generator to power all of my home’s circuits. I have a 200A service. I am going to need to have the meter pulled, so I can pull the service conductors out of the main panel and into an automatic transfer switch. Is it okay to have the service conductors run through this transfer switch non-fused before entering the main panel, or do I have need to have a Service Disconnect breaker installed upstream of the transfer switch. I.e., replacing the entire meter enclosure with one that is equipped with a 200A service breaker, or alternatively, finding a standalone Service Disconnect breaker in an enclosure mounted alongside the transfer switch, with the service conductors routed through that prior to entering the transfer switch? I was just worried because, if the service conductors traveled through the transfer switch upstream of the Main Breaker, if there was a fault in the transfer switch, the only current limiting device would be from the utility pole, which is likely thousands of Amperes. Seems crazy to me, but I don’t know what’s considered the norm for this kind of installation. Thanks
Standby generators?
We have a home in Maine and we want to check into getting a standby generator. Presently, we have a neighbor in his 70′s who kicks in the manual generator (it is Maine) and we want to rid him of this responsibility. Where we know nothing about this we thought we’d post these questions. We will need it to run on bottled LP, we will need both the LP and generator installed. We already have a 220 line. We want something fairly basic that will kick in and keep the furnace, lights, well pump and sump pump running.
What should we budget for the entire job, again we need it installed? What are some of the better brands? What KW size should be looking at? Is there anything else we should consider?
The formula you have is for a three phase system. The factor 1.73 is the square root of three.
Your KVA use is currently volts * current = 220 * ((10.61 + 6.5)/2) =1882.1 watts / 1000 = 1.8821 KVA. In order to compute your KW load, you will need to know the power factor of your system
A good guess would be a power factor of 0.85 with today’s high efficiency motors. It might be greater if you lighting load is the majority of your load. Let’s use my 0.85 power factor.
Using the 0.85 power factor your KW load is KVA * power factor =1.8821 * 0.85 = 1.5999 KW.
Throw the three-phase formula away, you said your generator is Single phase.
NEC article 230 covers this. The transfer switch has to be in between a service rated disconnect and the main distribution panel (whatever that may be). Man, you must have one helluva generator. Is it multiphasic as well? Heh, 200A 240V loads running off an automatic remote start generator…when Armageddon hits, I’m coming to live with you. 48,000 watts of potential load…dude, this is a Tim Allen “arr arr arr arrrrrgh” moment for me.
I really gotta say, I’ve never seen a set up like this. I just don’t see many ultra-high end installs. Do you have any money left? Need a decent HVAC guy on staff?
I want to find out the KW load on my generator, how do I do this?
The generator is for a nursing home. I have a 20 KW, 220V, single phase generator. Would 30% of the standby rating be 6 KW? The measured amps on leg 1. are 10.61 and leg 2. are 6.5. What would the KW Load be?
I have a formula that I don’t understand : KW X 1000 divided by volts X 1.73 X .30. Does this equal 30% of my standby KW rating or? I don’t think it could be my KW load.
Saving money on electricity…………………?
Power costs are making news across the country and over three years bills have increased an average of 12 per cent in most states.
St Vincent de Paul’s energy analyst Gavin Dufty releases his forecast for power prices next week.
Carbon pollution policy will increase the average bill by $200, the introduction of smart meters will add another $80 and what are know as dynamic tariffs could boost that by another $200.
“Expect to see the biggest prices increase, or the start of the price increases in Victoria and then we’d probably suggest Queensland and then followed by New South Wales,” Gavin said.
There is not much we can do about what the power companies charge so we are being encouraged to control what we use.
Anne Armansin is employed by Origin Energy to show customers how to reduce electricity consumption.
“We can all do something about it,” she said.
“I have noticed over the decade that people are willing to if they do get a high bill they’ll call and say help us.”
Some easy options involve changing behaviour, so for every degree an air-conditioner will use 10 percent more electricity and even after it has been turned off by the remote it is sucking power.
Every appliance on standby 24/7 can chew up to 15 watts of electricity. It soon adds up.
“There are about 27 appliances in the average house that use standby power and it amounts to about 800kw of wasted power a year,” Anne said.
That amounts to $160 a year. If we all turned off our appliances at the switch across the country we would save enough power to run every home in Western Australia.
There are gadgets to help, power boards that cut standby power by turning off one appliance.
Anne said our most power hungry consumers are Generation Y.
“They’re filling their rooms with big screen TVs, games and high powered computers and they have a lot of fun,” she said.
Ed Parker is one person who is being careful and has gone from power consumer to power generator.
Photvoltaic solar panels produce more power than his family can use so instead of getting $300 bills every quarter, he is getting $300 cheques.
“We’re actually returning better that 7-8 per cent on that extra investment,” he said.
The pool filter is another power-hungry device. It runs eight hours a day and in winter it does not have to.
“You can drop it down to either four or two hours depending on what your pool supplier tells you,” Anne said.
Then there is the hot water.
Choose an off peak tariff for your hot water system. Switch to solar if you can or an energy efficient heat pump.
Energy saving tips
1. Switch appliances off at the wall or get standby power saving power boards.
2. Use fans instead of air-conditioning, they use one-tenth of the power.
3. Replace old light bulbs with efficient globes.
Salam Alaikum,
thanks for sharing this info ..
and also, we must save electricity to help save our planet.. we humans are seriously wasting away our resources.
another way of saving electricity is:
once you turn off the computer ( at home or office ) to turn off the main power also.
=)