Temporary Electricity Generator?

sunflower_lass

My small business is facing a massive glitch as our electricity is about to be cut off! (Our supply currently comes from the former owner's house, and they are suddenly refusing to maintain the connection)

It's a long story (that i won't bore you with!) but can anyone advise: it it possible to connect a generator to the mains such that our lighting, 3 electric heaters and 1 fridge will work for 5 hours a day for about 6 weeks? (Until I can sort out a permanent electricity supply?)

Apologies this may not be the right place to ask this question, but as I can't ring an electrician for advice on a saturday night I'm rather worried and desperate for advice! Thank you

lstar337

I would have thought you could easily rent a diesel generator that could handle that. It doesn't sound like a very big load.

I just googled diesel generator and there are quite a few places offering.

You should be able to find one local to you and no doubt they will help you sort out one that will meet your power requirements.

I wouldn't like to guess a cost as I have never rented one.

ChumpusRex

Temporary generator installs are a common requirement, so hiring a generator and making a temporary hook-up isn't really a major difficulty.

You will need an electrician to make the necessary changes to the building wiring (installing a switch to select either mains power, or generator power) and installing a connection point where the generator would plug in.

You would need to estimate how much power you would need, although if it's just lights, and a few heaters, then I'd guess that a generator in the 6-12 kVA range would be roughly right (It would at least give you an idea of what to expect, if you want to go googling for generator suppliers). An electrician would be able to make an accurate recommendation after inspecting your premises and equipment.

Don't forget to plan for fuel. The fuel consumption will likely be enough to warrant getting a supply of red diesel delivered, rather than using road diesel - at a rough guess, I'd expect somewhere between 1 and 2 litres per hour (but this depends on how much electricity you use).

A word of warning, make sure you are on good terms with neighbours - the noise and fumes from a generator might prompt complaints, so think about where the generator would go and how much noise it would make.

Consumerist

Your only problem might be the fridge which, depending on its purpose, might need a 24/7 supply which could be expensive in fuel for the generator.

sunflower_lass

Wow, thanks guys, these replies are hugely helpful and have put my mind at ease that we will be able to get through the next few weeks! Phew :j

Owain_Moneysaver

A quick look at HSS Hire suggests between £350 - 550 per week plus fuel and insurance for 10 or 20 kVA.

I'd suggest a specialist temporary power firm rather than a general hire company, though, as you will need your existing wiring to be altered to connect to the generator rather than just plugging in an extension lead.

http://www.templant.co.uk/portfolio/13-kva-generator-hire/

It may be a lot easier if you can change the heating to bottled gas, and the fridge may survive overnight if the doors are closed and it's well insulated. This will save running a genny overnight with noise issues.