If you need advice on a generator for your house

[aspenarb]

Steve where do you get a change over switch from? We were out for three days so I just pulled the tails from the board and shoved the genny wires in there but one of those would save heaps of agg.

 

Bob

[gensetsteve]

Steve where do you get a change over switch from? We were out for three days so I just pulled the tails from the board and shoved the genny wires in there but one of those would save heaps of agg.

 

Bob

 

Just generators have a better web site than us and I think they have a briggs and scrapum change over panel on their and lots of useful info. You probably dont need all those bells and whistles. A simple 100 amp change over in an enclosure from a local electrical wholesaler shop be ok £150-£300 needs an off position in the middle. Be careful when pulling tails either you are paying for the leccy you make or are in big danger of shock or breaking the law removing the boards fuse.

[aspenarb]

Just generators have a better web site than us and I think they have a briggs and scrapum change over panel on their and lots of useful info. You probably dont need all those bells and whistles. A simple 100 amp change over in an enclosure from a local electrical wholesaler shop be ok £150-£300 needs an off position in the middle. Be careful when pulling tails either you are paying for the leccy you make or are in big danger of shock or breaking the law removing the boards fuse.

 

The house supply comes from the three phase board in the workshop and can be easily isolated so no danger of a shock or touching the suppliers equipment but I think the switchover gadget is going to be a must have because every time the wind blows we are out

 

Bob

[gensetsteve]

The house supply comes from the three phase board in the workshop and can be easily isolated so no danger of a shock or touching the suppliers equipment but I think the switchover gadget is going to be a must have because every time the wind blows we are out

 

Bob

 

If you spend a grand you could have an auto change over all your family would need to do is then is start the genny.

[Daniël Bos]

My father in-law used to do stuff with generators (company called harath, sold it to chloride and retired I believe).

In his house he's put a standby generator (naturally) but reckons the best bet for small ones (like for a house) is LPG. His genny is in his basement somewhere, gas-line leading to outside where the gas bottles are.

The main reason being that other fuels need more care as petrol and diesel deteriorate rather quickly nowadays I believe, as well as attract moisture and crap, and the gas just sits there and remains ever ready.

[openspaceman]

If you spend a grand you could have an auto change over all your family would need to do is then is start the genny.

 

I was out helping a mate yesterday, sum of our ages 118 years! He did the climbing.

 

He had been cut off for 3 days and running off petrol genset got through 6 gallons.

 

Anyway for safety I have suggested this:

 

Power Transfer Switch

 

any good? Seems reasonably cheap.

[mpb]

I have in the past centre tapped them so that rcd's work. I would keep the floating earth because at least you only have 55/ 120volts to earth. If you centre tap it and someone uses it portable especially if they dont earth it you will have 240 volts to earth. The answer is I dont know on the Pramac.

 

Many thanks. Rather than centre tapping the genset would a link in the plug between earth and neutral do the same, with a suitable warning label attached?

 

I've got some portable shower blocks that I need to feed from a generator and they need RCD protection hence my question.

 

Can you recommend any good books on generators and there associated wiring?

 

Many thanks

 

Martin

[mowingjamie]

as a qualified spark please only use a switch like openspaceman has a link to! it needs to be a 3 way switch so its impossible for the generator to backfeed the electricity supply and killing the workmen on the overhead lines fixing the fault... im sure theres cheeper models about tho...

[gensetsteve]

Many thanks. Rather than centre tapping the genset would a link in the plug between earth and neutral do the same, with a suitable warning label attached?

 

I've got some portable shower blocks that I need to feed from a generator and they need RCD protection hence my question.

 

Can you recommend any good books on generators and there associated wiring?

 

Many thanks

 

Martin

 

You should be able to add a link but talk to the manufacturer first to make sure. The link openspace man put up describes it well. The last time I worked on a small set must be 15 years so not really my thing. That briggs and stratton link has been around for at least 20 years so not sure if its up to date with the latest regs.

[gensetsteve]

My father in-law used to do stuff with generators (company called harath, sold it to chloride and retired I believe).

In his house he's put a standby generator (naturally) but reckons the best bet for small ones (like for a house) is LPG. His genny is in his basement somewhere, gas-line leading to outside where the gas bottles are.

The main reason being that other fuels need more care as petrol and diesel deteriorate rather quickly nowadays I believe, as well as attract moisture and crap, and the gas just sits there and remains ever ready.

 

Two of my pet hates Harath and LPG I find LPG a pain to set up and unreliable so just avoid them. Petrol you can put an additive in or run aspen for the first tank then go onto the dirty stuff. Diesel again you can put in additives but we dont have much problem with fuel its all about keeping your tanks clean. Dont buy dodgy cherry. Probably best just to get white from a modern station.