8ob
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Makes the £50 manual changeover switches look like incredible value
At £200 I would consider automatic, after that it’s back to home grown hence the question.Bob
- Thread starter philb
- Start date
Makes the £50 manual changeover switches look like incredible value
At £200 I would consider automatic, after that it’s back to home grown hence the question.Bob
CompoSimmonite
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Are you in the USA ?
jerrytug
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I didn't think of that, good point.
Automatic Mains Fail stuff like that managed by the DSE331 is ott for domestic- and in any case without an autostart control generator big enough to cope with the worst case possible load - it's useless.
At least with a manual system you can make sure the connected load is within what the small genny can handle.
I advise those with a small manual setup (when there's a power cut in the dark) to
1. Start the genny.
2. Go yo your fuse box and turn off all the breakers except for the lighting circuit.
3. Change over to Genset.
Then you can seewhat you're doing....
4. Go round and make sure all the big loads that your genset can't handle are unplugged or switched off.
5. Reinstate all the breakers.
Thus should mean that all the basics you need to maintain (fridge, freezer, ch controls / circulation pump), and the odd luxury maybe (e.g. TV, satellite) can be used safely inside your genny limits (plus you can turn things off to release capacity for something else (e.g. microwave or 1 ring of a cooker for hot food).
At least with a manual system you can make sure the connected load is within what the small genny can handle.
I advise those with a small manual setup (when there's a power cut in the dark) to
1. Start the genny.
2. Go yo your fuse box and turn off all the breakers except for the lighting circuit.
3. Change over to Genset.
Then you can seewhat you're doing....
4. Go round and make sure all the big loads that your genset can't handle are unplugged or switched off.
5. Reinstate all the breakers.
Thus should mean that all the basics you need to maintain (fridge, freezer, ch controls / circulation pump), and the odd luxury maybe (e.g. TV, satellite) can be used safely inside your genny limits (plus you can turn things off to release capacity for something else (e.g. microwave or 1 ring of a cooker for hot food).
Matrixx
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- North Duffield
The DSE type system would be for a proper install, with a Genny permanently installed and sized for the full house load. you could make a full auto system for not much money, a small Genny can cost thousands.
Who wants to get up in the middle of the night when it can be done automatically. if you don't know what your doing then you shouldn't be messing around with lethal voltages.
Who wants to get up in the middle of the night when it can be done automatically. if you don't know what your doing then you shouldn't be messing around with lethal voltages.
Small Gennys are expensive but you can get some lovely low hours ex standby monsters for not much at all.
Matrixx
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Yes, you can, and they usually have a controller on them, typical big house size would be 25kVA ( around 125A), anything bigger will start to suffer from bore glazing , and lose power until it completely cokes up, see quite a few go this way.
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I was given a 2 cylinder gen set about 18kva on 240v started and ran perfectly but absolutely gutless....
Took the heads off spent 20 minutes with the wet and dry in the bores as good as new.....
I suspect someone might have put a synthetic oil in it thinking they were doing the right thing.
Iv got an old 1970s DAF 6 cylinder on a 125kva head, that I run some large fans on, I was once going to couple that to house but thought better of it.
I use the small gen-set as backup, but TBH Id only ever want to run lights boiler, and possibly a TV everything susceptible to spiking Id avoid plugging in, Internet comes via starlink and with a 6 month wait on equipment and a delivery from the USA I really wouldn't want the risk of spikes for a few hrs of outage.
gaz1
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this is what id do fit a simple fuse box with plug socket and lights fusebox
this allows plugs to be used when the main fusebox has to be repaired or renewed also tells you if the mains is back on with the light bulb
then fit isolating switches on the mains tails to the house fuse box
then have a mains block so you can wire in both neutral and gen supplys into it before the meter
another set of isolating switches for the genny side of it
plug in the genny or have it wired to a dual switch
if you have 2 isolating switches in a fuse box and another 2 below it if you turn the lower fuse box upside down
build yourseelf a slide switch easy enough built
when you turn the mains off you are turning the genny switch on and vica versa when turning the mains back on
this allows plugs to be used when the main fusebox has to be repaired or renewed also tells you if the mains is back on with the light bulb
then fit isolating switches on the mains tails to the house fuse box
then have a mains block so you can wire in both neutral and gen supplys into it before the meter
another set of isolating switches for the genny side of it
plug in the genny or have it wired to a dual switch
if you have 2 isolating switches in a fuse box and another 2 below it if you turn the lower fuse box upside down
build yourseelf a slide switch easy enough built
when you turn the mains off you are turning the genny switch on and vica versa when turning the mains back on
brightspark
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- yarm stockton on tees
just fit the changeover switch 2 pair of wires in one pair out job done
If you do it without a single switching system that simultaneously isolates the mains and enables your local genset onto the site distribution (I.e. a changeover switch) - its deemed not safe and illegal.this is what id do fit a simple fuse box with plug socket and lights fusebox
this allows plugs to be used when the main fusebox has to be repaired or renewed also tells you if the mains is back on with the light bulb
then fit isolating switches on the mains tails to the house fuse box
then have a mains block so you can wire in both neutral and gen supplys into it before the meter
another set of isolating switches for the genny side of it
plug in the genny or have it wired to a dual switch
if you have 2 isolating switches in a fuse box and another 2 below it if you turn the lower fuse box upside down
build yourseelf a slide switch easy enough built
when you turn the mains off you are turning the genny switch on and vica versa when turning the mains back on
Utility Co catch you doing that, and they'll pull your fuses and shut you down until your site is proved electrically safe and compliant.... and if you forget a switch and bbq-ed a linesman, they'd lock you up for manslaughter.
Overall a change-over switch is the way to go
Little SDMO Verso units with a dinky motorised c/over by Socomec in it I recall.
They are alright - timers all set up with Pots so no electronic controllers (Socomec C30/D30 modules on bigger stuff are known to be fallible).
