What is a generator?

Electric generators are a backup power source that converts fuel, usually diesel or petrol, into electrical energy to utilize in your home.

How does it work?

Generators use a combustion engine to conduct electricity. It operates based on the electromagnetic induction principle. That means that a current of electricity is created by moving a wire next to a magnet. Thus the generator converts mechanical or kinetic energy of the rotor to electrical energy or current. These engines run at a minimum of 3600 rpm to render the standard current of 60Hz.

Electrical appliances or tools can be plugged into the outlets available on the generator. This is why a generator is ideal for use in remote sites where no electricity is available. Generators generate enough power to run a television or even a freezer or refrigerator, depending on the amount of wattage or electrical current generated by the generator.

Generators come in lots of different sizes. A common mistake is to get the largest unit available to power the entire house. This is certainly an option, but a more sensible & affordable approach is to buy a generator sized to power your home’s most essential electrical circuits. A good idea is to keep the appliances on the generator to a minimum, kitchen appliances, geysers, security systems, and a few lights & outlets are the best to connect to a generator to avoid food spoilage, security issues, and general boredom during power outages.

What size generator should you be looking at?

A good starting point in looking for the correct generator is to look at how many people live in your house. For middle-income people, it could be around 8kWh per person and the very affluent sometimes spend around 25kWh per person per hour. If you work it out, a family of 4 will need 8 kW/h per person which equates to 24 kW/h total. Using a conversion calculator, A standard household will need 1kw which translates to about 1.25 kVa. Our smallest generator starts at 3 kVa so a small generator should comfortably power a household of 4 people.

You should just be aware that any power generators are challenged by appliances that have an element because it takes a larger current to effectively power these appliances. This includes kettles, geysers, fridges & freezers so if your household has more of these appliances, you will need to look at a slightly larger generator.

AgMarket has a wide variety of generators to suit your individual needs. Click here to follow the link to our Generator category.

A generator is a big expense, but with the current power situation in South Africa and our constant load shedding, it will pay for itself over a few years and become a valuable investment to keep you and your family living comfortably, regardless of the interruptions to the electricity supply from the power stations.