anyone use a generator instead of mains power?

[disasterbus]

I've just rented a workshop as I want to clear my garage at home to actually keep cars in instead of it being filled with junk!

I know you guys love pics, so here's a couple to give you an idea of what I'm on about........





The building is in the middle of a field basically. It used to be a pumping station for the water board (the pumps all seem to still be there in a huge pit under a trapdoor in the floor. Obviously it used to have electricity but the supply was cut off many years ago. I've been told it could cost thousangs to get it all connected again. I don't want to spend that sort of cash as I'm only renting it and who knows how long that arrangement will suit me or the owner.

Really I only need a couple of lights and power for occasional DIY power tools - drills, sanders, angle grinder etc. Oh yeah, and most importantly a kettle

I'm thinking of trying to get an inexpensive generator is possible. The sort of thing campers / caravanners or roadside burger vans use.

Never had the need to use one before so have no clue about generators.

Is this a feasible idea?

What sort do i need to ordinary home / DIY power tools (240v)?

How much should i expect to pay?

Any advice welcome - thanks guys!

[cobblers]

You'll power most normal tools OK with a "reasonable" genny of suitable wattage. Welders on the other hand don't work well at all.

[guz]

i'd be using single camping gas stove to boil water,
or just take a flask ?

[optimusprime]

Oct 12, 2013 18:59:07 GMT disasterbus said:

Really I only need a couple of lights and power for occasional DIY power tools - drills, sanders, angle grinder etc. Oh yeah, and most importantly a kettle

I'm thinking of trying to get an inexpensive generator is possible. The sort of thing campers / caravanners or roadside burger vans use.

Never had the need to use one before so have no clue about generators.

Is this a feasible idea?

What sort do i need to ordinary home / DIY power tools (240v)?

How much should i expect to pay?

Any advice welcome - thanks guys!

It all depends on what you want to run and when, for example some smaller gennies won't be able to run say the light and a drill at the same time.
Generators are rated by kva, so i'd say 2.2 kvs minimum ... although I've seen a 2.2 kva struggle to boil a kettle ....
Don't go by price alone ... check how many output sockets its got, what they are rated to,whether or not its got tripswitch/ circuit breakers (and what their rating is), consider voltage drop when using extention leads, you really don't want a gennie running indoors ,its not good for your health!!

[charlie]

I have a generator - Chinese thing and cost around £100 second hand. Good for general power but not ideal for a workshop where you want it on for a long time. I was considering solar charging as a good system for a garage - panels, charge controller, inverter and marine batteries. You probably need to work out your watt hours and what is the best option for you.

Charlie

[sixlover]

We had a Honda 2kv genny which had been converted for gas. Ideal for a narrow boat, which has gas anyway. It powered all my power tool needs, when I was doing stuff on the tow path. Cost us £160 second hand. It had a 12Volt DC tapping so could charge the batteries for at least starting the engine of the boat. You'd still need it outside ideally. Don't run a telly off it though. We had a brand new Argos telly and as soon as we turned it on it blew up!
Recently (as we're back "on the bank")we sold it for £100, so not a bad deal.

Martin

[LowStandards]

Have you checked to make sure its not just missing the main fuse?

I'd be surprised if they could of been fussed to disconnect main wiring, my old grain store worked after 50 years of being 'disconnected'



I don't condone the fact you'll be in the middle of knowhere with an unknown free supply, not one bit, not at all...

[dodgerover]

^^^^ what he said, it's more likely some one has removed the main fuse than physically disconnected it from somewhere.

[burnleye21]

I rewind motors for a living use two aldi gennys pal

[donSpeed]

As has been said a couple of posts up - check if the main fuses have been removed. I work for Scottish Power and that's how we disconnect. FAR too costly to pot end the service so could be cheap and simple to get the power back on

[jrevillug]

If you can get the power on, do it. But as it's that old, do have a close look at the insulation - could be decaying rubber instead of pvc. And bear in mind that the fuse boards will probably have asbestos in them.

Otherwise, as has been said, a ~2.5->3.5kva genny will run lights and power tools happily. Don't really cheap out as the last thing you want is to be fighting with a recalcitrant engine on a cold wet night when you want some lights. FWIW, Honda engines are the pretty much the only small petrol engines that tool hire companies will touch - and there's a reason for that...

For that sort of use I'd be buying a petrol genny rather than a diesel: yes, the running costs will be a bit higher (especially compared to using road duty free red diesel), but the purchase price will be lower. Additionally, dizzles don't like running for long periods with light loadings - such as will be the case with your usage pattern - as they glaze the bores. If you do end up with a diesel ('cos they sometimes turn up cheap on t'bay), it might be worth running low-detergent oil in it (specification API CC - something like Morris Oils Golden Film), as it reduces glazing a lot.

Depending how much time you're spending there, and what sort of usage pattern you end up with, it may be worth your while grabbing some 12v lights, a chunky leisure battery and taking it home to charge - running a genny just to power a lead light seems overkill. It could even stay in the boot while you're at the unit with some leads running in.

Finally, as already said, it'd be best to use a camping stove for the kettle: electric kettles take a lot of juice to run, and a petrol engine running a generator powering a heating element is a very wasteful way of converting chemical energy into hot water.

[93fxdl]

First thing I would do is paint the walls white, this reduces the amount of lights needed. As for the generator my cheapy 2.2kw, grunts when a kettle is used but will boil it. Might be handy to use one with a 12v outlet for charging batteries.
A couple of safety issues are don't run it inside as there is the carbon monoxide risk also an hour or two with it clattering away will not help your hearing or concentration,
Seem to remember that soft start power tools and generators don't mix, could be wrong though
Ttfn Glenn

[justanotherhigh]

I'm doing a similar thing to you - been looking at the best ways to sort power (as cheap as possible!)
Been looking at 12v-240v inverters, there seem to be some relatively beefy ones out there which would be capable of powering a grinder/drill etc off a car battery... 1000w sets are up on ebay for about £25.

How do people go on with welding though? I know some people manage to do it without mains power!

Have a poke about on your mains incoming with a multimeter down to neutral and earth to make sure it's not live before you fiddle ^.^ I don't know if you're much of an electrician but you should have a decent supply of 415v 3-phase there - if you could reconnect simply, that would cater for all your machining needs.
PS. bet the sump under the workshop would make a cracking storage area/zombie apocalypse bunker.

[93fxdl]

A couple of, off grid welding options are,
Modify your car alternator to create a basic tig/MMA setup or I have seen car batteries used for welding, or go old school with oxy acetelyne.
If you want a compressor, a car Aircon pump can be modified.
Be careful about the pit, any polutants get in there and could end up in water supply
Ttfn Glenn

[optimusprime]

Nov 2, 2013 9:59:56 GMT 93fxdl said:

Be careful about the pit, any polutants get in there and could end up in water supply
Ttfn Glenn

Good point Also bear in mind any 'heavier than air' gases will flow down there (petrol vapours,propane/butane etc etc) last thing you need is a grinding spark setting it all off ......

[mattrobinson1982]

Like the guys said above; I work for one of the big 6 and when we disconnect we just remove fuses.

Get a volt stick along the bottom of the main incoming supply fuse ( or incoming side if its on an overhead line )

Happy to advise further if you aren't sure what yours looking at. Where are you anyway?

[woodenspatulas]

I use solar powered lights in the garage. Only small cheap things about a tenner each. but they give out enough light to move about by.

could be good just as background lighting and then have a lesiure battery working more powerful lights for detail work?

I have an old genny for the last few years its sat doing nothing, really should go out and check it.

Any chance of more pics of the pit etc? looks a fab unit to rent!