Loadshedding has become a frustrating reality that’s here to stay for the foreseeable future. But it’s not just a matter of being without power – it can also be incredibly disruptive and pose risks to our electronic devices and appliances. Without a backup power solution, load shedding can mean hours of inconvenience, including cold meals and no Wi-Fi for work or leisure. And that first cup of coffee to start the day? Well, that might be out of the question too.
As stage 6 loadshedding continues to plague South Africa, generators can provide reliable backup power to avoid frustration, disruption, and potential damage. But can a generator be run continuously to provide uninterrupted power? Let’s find out.
Firstly, it’s critical to understand that generators are not designed to run continuously. The Electrical Contractors Association of South Africa (ECASA) recommends running a generator for a maximum of 12 hours at a time and then allowing it to rest for at least 30 minutes. Doing this will give the generator a chance to cool down and prevent it from overheating.
The type of generator you have will also affect how long it can run continuously. The runtime of a generator is influenced by its fuel type, capacity, and load. Diesel generators tend to have longer runtimes than petrol generators. Additionally, the generator’s capacity, or the amount of power it can produce, will affect how long it can run before refuelling. The load on the generator, or how much energy it is being asked to generate, will also affect its runtime. A generator running at full capacity will burn more fuel and run out faster than one that only provides power to a few critical appliances.
Continuously running a generator for long periods can cause it to overheat, resulting in damage to the engine, and could ultimately lead to the generator breaking down. Overloading a generator can also harm the engine and could result in a fire hazard. It’s crucial to ensure the generator is not overloaded and provides power to appliances within its capacity.
Additionally, the weather conditions in South Africa can impact a generator’s performance. Running a generator in extremely hot or cold temperatures can affect its efficiency and lifespan. Generators are designed to operate within specific temperature ranges. Always ensure that the generator is kept in a well-ventilated area and is not exposed to extreme temperatures.
Regular maintenance and servicing of a generator are crucial to its performance and lifespan. Generators should be serviced at least once a year. However, oil levels, air filters, and spark plugs should be checked more often. Neglecting regular maintenance can lead to decreased performance and even permanent damage to the generator.
Generators can be a lifesaver during loadshedding, but it’s essential to understand how to use them safely and effectively. So, how do you know if your generator is being overstrained? Keep an eye out for warning signs such as a burning smell, unusual noises, or the engine shutting down unexpectedly. If your generator is producing less power than usual, it may also be a sign that it’s overstrained. Another warning sign is increased fuel consumption: If your generator is burning through fuel more quickly than usual, it may be a sign that it is working harder than it should be.
If you notice any of these signs, take action immediately! Switch off the generator and seek the assistance of a qualified technician.
At S&A Generators, we offer a range of generator solutions to suit the needs of homeowners and property owners. Our services include generator sales, installations, and maintenance, ensuring that our clients have reliable backup power during loadshedding. We pride ourselves on providing high-quality products and services and are committed to ensuring our clients’ satisfaction. Contact us today to find out how we can assist you with your backup power needs.
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The new generator in position and awaiting wiring to connect it to the client’s power system.
In South Africa, resilience is key, especially with Eskom’s unpredictable load shedding. Finding the right generator placement for backup electricity, including diesel or petrol generators, becomes crucial. These generators, affectionately known as ‘gennies,’ are vital for navigating through power outages, providing light and stability during the darkest hours.
While the whirring, purring, and (if it’s poorly maintained) rattling sound of generators has become a familiar tune around the neighbourhood, the skill of installing generators certainly isn’t commonplace.
Firstly, did you know that a licensed electrician is required to carry out generator installations? Secondly, were you aware that generator installations in South Africa must adhere to the South African National Standard (IS0 SANS 8528 series of standards)? Thirdly, you can’t pick and choose where you place your generator! Here are some critical guidelines to consider when deciding where to position your generator:
Don’t box the generator in.
Operate your generator outside in a ventilated space to prevent carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning due to engine exhaust. CO, a colourless, odourless gas, causes numerous fatalities annually by displacing oxygen in the blood, leading to oxygen deprivation. Symptoms include dizziness, shortness of breath, fatigue, and headaches, and it poses risks to unborn children and pets. Avoid installing your standby generator inside, including garages, under carports, or close to windows. Position the generator’s exhaust above your home’s roof to ensure fumes are dispersed by the wind. Always consult professional installers, adhere to local building codes, and use a transfer switch for safe standby generator installation.
Keep your generator on solid ground.
Generators, equipped with substantial engines and alternators, demand a stable, level surface to support their significant weight over time. For safe generator placement and installation, it’s crucial to position the generator at least five meters away from any residential building, adhering to local building codes and ensuring protection against carbon monoxide exposure. Planning ahead to identify a designated location is advisable. In the absence of a naturally flat area on your property, constructing a reinforced concrete pad provides a viable solution for mounting your standby or home generator securely, ensuring it meets installation requirements and safety standards for optimal operation during power outages.
Keep your generator dry.
Generators and water don’t mix. Exposure to any form of moisture, such as fog, can harm your generator, leading to possible injuries or expensive repairs. Protect your Generac home standby generator in damp environments by placing it on a consistently dry surface. Utilizing a weather cover or steel enclosure can safeguard your generator, provided it’s situated beneath a structure that allows for ample ventilation. Consulting with a professional electrician is advisable to determine the optimal venting solution tailored to your generator’s requirements.
LET THE SPECIALISTS AT S&A GENERATORS FIND THE RIGHT SPOT FOR YOUR GENERATOR
It’s one thing to invest in a generator. Having it correctly and safely connected to your building’s electrical circuit is something entirely different. As registered electricians, S&A Generators is licensed to source and fully install new and used generators in KwaZulu-Natal. We’re capable of relocating and installing some of the biggest generators around, and we’ll even advise you on the best generator covering for your specific generator. Contact us today for generator placement tips and more.
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You can extend the life of your generator by investing in a generator cover, booking planned generator maintenance, checking the generator’s oil levels often, inspecting the battery just as often, and giving your generator a good cleaning from time to time. We’re explaining these generator lifespan-extending methods in detail below, and putting you in touch with generator technicians in KwaZulu-Natal should you want to extend your generator’s lifespan:
- Install a generator covering
Imagine if you drove around without a hood on your car. It wouldn’t take long for dust, rain, and other natural materials to make their way onto and into your engine. The same goes for generators without coverings. The better you can protect your generator’s critical parts from the elements, the longer it will take for wear and tear to become an issue for your generator.
- Book regular generator maintenance
Monthly, quarterly or annual generator maintenance is another important step you could take to ensure you get the most value for your backup power generating investment. Planned generator maintenance will keep your generator running at peak condition, and this will ensure critical generator issues can be identified and rectified before causing any bigger generator issues.
- Regularly check your generator’s oil
A vehicle’s engine won’t last long at all without engine oil. The same is true for diesel generators and petrol generators. When engine oil is running low, and the generator is operational, higher-than-usual levels of engine component wear and tear occur owing to the lack of lubrication. Get the most out of your generator’s critical parts by keeping its oil topped up.
- Inspect your generator’s battery
It’s important to keep an eye on the condition of your backup generator’s battery. Corrosion and battery acid leaks are common generator battery issues, and are able to cause serious damage when generators are neglected and the condition of the generator’s battery and associated wires and connections isn’t checked regularly.
- Don’t forget to clean your generator
One final measure you can take to extend the life of your generator is to ensure it is being cleaned regularly. This is especially important when there is no covering placed over the generator, protecting it from dust and other troublesome matter. But cleaning a generator doesn’t end at a wipe down from time to time. Consider getting your generator professionally cleaned every time it undergoes maintenance.
Extend your generator’s lifespan with S&A Generators
Extending the lifespan doesn’t have to be a multi-step process. One call to S&A Generators and you can book generator maintenance and order generator oil replacements or generator fuel top-ups. If you’ve got a generator and you want to get the most out of it, contact S&A Generators today! If you’d like to see what else we can do with backup generators, have a look at our S&A Generators projects.
Power stations are those little brick buildings with steel doors you see at the entrance to any suburb in South Africa. They are connected to the national power grid, and help to distribute electricity to the houses in each neighbourhood. Portable power stations, however, are different things entirely. In this article we compare portable power stations and portable generators, and discuss three reasons a generator is basically a power station:
Portable power station vs. portable generator
A portable power station is also called a battery-powered inverter or gasless generator. The fundamental difference between a portable power station and a portable generator is the fuel. Portable generators need diesel, petrol or gas. Portable power stations feature large battery packs. These are used commonly in places like the United States of America to power mobile homes or camping vans.
A portable generator is powered using a fuel, like diesel or gas. Like portable power stations, they can be used as emergency electricity supply when the grid goes down. However, where portable power stations can store electricity in their on-board batteries, portable generators have no such energy-storing potential. Portable generators are also louder on average than battery-powered inverters.
3 reasons a generator is basically a power station
- A generator uses fossil fuel to operate
Eskom relies heavily on coal and diesel stores to supply South Africans with electricity. These fossil fuels are converted into electrical supply, which is sent to the grids and then to the power stations and then to homes, offices, shops, and all other buildings in society. Likewise, portable generators rely of fuel like petrol, diesel or natural gas to do their jobs.
- A generator supplies electricity
Like portable and fixed power stations, generators are able to supply electricity. This is their fundamental purpose, and the reason people invest in them is to have power supplied when their electricity supply is interrupted for whatever reason. Also similarly to power stations, generators definitely need to be connected up correctly, and steering well clear of a generator’s cables is just as important as when confronted with exposed power station cabling.
- A generator requires maintenance
Like power stations from time to time, generators are going to need some TLC to keep going when you need them to. Planned maintenance can keep power stations operational for longer, and planned maintenance can also keep backup generators in action. Planned generator maintenance is especially important for generators at hospitals and other critical infrastructure.
Partner with KwaZulu-Natal’s generator people
S&A Generators offers around the clock, 24-hour generator services and support. We are the generator people in KZN, and our generator expertise are brought to bear on projects and for clients across the length and breadth of South Africa. Contact us to discuss your generator requirements. We can assist with new generator installs, generator relocations, generator refills, and of course expert generator maintenance and generator repairs.
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If your generator is looking, sounding, or performing in a way that concerns you, it might be time to troubleshoot it. So, how do you troubleshoot a generator? Troubleshooting involves looking at a number of potential causes of an issue, ticking them off as you go until finding and identifying the main problem. The type of troubleshooting you do will depend on the problem you’re facing, but most times you can find the issue pretty easily by following the below five steps to troubleshooting a generator.
- Check the fuel tank
Like all fossil-fuel engines on the planet, your diesel or petrol generator needs fuel to operate. The first stop on the generator troubleshooting journey is to make sure there is, in fact, fuel available in the generator’s fuel tank. A common sign of fuel shortage is a generator that swings with the ignition but it doesn’t start up.
- Check the spark plug
Another common cause of generator problems has to do with a tiny little piece of equipment whose sole job is to light sparks! When your generator’s spark plug is faulty, there’s no way it can operate at all. Depending on the type of spark plug fault, signs could include a generator that swings but won’t start up, or your ignition comes on but it doesn’t swing.
- Check the battery
Now, if your generator is dead, dead, dead when you try to turn it on, that is most likely an issue with the unit’s battery. The battery is like the heart of the generator: if the heart stops beating, every other part of the body can’t function. If you’re struggling to find your generator’s battery, consult your manufacturer’s handbook or give us a call and we’ll help you out!
- Check the oil level
Like coffee to a human being, a generator needs a healthy oil level at all times to ensure correct operating conditions. Without enough oil, the generator’s moving parts will wear down much faster, resulting in strange noises, smokey discharge, and ultimately the death of the generator. Other than oil level, you also want to check the quality of the oil, replacing it if the oil is too thin or dirty.
- Check the connections
This final step is probably better left to the generator specialists or electricians who installed your generator. It involves troubleshooting the connections that link your generator to your building’s main power grid. Sometimes a generator issue isn’t with the generator itself, but rather with the connection between it and the grid it is feeding power into.
Get KZN’s best generator troubleshooters on the case
With decades upon decades of experience and knowledge relating to all sorts of generators, yours is in good hands when we’re troubleshooting it. Our goal is to find the issue quickly, repair or replace it with haste, and get your generator up and running again as soon as possible. Explore our generator repair services, or contact S&A Generators to book an inspection for your troubled generator.
Let’s face it: backup power generators aren’t the quietest devices around. This becomes painfully apparent when load shedding strikes and you hear them powering up around your otherwise quiet neighbourhood. The good news? No matter the generator, there are many effective ways to reduce the noise levels if they get too much. Below we’ll explain why some generators are louder than others, what can be done about noisy ones, and we’ll answer this question: what is the loudest type of generator?
Why are some generators loud?
The loudness of a generator will largely depend on the type of generator, and how old or new that generator is. A good example of this is how older diesel trucks are much louder than more modern trucks fitted with newer diesel engine technology and noise-reducing interventions. Another factor making generators louder is their condition and how well they have been looked after throughout their operational lives.
What can you do about the noise?
Reducing the loudness of a generator is actually pretty easy if you set your mind to it (or you’ve got a team of generator experts at your side). In a previous blog on the topic of generator noise reduction, we unpacked a bunch of ways you could soundproof your generator. Here are a few:
- Divert your generator’s exhaust fumes to a large, full bucket of water. This will greatly reduce the noise, but you don’t want to leave that bubbling bucket unattended.
- Dampen the ear-shattering sound of a loud generator by placing it on thick rubber foam matting. This will reduce vibration and help with bringing the dB level down.
- Rubber can also be used to encapsulate a generator in a special soundproof case. These are rubber covers made to be placed over a generator set, allowing for exhaust fumes to escape freely.
Read the full article: How to Soundproof a Generator
Ranking generators from quietest to loudest
- Inverter generators
These sorts of generators can barely be considered ‘loud’ at all. The technology is made to be efficient and useable in areas where noise consideration is of vital importance.
- Portable generators
These sorts of generators, usually either petrol or diesel-fueled, are louder than inverter generators. Luckily, they’re small enough to soundproof with relative ease.
- Diesel generators
Diesel generators are the loudest compared to their counterparts. Luckily, with the technology being so old, countless people have innovated ways to quieten down obnoxious diesel generators.
Speak to the true generator experts in KZN
You get generator mechanics and installers who entered the industry when load shedding became a sober reality in South Africa. Then you get generator specialists who were already dealing with backup generators years before load shedding was even thought of. S&A Generators fall into this second category, and we are proud to have evolved and kept up with the backup power generation industry for over 50 years and counting. Contact us for any of your home, office, or industrial generator requirements.
