How To Choose The Right Generator For Your Home

2023 Author: Philip Bishop | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-08-25 07:54

• Generator as an alternative source of electricity
• Power generators
• How to choose the right generator for your home?
• Generator design

• 

  Generator manufacturers

Almost all owners of personal plots, cottages, country houses and small construction companies dream of being independent from power supply and having their own autonomous energy source. At present, these dreams can be easily realized by purchasing an electric generator, and today the range of offered models is so wide that it is sometimes very difficult for an uninformed person to navigate this variety. Given the relevance of the issue of choice, this article will consider the basic principles that should be followed before how to choose an electric generator for home, summer residence, work.

Generator as an alternative source of electricity

Autonomous energy sources, low-power generators, are equally popular among both repair and construction teams and owners of private farms. However, they should not be considered as an alternative to the main energy source due to the high cost of 1 kW of electricity, but it is impossible to overestimate their role as emergency energy sources. The main parameters of the equipment are the power and resource of generators.

Power generators

Almost all users in their choice first of all pay attention to the power of ge

nerator, and at the same time do not take into account a number of technical characteristics affecting the operation of the generator. Immediately, we note that manufacturers indicate the maximum power value at which the generator can operate for a short period of time. You can get acquainted with the working, basic power value by finding such a parameter as cos φ in the equipment documentation. Knowing the value of cos φ, you can calculate the value of the operating power of the generator. For example, with a cos φ value of 0.8 and a power of 5 kVA, the operating power value will be:

5 * 0.8 = 4 kW

where kVA is a unit of total power (active and reactive), kW - kilowatts, active power unit

The cos φ parameter is indicated by European manufacturers. Japanese manufacturers believe that the generator can operate at its maximum capacity for no more than 1.5% of the total working time. For this reason, the parameter value of generators of Japanese origin may differ significantly from European equipment.

As an example, consider 2 generators - a Makita EG 410 C generator worth 28 thousand rubles. and a Glendale GP4000L-GEE generator worth 30 thousand rubles. The technical characteristics of both generators are almost the same: both generators are single-phase and both generators are equipped with a 4-stroke, single-cylinder, air-cooled gasoline engine. The difference manifests itself in the capacity of the fuel tank and cost. The first generator has a capacity of 5.6 liters and the fuel tank of the Glendale brand generator is 25 liters. However, a careful study of the technical data raises some doubts.

Makita has been supplying products to this market segment for many years and has a reputation as a manufacturer of reliable and quality equipment. The product documentation contains 2 parameters: maximum power 4.1 kW and rated power 3.5 kW. It is easy to determine that the power factor in this case is 0.85.

The documentation of the second Glendale brand generator does not indicate the rated power of the product, and the declared power of 3.8 kVA / kW does not correspond to the actual one, the value of which does not exceed 3.2 kW. However, the manufacturer deserves respect for the fact that he did not indicate the declared power as nominal.

It is quite logical for the reader to have a question about the need to delve into such technical details. The answer is extremely simple. Such technical details are necessary for a more competent product selection. Some future users ignorant of these intricacies naively believe that the generator power should be equivalent to the power of the connected equipment, which is not true. For clarity of the problem, generators of sufficiently high power were considered. Let us now consider in more detail how to choose the right generator.

How to choose the right generator for your home?

How to choose the right generator for home use? It is logical to calculate the total load on the generator, and be guided by it in your choice. But it's not that simple.

In their calculations, it is necessary to take into account the type of the load itself, which is divided into active and inductive loads. Active consumers of electricity include light bulbs, electric ovens, heaters without fans, kettles. The calculation of the power for these electrical appliances is a simple calculation of the total power. In most cases, a 3 kW generator is sufficient to ensure the operation of several 100 W bulbs, a heater or an electric oven. However, a small generator is not able to provide sufficient energy to a vacuum cleaner or electric drill.

The problem is that some electrical appliances equipped with electric motors require some correction for power. For a vacuum cleaner, the correction factor is 1.25. Therefore, for the normal operation of a vacuum cleaner with a power of 1.8 kW, taking into account the amendment 1.25, a power of 2.25 kVA is required, however, taking into account the coefficient of the generator itself, the value of the required power will be 2.8 kW. Thus, the Glendale GP4000L-GEE brand generator is able to provide energy to the vacuum cleaner and several active consumers of electricity.

Below is the value of the correction factor for some types of household appliances and construction equipment:

• Electric drill with a power of 0.75 kW 1.2;
• Woodworking machine with a power of 2.3 kW 1.3;
• Pump (water) with a capacity of 0.85 kW 1.25;
• Concrete mixer with a power of 0.9 kW 3.5;
• Refrigerator 0.5 kW 3.2

The above discussion clearly demonstrates the need for a certain amount of technical knowledge to select the right generator. It is recommended, if the seller does not know the parameters discussed above, to purchase the product elsewhere.

Generator design

The design of the various generator models is almost the same. The design of the models includes a base on which the engine and generator are attached using rubber shock absorbers. The generators are equipped with either diesel or gasoline power plants. New in recent years are gas generators. When choosing, it is recommended to focus on power plants manufactured by Briggs & Stratton, Honda, Yamaha and Subaru, with overhead valves being preferred.

Overhead valve propulsion systems offer a longer service life as this type of engine has a longer service life. When choosing a model, it is advisable to pay attention to equipping the generator with a starting amplifier, which smoothes out the loads when a high-power consumer is connected. Manufacturers also offer generators with an option to automatically turn on in the event of a utility power failure. A significant disadvantage of this type of generators is their high cost. However, the disadvantages of this type of generators are not limited to this. In order to install them, it is necessary to perform a number of technical measures, for example, allocate a separate utility room for the generator or protect the case with a protective casing when installed in the open air. An example of this type of generator is the generator of the Endress ESE 1206 DHS / A-GT ES ISO brand worth 183 thousand rubles. It is also necessary to remind future consumers that all internal combustion engines require regular maintenance in a qualified service.

Generator manufacturers

There are not so many well-known, reputable serious manufacturers of generators, since the technological process of manufacturing generators is rather complicated and laborious. This statement is intended to serve as a warning to prospective buyers. In the present, products from a wide variety of manufacturers are presented in this market segment, and it is almost always claimed that the models are equipped with power plants of well-known world brands. Note that even if the product is equipped with an engine of a well-known manufacturer, this is not at all evidence that a really high-quality product is being offered, since practically nothing is known about its operational resource. Sellers on the market, praising their products, claim that they sell products of well-known European and Japanese manufacturers almost for nothing. We responsibly affirmthat all offered cheap models are of Chinese origin, and the addresses of small European firms are indicated in the product passports. As mentioned above, there are very few real serious manufacturers of generators and their products are quite expensive. However, in terms of quality and service life, the products of well-known brands fully comply with the "price-quality" formula, when purchasing a generator, it is better to choose an electric generator that best suits your needs.it is better to choose an electric generator that best suits your needs.it is better to choose an electric generator that best suits your needs.

Thus, we can safely say that in order to purchase a powerful generator capable of providing energy to all the needs of a country house or cottage, you need to contact professionals working in specialized stores selling household appliances. Only in this case the user can be sure of the quality, long service life and reliability of the model. Do not forget about safety precautions.