Domestic Generator Back-Up

I have a customer who is convinced we will be getting power cuts in the next few years. Consequently has has been out and bout a 2.8kw Clarke gennie. Now connecting this to the house CU via changeover switch in the meter tails is no problem, my concern is that due to 'rougher nature' of gennie outputs, it may cause RCDs to trip out. So i'm after opinions / experiences relating to this potential problem.

What kind of output arrangement has the generator got? Is the neutral and earth bonded at the generator or is the neutral floating?

What's the earthing arrangements at the house? If it's a 'modified sinewave' output then it will probably play havoc with electronic equipment.

I wouldn't connect it to the main board THU or they will think that they can carry on as before and use the 10.5kW shower and the electric cooker whilst daughter is straightening their hair and Dad is making a brew....

IMHO I'd split out the lighting, boiler and maybe a socket behind the TV into another CU and feed that via the changeover

Didn't think RCDs were sensitive to poor supply quality....

A 2.8kW is probably a camping type generator. I'd just run a couple of extension leads to the equipment they want to back-up which is the way the generator was designed to be used. 

This is what he has bought:-

https://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/clarke-fg3005-2-8kva-portable-petrol-powered-g

He grows a lot of his own veg, and is aiming to be self suffucient, so wants to make sure he doesn't lose his freezer full of food. He's not expecting to run the whole house on it, but that is a fair point Noz

One of my customers with too much money to spend got himself a gas powered generator in case of a power cut.

Gas powered fridge sounds a more practical idea.

Seriously.

pewter said:

One of my customers with too much money to spend got himself a gas powered generator in case of a power cut.

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didn't know they existed

binky said:

didn't know they existed

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what did you think they used in touring caravans then?

been about for years, and I mean a LOT of years

binky said:

This is what he has bought:-

https://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/clarke-fg3005-2-8kva-portable-petrol-powered-g

He grows a lot of his own veg, and is aiming to be self suffucient, so wants to make sure he doesn't lose his freezer full of food. He's not expecting to run the whole house on it, but that is a fair point Noz

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binky said:

This is what he has bought:-

https://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/clarke-fg3005-2-8kva-portable-petrol-powered-g

He grows a lot of his own veg, and is aiming to be self suffucient, so wants to make sure he doesn't lose his freezer full of food. He's not expecting to run the whole house on it, but that is a fair point Noz

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thats similar to my genny,

I simply have a commando input on the outside that feeds a double socket inside,

extension leads to whatever,,,,,,,,

mmmmm, self sufficient, how does that work in the big scheme of things if he is buying fuel from a multinational?

hardly makes him remotely self sufficient imho.

what I don't like is he's bought  gennie with 2 13A sockets rather than commando plugs. I don't hink he aims to be self sufficient with regards to fuel, but he's trying to minimise what he buys, so grows all his own veg, keeps bees, solar thermal on roof, wood burner with heated water jacket, and solar PV. He's a bit of a 'tour de force' or whatever that phrase is.

binky said:

what I don't like is he's bought  gennie with 2 13A sockets rather than commando plugs. I don't hink he aims to be self sufficient with regards to fuel, but he's trying to minimise what he buys, so grows all his own veg, keeps bees, solar thermal on roof, wood burner with heated water jacket, and solar PV. He's a bit of a 'tour de force' or whatever that phrase is.

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'the good life'  

Has he built a bio-gas generator yet? Seems a 50/50 mix of green and BROWN (yes you can use your own) "material" is the key.  :lol:  Also need to keep things ticking over at an even temperature or it goes dormant. You also have to run the resulting gas through something to take the sulphur out ideally........

On my "have a go list". 

http://www.motherearthnews.com/renewable-energy/biogas-generator-zm0z14aszrob.aspx

what they never say is what you do with the residue - you need a very large veg plot or land of some sort to deal with all the decomposed material. I had a couple of compost barrells, but after 5 years, when they were chock full, I had to build a retaining wall and construct a raised flower bed to get rid of it all. It was that or rot the bottom of my fence panels out!

binky said:

what they never say is what you do with the residue - you need a very large veg plot or land of some sort to deal with all the decomposed material. I had a couple of compost barrells, but after 5 years, when they were chock full, I had to build a retaining wall and construct a raised flower bed to get rid of it all. It was that or rot the bottom of my fence panels out!

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I've a half acre plot of land and access to another seven so getting rid of top soil and such like is no problem. We've a bit of a communal compost heap on the border between the properties formed by upright corrugated sheets and everything goes there. Been there for umpteen years. One issue is it's a bit of a trek with the wheelbarrow. Other slight thing is it's so isolated/warm it's full of SNAKES. Pretty much g'tee to lift up the old lorry tarp that covers it and find one!

My bro in law was excavating a sand trap for a local horsey type and came across a clutch of snake eggs........which he took home and incubated. Got 6 baby grass snakes that he let go.

Keep meaning to do a big veg plot tbh. As we're on a slope I envision a bio-gas generator at the top of the hill warmed by solar thermal. Then the compost "outflow" can go straight down the hill to the veg plot.

There's a French fella called Jean Pain who is famous for his composting. Basically buries pipe in a big mound and generates enough hot water for all his cooking and heating needs. Also uses the methane produced to do his lighting and run his cars.

But it's raining so won't be starting it today.......... :lol: