Generators

[JayL]

Some of our resident engineers and fellow DIYers probably can answer this.

Can a 3000 watts generator power a house. If so what can it supply.

Question was asked by a friend in the US. He wants to send a generator for his house in the province.

Just making sure I get more hands on feedback before I reply.

Thanks a lot for any insights.

Jay

[violaine]

models available for household use typically are between 3 to 8 HP producing 500 to 4000 watts of power.

several factors to consider when selecting a generator...firstly the total estimated consumption on all electrical appliance including light fixtures...and of course if we are a woodworker, the power tools.

the wattage rating of a generator refers to its continuous running wattage..although all models feature a surge or max rating as much as 25 percent higher than the running value, you should rely on the running wattage rating when choosing one. a generator with more power than you need will run more smoothly for longer stretches and require less maintenance.

most generators are equipped with 1 to 4 outlets (with 120 and 240 volts too)..the generator should have an effective muffler as well..coz you dont want to have sleepless nights while hearing the roaring sound of it...unless you want to splurge on cables..tank fuel is another consideration...it should at least run for 90 minutes full tank.


shown below is the typical power tool wattage ratings

Tool Watts (start up) Watts (running)
Table saw 4000 1500
Circular saw 2500 1200
Router 1 1/4 HP 900 700
Electric drill (1/2) 800 600

[rosy]

Yes that 3000 watt genset can power up a whole house but that will depend on the kind of appliances they will use. As long as the total amount of wattage will not exceed the specified wattage indicated on the genset.

It can power two or three electric fans, several fluorescent lights or cfls, a computer, a refrigerator, a television and possibly a small washing machine. Basta any low-wattage appliances will do. See here I never mentioned an up right freezer or a chest freezer or an airconditioner unit.

Mine I use it only during stormy months when brown-outs happen during or after a strong typhoon. I use it also to power my electric deep well pump to fill up my concrete water reservoir. :p

If the 3000 watt genset has a large capacity fuel tank, then it can run up to 10 to 12 hours non stop but if the load is reduced to lets say 30% or 50%, engine will run smoother and longer.

Basically it will be sufficient enough for some lights, electric fans and a ref to continually preserve food. :banana1: :2thumbsup: :barmy:

[jarod]

Will it be used for daily use or as an emergency power source only?

[JayL]

Will it be used for daily use or as an emergency power source only?

Good question Jarod. I'll ask my friend.

In your opinion will 3000 watts be good for continuous use?

Thanks

[bmac]

Some of our resident engineers and fellow DIYers probably can answer this.

Can a 3000 watts generator power a house. If so what can it supply.

Question was asked by a friend in the US. He wants to send a generator for his house in the province.

Just making sure I get more hands on feedback before I reply.

Thanks a lot for any insights.

Jay

Yes. but that will depend on the electrical load.

steps in selecting your genset.

1. base load or back up only
2. whatever you choose from #1. calculate your estimated consumption including future electrical load
3. choose a genset that is twice the calculated load. to make it 50% of the genset capacity
4. congrats! yun lang

[jarod]

Good question Jarod. I'll ask my friend.

In your opinion will 3000 watts be good for continuous use?

Thanks

It would still depend on what will they be using, the power requirement will dictate how many KVAs(KiloVolt-Amps: unit more used in generators) is needed.

3000W is just equal to 3 hot irons :rolleyes:

Heating/heat converting appliances are the most power-hungry items in the house so identification, computation and additional overhead is needed to identify what would generator rating would satisfy their needs.

[willyfernando]

Good question Jarod. I'll ask my friend.

In your opinion will 3000 watts be good for continuous use?

Thanks

Most portable gensets range from 2KVA up to 10KVA. Standard load like lighting, electric fans and refrigerators are not an issue for these type of generators. What you have to watch is the sensitive load that we sometimes forget to consider. Electronic items like Laptops, PC's celphones and semicon based products w/ have a different power signature or sine wave, etc. You may have to consider a genset w/ a built in Voltage Regulator or AVR in their system coz I've seen many cases of fried electronics right after genset power kicked in.:eek::eek::yikes::oops:

[yong2x]

Sir JL,
If he has a house in the province, most likely they have electric power there. We do have relatively stable power in the Philippines. If he sends a 3KWatt gen set here (from the US) then chances are they are rated for 110VAC - we use 220VAC so to use that to power his house may require a little more than just wiring. He could technically provide a new set of electrical connections for lights run by the gen set or some 110VAC outlets as well.

Now if for some reason the gen set is capable of getting out 60Hz, 220VAC then I would just want to connect it to the circuit for lights only and no outlets. 3KW is just to small to guarantee I get all normal household appliances to run and without power conditioning it may be detrimental to the appliances too.

What I would suggest is get a good car battery charger (one that can charge several gangs of batteries at once), get several car batteries, and get a good inverter. Since we have a relatively stable power supply, we can continuously charge the batteries and when there is power interruption, you can use the batteries with the inverters to run lights and appliances. For really demanding appliances, you can get the more expensive TRUE SINE WAVE inverters. No noise, no need for gasoline, no pollution but there is the possibility of battery acid spillage that needs to be managed.

You can also charge your neighbor's car batteries for a fee :)

[wool]

Yes. but that will depend on the electrical load.

steps in selecting your genset.

1. base load or back up only
2. whatever you choose from #1. calculate your estimated consumption including future electrical load
3. choose a genset that is twice the calculated load. to make it 50% of the genset capacity
4. congrats! yun lang

I am planning to buy a Australian surplus 720watts petrol generator
1.backup generator and out of town trips portable power(twice a year at most)
2. loads would be phone chargers(15w)/laptops (65w) / lighting no more 30watts
3. 720 watts would sufficient enough for powering those.

if you run the generator at 50% capacity would it still consume the same gasoline running at 90% capacity?

[bryant77]

Same lang ang gasoline consumption either you use 50% or 90% of load capacity of the generator

[wool]

thanks bryant77. I will just use my omni power reader to efficient use the generators power output