Generator

Option 1: 1.6 kVA Suitcase inverter generator. This little generator is quieter than most generators (58 to 68 DB), it’s small and portable and its inverter technology produces a better quality electricity than your normal small petrol generators. The negatives are that (1) It’s limited to a load not exceeding 1600VA/6A and (2) although quiet in generator terms, it’s still too noisy and the petrol fumes that it emits, render it to outdoor use only.

---

Option 2: A used or second hand generator. You may end up with a bargain, or you may be throwing your money away. Make sure that the generator actually works, compare the asking price with the current price of a new one, and check the hour counting meter; how many hours has this generator run for?

Petrol generator – cheaper brands – 5 to 7.5 kVA. This is the cheapest way to keep about half of the average house load powered. The supply CB to most houses is 60A single phase and these generators can supply up to around 22A. You must however be aware of the disadvantages before deciding to go for this cheap generator option i.e. (1) the poor power quality sometimes produced by these cheap petrol generators can damage your household appliances, (2) at 87dB they are extremely noisy, (3) you have to start up the generator manually, (4) it will only handle part of your load, so you have to get an Electrician to wire up the generator to only part of your DB and to install a changeover switch, (5) when Eskom power returns, you have to manually change over to Eskom power again and shut off the generator, (6) the small petrol tank has to be refilled frequently, and (7) they aren’t as robust as the diesel type (the petrol generator manufacturers generally only give a 6 months or 500 hour warranty).

Option 1: Petrol generator – better known brands – 5 to 7.5 kVA. These will keep about half of the average house load powered. The supply CB to most houses is 60A single phase and these generators can supply up to around 22A, but at the end of the day, they are still just small petrol powered generators, so the 7 disadvantages mentioned above are also applicable here.

---

Option 2: Diesel generators – 4 to 6 kVA. These small diesel generators are quieter than the petrol generators (72 v 87 dB) and are more robust. They also give you the “auto start” option. They only deliver around 25A, so you will have to get an Electrician to wire up the generator to only parts of your DB, which collectively won’t pull more than 25A.

Option 1: Petrol generator – better known brands – 10 to 15 kVA. These will give you up to around 40A, which is still not sufficient to keep your whole house load backed up all the time, however, it’s generally safe to say that if your Electrician connects everything on the DB to the generator, except the stove, oven, air cons and geysers, this size generator should handle the rest of the load quite easily. However, they are still petrol powered generators, so the 7 disadvantages mentioned above are also applicable here.

---

Option 2: Diesel generators – 8 kVA. These diesel generators are quieter than the petrol generators (72 v 87 dB) and are more robust. They also give you the “auto start” option. This size only delivers around 32A, so you will have to get an Electrician to wire up the generator to only parts of your DB, which collectively won’t pull more than 32A. Generally, leaving the stove, oven, air cons and geysers off generator power solves this problem.

Diesel generators – 10 kVA. These diesel generators are quieter than the petrol generators (72 v 87 dB) and are more robust. They also give you the “auto start” option. This size only delivers around 47A, so you will have to get an Electrician to wire up the generator to only parts of your DB, which collectively won’t pull more than 47A. Generally, leaving the stove, oven, air cons and geysers off generator power solves this problem.

Diesel generators – quieter 1500 rpm – 12 to 16 kVA. Now you finally get a generator solution that works the way that everybody would want a generator to work, with no negatives. These diesel generators are even quieter than the 72 dB diesel generators discussed above. This is because they run at 1500 rpm compared to 3000 rpm. They also give you the “auto start” option. Another great feature is that they give you up to 70A, so your Electrician can wire up your whole 60A DB to this generator without any generator overload concerns.

Conclusion:
At the end of the day, you get what you pay for. The more efficient, the more powerful, the more robust and the quieter the system, the more it will cost you.