Thread: Buying a Generator

if you want to run every thing you need to work out the total power consumption of your house. As I am thinking of the same myself, I am looking at a diesel self starting of at least 7.5 but probably closer to 10kva, but as I am an electrician as well I am going to probably go a bit over board and make it auto start for no real reason other than I can. It will also be a super quite jobby. I am going that size as I want it to be able to run air conditioners as I have become a softy. oh and use it for the workshop as well.

5KVA will run all that without issue, but if you wanted to run AC, etc then you may need a bit bigger. Like Blitz, I'm a Sparky, and my job is Standby Diesel Power Generation, so I will make mine all singing, all dancing. I've got a 10KVA single phase, 4 pole genny - a diesel that runs at 1500 RPM, so quieter than the small handyman jobs that are 2 pole and run at 3000 RPM.

I've got a very sweet control system and ATS (auto transfer switch) for mine too, so it will do everything itself, and even do a closed transition to mains on return so I don't get a second blackout when the mains is retuned.

Anyway, 5KVA is fine for most houses, 8 to 10KVA if you have a few extra dollars and want to future proof things a bit or run absolutely everything in your house and make the neighbours jealous.

Oh, and make sure that's a single phase unit - not 3 phase unless your house is. 10KVA single phase gives you 43 ish amps of that one phase, but a 10KVA 3 phase will only give you 14 amps but on each of the 3 phases. If you only have a single phase supply to your house, make sure you get a single phase genny.

Originally Posted by bacicat

5KVA will run all that without issue, but if you wanted to run AC, etc then you may need a bit bigger. Like Blitz, I'm a Sparky, and my job is Standby Diesel Power Generation, so I will make mine all singing, all dancing. I've got a 10KVA single phase, 4 pole genny - a diesel that runs at 1500 RPM, so quieter than the small handyman jobs that are 2 pole and run at 3000 RPM.

I've got a very sweet control system and ATS (auto transfer switch) for mine too, so it will do everything itself, and even do a closed transition to mains on return so I don't get a second blackout when the mains is retuned.

Anyway, 5KVA is fine for most houses, 8 to 10KVA if you have a few extra dollars and want to future proof things a bit or run absolutely everything in your house and make the neighbours jealous.

Oh, and make sure that's a single phase unit - not 3 phase unless your house is. 10KVA single phase gives you 43 ish amps of that one phase, but a 10KVA 3 phase will only give you 14 amps but on each of the 3 phases. If you only have a single phase supply to your house, make sure you get a single phase genny.

Any chance of more info? like photos and brand etc?
Sounds awesome, we loose our power heaps where we are.
Cheers

Originally Posted by bacicat

5KVA will run all that without issue, but if you wanted to run AC, etc then you may need a bit bigger. Like Blitz, I'm a Sparky, and my job is Standby Diesel Power Generation, so I will make mine all singing, all dancing. I've got a 10KVA single phase, 4 pole genny - a diesel that runs at 1500 RPM, so quieter than the small handyman jobs that are 2 pole and run at 3000 RPM.

I've got a very sweet control system and ATS (auto transfer switch) for mine too, so it will do everything itself, and even do a closed transition to mains on return so I don't get a second blackout when the mains is retuned.

Anyway, 5KVA is fine for most houses, 8 to 10KVA if you have a few extra dollars and want to future proof things a bit or run absolutely everything in your house and make the neighbours jealous.


Oh, and make sure that's a single phase unit - not 3 phase unless your house is. 10KVA single phase gives you 43 ish amps of that one phase, but a 10KVA 3 phase will only give you 14 amps but on each of the 3 phases. If you only have a single phase supply to your house, make sure you get a single phase genny.

I have a 5 kva running as a back up on our solar system.
Though probably strained it has been doing the job for many years.
I do need to replace the generator head that was on my 2cyl Lister diesel.
Preferably 3 phase so it can run some machinery.
With respect taking power off either of the phases, will that damage the generator over a period of time. Do you need to balance the load by taking similar load off each phase at the same time?

Pete.

Originally Posted by rocket scientist

I have a 5 kva running as a back up on our solar system.
Though probably strained it has been doing the job for many years.
I do need to replace the generator head that was on my 2cyl Lister diesel.
Preferably 3 phase so it can run some machinery.
With respect taking power off either of the phases, will that damage the generator over a period of time. Do you need to balance the load by taking similar load off each phase at the same time?

Pete.

Damage to the alternator is unlikely by just using one phase, the issue is more about integration into an existing single phase switchboard by the installing Electrician and if you just use one phase to run the house, then your wasting 2/3rds of the machines output. But if you have a need for 3 phase power, then go for a 3 phase gen.

Originally Posted by Piddler

Any chance of more info? like photos and brand etc?
Sounds awesome, we loose our power heaps where we are.
Cheers

My setup is just a pile of parts at the moment, but the controller I'll be using is a Comap Inteligen unit - ComAp - Power Generation and Drive Power Controllers. I use them on all our big gensets at work, and their flexibility and power is best in market. I've also been involved with the development of the software for this unit to get it to do things they don't do anywhere else in the world. Australian supply authorities have some very specific requirements for how gensets need to operate against the grid which no where else does. I've been helping develop that system for years.

7.5 kVA should be adequate for your house if you are not running any heating devices. My house has run for twenty years on two 2kVA inverters, and my 7.5kVA backup has been plenty big enough.

Worth noting that as a general rule generators, particularly diesels, are often less than happy running at a very low proportion of rated output. This perhaps applies less to inverter type generators with petrol engines.

John

Originally Posted by blitz

if you want to run every thing you need to work out the total power consumption of your house. As I am thinking of the same myself, I am looking at a diesel self starting of at least 7.5 but probably closer to 10kva, but as I am an electrician as well I am going to probably go a bit over board and make it auto start for no real reason other than I can. It will also be a super quite jobby. I am going that size as I want it to be able to run air conditioners as I have become a softy. oh and use it for the workshop as well.

Hahaha why not!! I saw a big coates 20kva silenced diesel one at work broken down for like 6 months i was so bloody tempted to work out some way of getting it out haha probably was only sitting there with a stupid fault that no one knew who to contact about!! But if i had the skills id do the same big auto start diesel one why not ahaha