Suitcase Generators

A lot of homes make use of standby generators as an emergency source of power during outages. These types of generators are able to produce a sufficient amount of AC current in order to power a majority of the appliances in the household. They pretty much equal the same amount of power productions of an ordinary wall socket. However, the reality is that their power is limited. This is because of the fact that they were not actually designed to take over as the main power utility in the event of the occasional outage.

A typical household will require anywhere between 2 and 5kw of power from their standby generators. Fortunately, smaller engines continue to be developed and are now able to provide this much power. This has lead to the emergence of what’s known as the suitcase generator. The term “suitcase” is brought about by the fact that these machines are relatively small and can literally be carried around. In fact, most of them have handles either on their sides or on top so that users can carry them around just like they would an ordinary suitcase.

When it comes to the power rating of these portable generators, a higher rating simply means that they are able to power more home appliances. Naturally, it also entails a higher cost. The more power is used, the more expensive it is for the user. Most portable generators are gasoline-powered and share the same technology used in conventional motorbikes. Aside from the regular portable generators, there are also smaller versions that serve just enough power to supply one or a couple of low-power appliances.

How Much Power is Needed?

In determining how much power one needs for his home or for his appliances, there are some things to keep in mind. For starters, it is necessary to understand that power capacities of portable generators are usually measured in watts. Although some use kilovolt-amperes or KVA, they’re all actually just the same thing. One will need to determine how much of these are needed to power the entire or some parts of the household with the use of a generator.

All appliances should have an ID label containing their respective power ratings. Both the AC voltage and the current rating (amperes) should be listed. In order to obtain the approximate power rating of the specific appliance in watts, one would need to multiply the two power ratings provided. So if a certain appliance has a current rating of 7 amperes and a 150-AC rating then this translates to 1050 watts. Remember that 1 kilowatt is 1000 watts, so this means that the said appliance will need 1.05 KW of power or electricity. In order to supply power to this appliance one might think of using a 1.1 KW generator. This isn’t a good idea as there always needs to be a safety margin. Perhaps it would be best to utilize a suitcase generator that’s in the range of 1.5 KW for this particular appliance.

It is also important to note that some appliances, specifically those that have a compressor or a motor, will require a generator with at least 2 KW of power. This is because motors have a peak or surge current requirement when they start up which can sometimes be double or even triple the actual continuous power it needs once running. Therefore, it is not only necessary to know the appliances’ power rating, but also be aware of those that require a power surge upon startup.

1. Refrigerators and air conditioners usually have compressors that may require up to double or triple the rated power upon startup. Portable generators with 2 or 3 KW of power are more suited for these types of appliances.

2. Submersible pumps and water pumps require around three times their power rating upon startup so users must act accordingly.

3. Most power tools such as saws and electric drills also require around three times their power rating when starting. Also remember that these tools are started often during usage so be sure to make use of a generator that is at least triple the device’s rating.

One of the biggest fears of some folks is the possibility of power overloading. This happens when the generator is not able to handle a certain load of power that is required of them. For instance, one might mistakenly plug in two or three appliances on a 1.5-KW portable generator that’s only capable of handling a single piece of appliance. In some occasions, this may cause some unwanted danger.

Fortunately, nearly all portable generators are equipped with a device called a circuit breaker. This is the suitcase generator’s main form of protection in the event of power overloading. This mechanism will automatically trip off should it sense that too much power is being required from the generator that it can no longer handle. In case this happens, owners should immediately switch off the generator or unplug the appliance. He may be required to recheck his computations as there may have been some errors that led to the overload.