The generator is an essential part of survival in places that are still in developing phase and do not have proper electricity supply all the time. Also, places that experience heavy power cuts need to have a backup in the form electric generators. Generally, diesel generator is considered to be most appropriate for small to medium loads.
Considering load is very important while using a generator. It is not always a good idea to get a generator that is for producing greater power than what you need because the diesel engine might just experience a burnout if it is run without any load. Similarly, there are many criteria that should be kept in mind before selecting a generator set for your home or office.
The load is important for determining the total capacity of the generator that should be used. The generator should neither be too small or too large in capacity. This will not only save you a lot of bucks during the initial phase of buying the generator, but the operational cost and cost for repair and maintenance can be kept in check too. While calculating the load and determining if you have to buy 10kVa diesel generator or anything more or less, there are few things that will be of prime importance to keep in mind:
- The number of Power Appliances: The size of the generator should be bigger if you are planning on running several devices that use coil like a geyser, AC, etc. a smaller generator may burnout while a larger one may glaze for which you will have to pay big amounts for its repair and maintenance.
- Voltage Requirement: Voltage is another requirement that should be considered when selecting a diesel engine. If in future you expect to use a 240-volt appliance with this generator, always opt for the one that operates on 240 volts.
- Running Load: Knowing the running load requirements is essential because it determines how many appliances you can run on one generator at a given point in time. This is the total wattage of the all the appliances that you are going to power at a time.
- Start Load: Along with running load, it is also important to know the start load. Usually, start load is more than the running load. There are many appliances that have different power requirements while they are starting as compared to when they are fully functional. This should be considered while selecting the generator.
- Choose Quality Over Price: Certain generators are not well designed, and this causes a decrease in power quality due to distortion in the sine wave. This distortion can cause the generator to get heated and reduce its overall life. If this distortion is occurring due to some other device that is causing distortion in an otherwise perfect sine wave, then this will reflect in the working of other appliances too, reducing their overall life as well.
These are a few points that have to be kept in mind before selecting a generator. However, it is always wise to take help of an expert in such matters.