Generators
Whether your preference is for petrol, gas or diesel generators the prices of the respective types of generator could be a determining factor.
Whilst there is no doubt that a generator of any type is one of the easiest ways to provide a quick & reliable power back up for your home, it can be an costly outlay if you don’t consider your requirements & options carefully
Below is a table that you can use to give you an idea of generator prices in South Africa although these prices will be subject to change without notice & could change from store to store
Examples Of Generator Prices
(NB. These prices could change without notice)
| Type Of Generator | Price |
|---|---|
| Gemini 2.8 kVA Petrol Generator | R3290,00 |
| Ryobi 2.5KVA Petrol Generator | R3299,00 |
| Ryobi 1KVA Petrol Generator | R3499,00 |
| Ellies 2.5KvA Petrol Generator Key Start | R4999,00 |
| 5.5KW Tradepower Petrol Generator 5.5KW 13HP | R7999,00 |
| Ryobi 6.5 KVA Petrol Key Start Generator 6.5KVA | R10999,00 |
| Ellies Petrol Generator | R13499,00 |
| Hatz 5 kVA Generator | R26999,00 |
Home Generators
From the vast range of the various types & sizes of home generator available to you, choosing the best generator for your house will depend on your backup power requirements.
Before choosing the best generator for your needs, it would be useful to calculate your standby power requirements according to the wattage each appliance will require to be powered up when there is load shedding or an outage.
Power Consumption Of Your Household Appliances
- Air Conditioner (1 x Room): 1,000 to 1,500 watts
- Coffee Maker: 600 to 1,200 watts
- Electric Blanket: 200 watts
- Electric Garage Doors: 350 to 750 watts
- Hair Dryer: 1000 watts
- Kettle: 2000 watts
- Laptop/Desktop Computer: 20 to 250 watts
- Light Bulbs (60W each): 60 watts
- Microwave: 600 to 1,000 watts
- Oven: 2000 watts
- Radio: 200 watts
- Refrigerator or Freezer: 500 to 750 watts
- Satellite Dish: 30 watts
- Television: 50 to 300 watts
- Toaster: 800 to 1,500 watts
- Tumble Dryer: 2,500 watts
- Washing Machine: 500 to 1,000 watts
Example Of the Size Of Generator You Will Need To Power the Following Appliances
Example Of the Size Of Generator You Will Need To Power the Following Appliances
| Appliance | Qty | Starting Wattage | Running Wattage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coffee Maker | 1 | 600 | 600 |
| Computer | 1 | 250 | 250 |
| Microwave Oven | 1 | 1000 | 1000 |
| Garage Door Opener | 1 | 1420 | 750 |
| Radio | 1 | 200 | 200 |
| Television | 1 | 300 | 300 |
| Total Wattage Required | 3770 | 3100 | |
The type of generator you would need to power the above set of appliances would be one that has a minimum wattage of 3,700
watts which is the amount of power it would need to power all the appliances up at the same time.
If you power up your appliances one at a time you would be able to opt for a smaller generator as it would not need to have the generating capacity to accommodate the starting wattage of the appliances all at once.
Tips For Using a Generator
- Never Operate Your Generator Inside Or In Near Proximity To Your House – Your generator produces carbon monoxide (CO) while it is running which means that you or your family could be at risk of being exposed to carbon monoxide poisoning which could be fatal.So, for your safety, never run your generator inside your house, carport, garage or basement even if you have the windows open.For your safety it would be best to install battery operated CO alarm to warn you should any carbon monoxide (which is odourless) come into your house.
- Allow Your Generator To Cool Down Before Re-Fuelling – The fuel tank is usually on top of the engine so it can ‘gravity-feed’ fuel to the carburetor.Fuel spilled onto the hot engine could ignite & cause a fire or explosion resulting in serious injury.
- Ensure the Generator Is Positioned On a Level Surface – Should the generator be operated on an uneven surface it is likely that the oil necessary to keep all moving parts properly lubricated will not reach certain parts which could cause costly engine failure.However on a level surface you can be assured that all moving parts will be well lubricated at the correct oil pressure.
- Limit the Generator’s Cord Length – Without having your generator too close to the house try & keep the cord length as short as possible without exceeding a length of approximately 30m from the generator to the appliances.Also be sure to use only a heavy duty outdoor extension cord (no cuts or damage) that is correctly calibrated, in watts or amps, which is at least equal to the sum of the connected appliance wattages.
- Professional Generator Installation – If you are unsure about anything to do with installing your generator it would be wise to get a qualified electrical contractor to install the unit for you.