What is an emergency generator

In Germany, power outages are rare. On average, a household is without electricity for only a few minutes a year. In practice, however, this can mean that you never have to deal with a power outage for two years and then suddenly find yourself without power for several hours. Then nothing works in the household anymore: The heating fails, you can no longer cook, wash or watch TV and, in the worst case, sit in the dark. No wonder many homeowners and builders are thinking about how to prepare for a public grid outage.

Fortunately, there are safeguards: From the diesel-powered generator to the emergency generator to the complete backup power function, everything is possible. Generator sets in particular are a good solution for private households. These combination devices, which consist of an engine and a generator, generate electricity through fuel. However, they offer you many more applications in your own home than just providing electrical energy in an emergency. In this guide, we explain what you should know about emergency power generators in your own home.

What is an emergency generator?

A generator set is usually composed of the following components:

Engine powered by petrol or diesel

Generator connected to the motor

Optional: Small gearbox in the generator to achieve higher speeds

Such generators are available in countless designs. It starts with small and portable units and ends with large and technically complex power plants with water cooling, which are delivered by container.

Emergency generator in your own house – what is it needed for?

In Europe, the power supply is ensured nationwide. It is very rare to experience prolonged power outages. However, there are cases in which the electricity sometimes stays away for several hours – for example, after a lightning strike in your own house or in a building in the neighborhood. Even if power lines are damaged by a storm, continuous failures can occur. Whether the investment in an emergency generator is worthwhile for these rare emergency situations, only you can decide for yourself. But the fact is: A generator set has a right to exist in the home for other reasons. It offers you the following advantages:

High voltages can be provided

It is possible to connect multiple consumers with high power consumption

The decentralized power supply makes sense especially for spacious plots of land, when electricity is needed even in the furthest corner. Then it is not recommended to realize a long extension line with several cable drums.

If too many cable drums are connected one after the other, the line resistance threatens to overstrain the house security. Then either the fuses or the FI switch are constantly triggered. In unfortunate cases, however, a cable fire can also occur.

The same can happen if you connect devices to the home’s power grid for which it is not designed. This applies to metal processing machines or welding machines. These often require a 400-volt connection. Transformers can convert the 240-volt house current to this voltage, but we do not recommend this. It is better to generate the required power with a sufficiently large emergency power generator.

What many do not know: The power installation in the house can also be overloaded if normal 240-volt devices are connected to it in too large numbers. This often happens during construction measures that require a lot of power tools – such as basement renovation. If you try to use concrete mixers, chisel hammers, circular saws and floodlights at the same time over the house electricity, overload is likely. In such a case, it is therefore advisable to use a power generator.

Using an emergency generator in your own home: What you should pay attention to

If you want to buy an emergency generator for your home, you have different options to choose from. High-quality and small power generators, with which you can make yourself independent of the stationary power supply, can be found on the Internet. Official dealers offer all leading manufacturers, such as:

ATLAS COPCO

HIMOINSA

SDMO

It is important to know that choosing the perfect device depends on the performance you need. Therefore, before purchasing, you should determine how high the demand of the consumers who are to be operated with the generator at the same time is. Practical is therefore the selection guide for power generators, which is provided in the shop of HO-MA Notstrom. In the table you can read which services certain devices have.

Then you can also better estimate what kind of emergency generator you need. If you are unsure about the choice, it is best to get advice by phone from the dealer’s specialists.

If the generator set is to secure the power supply in the event of a power failure, it should be connected to the house grid in such a way that it starts automatically. This task must be taken over by an electrician.

Before buying, think about where you want to place the device. Due to the expansive size, the basement or garage is usually well suited as a place to set up.

additional information: best cordless leaf blower under $100

Inverter devices are recommended for private households

For private households, inverter devices are usually completely sufficient. These are powered by gasoline or diesel and are equipped with power ratings of around 3,000 watts. They provide you with AC power-quality, which is needed for sensitive devices such as the notebook or computer.

Last but not least, we have a tip for your safety: Comply with the usual safety regulations for generator sets with combustion engines. These are explained in more detail under vis.bayern.de. Because: The combustion engines, which are operated with diesel or gasoline, emit exhaust gases and also carbon monoxide. This odorless and toxic gas initially triggers unconsciousness in higher doses and can even lead to death.

Summary

Many homeowners and builders are toying with the idea of investing in a generator set so as not to be left in the dark and without heating in the event of a prolonged power outage. Although such emergency situations are rare in Germany, it is a good feeling to be prepared for them with an emergency power generator. In addition, power generators in the home are useful for many other purposes – for example, for a decentralized power supply, for the provision of high voltages and for the simultaneous connection of several devices with high current consumption.