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Modern homes are filled with many electrical devices. Therefore, the supply of electricity is an important factor. But what if you live in a country house or in a private house where there are power outages? Buy an autonomous power generator! How to choose the best generator for your home, you will learn from our review.
What tasks do you need a generator for?
In our country, electricity is stably supplied only in cities. Problems arise in holiday villages or the private sector: electricity is turned off at the wrong time, power surges occur, etc. This has a bad effect on equipment that breaks down.
If the house is located in the wilderness, where there is no electricity supply or it is of poor quality, then an autonomous generator is necessary. It will allow you not to depend on the power plant.
If there is electricity in the house, but it is unstable, then the use of an autonomous power source is recommended as a backup option. When the electricity is gone, you switch to your generator and the equipment comes to life again.
Video “How to choose a generator for home and garden”
In this video, an expert will tell you how to choose the right generator for your home and garden.
Types of generators
Autonomous generators come with a power plant running on gasoline, with a diesel engine or powered by gas fuel. These devices vary in power.
By engine type
- Gasoline generator – the most common and inexpensive. Its power plant is powered by ordinary motor gasoline, which is easy to purchase at a gas station.
- The diesel power generator has a more complex engine, but it is more reliable and can easily withstand a long time of operation.
- The gas power generator uses ordinary gas for its operation, which makes it possible to make the operation of the device cheap and increase autonomy.
By transducer type
The part of the device that generates electricity is called an alternator. It is its design that affects all the main features and characteristics of an autonomous current source.
- The asynchronous converter has the simplest design, requires the least additional cooling and requires almost no maintenance. Good for supplying power to welding machines. But this type of alternator does not withstand the increased load.
- The synchronous converter has a more perfect circuit, it gives out a large current power well. But the use of brushes in a synchronous design requires periodic maintenance of the generator.
- Inverter converters work according to the following scheme: the current is rectified, and then rises to 220 V and is converted to AC by the inverter. This system is the best, it avoids power surges. This type of converter is recommended for powering computer and other precision equipment.
We calculate the required power of the generator
So that your autonomous current source does not fail and does not give out unpleasant surprises, you need to correctly calculate the power reserve.
Calculate the total consumption of all your electrical devices and purchase a generator that delivers 20% more rated power than calculated. If this is not done, then when you turn on a powerful consumer, your generator will choke and break. This is especially true for asynchronous generators, in which, in the event of an overload, the armature is demagnetized and the alternator stops generating electricity.
There is active and reactive power consumption. Active power is the net load that household electrical appliances use to do their job. As a rule, it is indicated in the device passport. But the technique does not only consume current for its work. Part of the power goes to the resistance in the wires, is spent on heating the spirals and windings. Use this when calculating.
To correctly calculate the power consumption, taking into account the reactive load, add another 50% to the nameplate power. This will avoid overloading the power generating plant.
The capacitive load parameter is important when using discharge lamps, which are used by photographers on the road. Asynchronous type converters are best able to cope with increased capacitive load due to their design.
Other Important Factors
When choosing, pay attention to the following factors.
Fuel tank capacity
The more fuel that can fit in the tank of an electric generator, the longer it will be able to work without refueling. This parameter significantly affects the autonomy of the device. Petrol generators consume slightly more fuel than diesel ones, but the longest-lived ones are gas power plants. They can be powered both from ordinary cylinders and connected to the house gas network. Since interruptions in gas are less common than with electricity, the gas engine is able to work without refueling for a long time.
Control mode
There are different control modes. Simple models have only a manual start function, but more expensive ones have automatic start. This is a very convenient feature, as it allows the generator to automatically learn about a power outage in the main line and, with its auto start, start supplying current to the system without human intervention.
Noise level
The noise that the current source emits during its operation can be strong. This affects the comfort of using the device. It all depends on the power and design of the engine, as well as on the type of cooling. Liquid-cooled powerplants are less noisy than air vents.
The best generator models
To choose an electric generator, we offer you a rating of 2020 models. Their comparison will allow you to buy the best.
Generators up to 3 kW
These are low-power and inexpensive devices that power a small number of devices well. Suitable for low requirements and limited budget.
Huter DY3000L
This inexpensive and cute power plant has a small gasoline engine in its design. A single-phase electrical installation produces 220 V, which is perfect for an ordinary house network with a small number of consumers. The synchronous alterator easily produces 2,5 kW of active power, and the maximum load is two kilowatts and eight hundred watts.
The power plant engine has one cylinder and air cooling. Due to the presence of a silencer, the device produces a low noise level, no more than 67 dB. Its fuel tank can easily fit 15 liters of ninety-second gasoline.
Pros:
- the gasoline generator is easy to start;
- the design is simple and reliable, nothing breaks;
- the power plant is powered by ordinary 92nd gasoline.
Cons:
- low generator power;
- the fuel quantity indicator does not work correctly;
- You can hear the engine running well.
Huter DY3000L Generator Overview Video
From this video you will learn what is interesting about the Huter DY3000L generator model.
Daewoo Power Products GDA 3500DFE
This Korean generator can run on both ordinary gasoline and gas. This allows you to halve the cost of operation, because gas fuel is much cheaper than constantly rising in price gasoline.
The single-phase synchronous generating unit easily outputs 220 V with an active power of 2,5 kW. The maximum power that this power plant can withstand is 3 kW.
The station can be started either manually with a cable or with an electric starter.
Two 220 V sockets allow you to conveniently connect consumers, and a 12 V output makes it possible to charge car batteries without additional equipment.
Pros:
- the power plant has an increased safety margin;
- thanks to the dual start system, it is easy to start;
- two sockets and a 12 V output will facilitate the connection of current consumers.
Cons:
- in order for the power plant to work from a gas mixture, the engine must be started on gasoline.
Engineering Group SH3000 Газ
This self-contained generator has a Japanese-made engine that runs entirely on gas fuel. This allows you to save on refueling the unit. A synchronous type converter produces a single-phase voltage of 220 V. The generator is not very powerful, the operating current is only 2 kW, and the maximum is 2,5 kW. There is only one outlet, which limits the connection of consumers of electricity.
Pros:
- low weight of the structure;
- easy start of the engine;
- low fuel cost.
Cons:
- low power;
- just one outlet.
CHAMPION DW180E
The rather heavy design of this power plant has an economical diesel engine. The presence of a silencer allows you not to disturb your neighbors, and an asynchronous converter makes it easy to power welding machines without harm to the power plant.
Two 220 V sockets allow you to connect a large number of devices, but their active power should not exceed 2 kW, since the generator is low-power.
Pros:
- economical engine;
- the ability to connect a welding machine;
- quiet engine.
Cons:
- low-power power generating part.
Medium power generators: 3 to 5 kW
These devices are suitable for medium-sized homes due to their increased power.
Daewoo Power Products DDAE 6000XE
This powerful power plant is powered by an economical Korean-made diesel engine. The synchronous design converter easily handles 5kW, and two 220V outlets are enough for most needs. There is a 12 V output, it will allow you to power automotive electronics without problems. The electric starter starts easily with half a turn.
Pros:
- economical Korean-made engine;
- a large number of sockets;
- easy engine start.
Cons:
- the engine makes a lot of noise during operation;
- rather large weight of the device.
Generac 6520
This power plant is powered only by gas fuel, and the engine is very economical. The automatic start system will allow you not to worry about autonomy. The synchronous generator gives 5 kW of power. Due to the presence of a silencer and low speed, the device makes little noise.
Pros:
- reliable gas engine;
- automatic start of the system;
- low noise level.
Cons:
- sensitive to the quality of gas fuel.
Video “Installation and an example of the work of Generac 6520”
This video shows the installation method and an example of the operation of the Generac 6520 generator.
Hyundai HHY 7000FGE
The engine of this power plant is multi-fuel. It runs on both regular gasoline and gas. The power plant of the Korean assembly, low noise and economical.
The electrical components of the generator are very reliable and require no additional maintenance. They easily give out 5 kW of single-phase current. 220V is fed into a pair of outlets, while the XNUMXV output is for automotive applications.
The device is lightweight and easy to transport.
Pros:
- reliable dual-fuel engine;
- easy start of the generator;
- the motor is quiet.
Cons:
- it needs fuel to warm up.
Video “Operation of the Hyundai HHY 7000FGE generator”
This video shows how the Hyundai HHY 7000FGE generator works.
Huter DY6500LX
Everyone will like this gasoline power generating station from a well-known German manufacturer. A high-quality engine consumes little gasoline, a high-quality muffler will not give neighbors a reason to complain about noise. Two 220 V sockets will provide you with 5 kW of power, this is enough.
The design of the system is very balanced and reliable. The electric starter will start the engine with half a turn.
Pros:
- reliable construction;
- low noise level;
- easy to start from the starter.
Cons:
- rather large mass of the generator;
- poor design of the manual start cable.
Video “Gasoline Generator Huter DY6500LX”
From this video you will learn what is interesting about the Huter DY6500LX gas generator model.
Top models over 5 kW
These are the most powerful autonomous power plants. They are suitable for large houses with many consumers.
Wester NAM 6500ATS
This is a proven gasoline generator from a well-known manufacturer of electrical equipment. The gasoline engine has a high speed, the presence of a large tank will allow the system to work for a long time without refueling. The high-power electrical part will give 6 kW through a pair of 220 V sockets. A twelve-volt socket is also available.
The autostart system facilitates the operation of the power plant. The presence of wheels allows you to transport the system to the right place.
Pros:
- easy start;
- the presence of autostart;
- doesn’t make much noise.
Cons:
- not very economical.
BRIGGS & STRATTON 6 kW Standby Generator
This gas powered generator will allow you not to worry about the power supply of your home. The economical engine does not consume much fuel, and high-quality electrical equipment easily produces 5,5 kW of power.
Silence in operation is ensured by a soundproof housing and a high-quality muffler. Your neighbors will never complain about the noise.
Pros:
- gas fuel to power the engine;
- the presence of a soundproof casing.
Cons:
- hard to start in the cold.
Daewoo Power Products DDAE 9000DXE-3
Korean electric generator, one of the best in the ranking. Its diesel engine starts easily in both hot and cold weather. The maximum power of 7 kW will provide all your electrical appliances, and the presence of three phases at the output is suitable even for complex power grid systems.
Pros:
- it is easy to start;
- the presence of a three-phase output.
Cons:
- noisy engine;
- insufficient fuel tank capacity.
FAQ
Why do you need to know the number of cycles?
Engines are two-stroke and four-stroke. Due to their design, two-stroke engines are less powerful and consume engine oil during their operation, which is discharged into the exhaust system. Therefore, here it is necessary to control not only the fuel level, but also add oil. Four-stroke engines are more powerful and reliable, they need to add oil once a year or a little more often.
What does the type of cooling affect and how does it happen?
There are air-cooled and liquid-cooled engines. The former do not require coolant, they are cooled by air. May not work well in cold weather. Liquid-cooled motors need antifreeze. Their work in winter is more stable, since the heated antifreeze does not allow the engine to cool down.
How to choose the required number of phases?
If the electrical system of your house is made according to the classical scheme and there are no 380 V consumers in it, then a single-phase generator is suitable for you. If high-voltage devices are available, then choose an electric generator with a three-phase output. Using a well-chosen electric generator will protect your equipment from breakdowns. Autonomy of power supply will be appreciated by both you and your family, because you will not depend on the whims of electricians or wires broken by bad weather.