What size generator?

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Homer J

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Anyone any experience with generators? I was thinking of buying a small suitcase generator for battery charging and hopefully man enough to run the water heater and dehumidifier (not at the same time)

Anyone know what power output would be needed and if this is a good or poor idea.?
 
The water heater is a worry. You have to give us some idea what power it is. Similar with the battery charger. Most of the generators have a 12V DC output for charging batteries, but it is usually limited to pathetic 8 A. You probably want to run a decent battery charger (as I do) from 240 V outlet. These come in all shapes and sizes - mine can take up to 1,000 W.
 
Be careful what you buy 3,000 rpm generators have life of 500 to 1,000h ours, fitted by the previous owner, committed suicide after 550.. 1,500 rpm have a life of 8,000 hours and more if serviced properly the same as marine engines.
 
Homer J said:
Anyone any experience with generators? I was thinking of buying a small suitcase generator for battery charging and hopefully man enough to run the water heater and dehumidifier (not at the same time)

Anyone know what power output would be needed and if this is a good or poor idea.?
Click to expand...

Ignore the limited and basic battery charging capability of suitcase generators. Use the 230 volt output to operate a good multistage charger with an output appropriate for your installed batteries.

The water heater is likely to have the highest power power consumption. Choose a generator with a continuous output rating that that can comfortably supply the power required by the water heater plus the power required by the battery charger
 
As Vic says, it all depends upon what you actually want to power .... but from my experience, if you only ever want to power one thing, then a 1kw gennie will probably be OK but if you want to power two things, then 2kw is better.

Richard
 
RichardS said:
As Vic says, it all depends upon what you actually want to power .... but from my experience, if you only ever want to power one thing, then a 1kw gennie will probably be OK but if you want to power two things, then 2kw is better.

Richard
Click to expand...

I love the "thing" thing :-). Do you realise that for instance a kettle thing is likely to draw 2,000 W (similar to decent microwave or about hundred other things) while a computer (for instance) thing will be hanging on some 30 W? :-)
 
jiris said:
I love the "thing" thing :-). Do you realise that for instance a kettle thing is likely to draw 2,000 W (similar to decent microwave or about hundred other things) while a computer (for instance) thing will be hanging on some 30 W? :-)
Click to expand...

Ah .... I didn't realise that. ;)

I might have to chuck my leccy kettle in the skip 'cos firing up the gennie to make a cuppa always did seem a bit OTT. :o

Richard
 
I used a Kipor 2600 for EXACTLY what you would like to do.

A little overcapacity with electrical things is never a bad thing IMHO. The Kipor 2600 was totaly trouble free for four years and was £460.00 from the agent in Thame. They keep spares too, but none were required.

45 minutes in the morning gave the batteries a kick and supplied a large tank of hot water. All charging for other devices was carried out whilst the genny was going.

A Tesco Value electric kettle uses 1200 W-our one does anyway. If kettle or microwave was needed during genny time, the water heater was turned off until they had finished, and switched back on again.

Same job now done by 1500 RPM 8KW Westerbeke, but on a different vessel. Nothing needs turning off with 8 KW's available!

First mate likes her shower in the morning.
 
I have a portable Honda EU10i, 1kW genny.

It is very quiet but still intrusive ... it is at it's quietest strapped in the dinghy and trailed behind ... downwind.

Just enough power to make toast, trips when I turn on the water heater. I know when the toast is ready because the Genny goes quiet when the toast pops :encouragement:

20431274_1823150011034787_1024725757376738428_n.jpg

... and yes, I know, the cockpit teak is on the to-do list :o
 
Baggywrinkle said:
I have a portable Honda EU10i, 1kW genny.

It is very quiet but still intrusive ... it is at it's quietest strapped in the dinghy and trailed behind ... downwind.

Just enough power to make toast, trips when I turn on the water heater. I know when the toast is ready because the Genny goes quiet when the toast pops :encouragement:

View attachment 78100

... and yes, I know, the cockpit teak is on the to-do list :o
Click to expand...

Yeah... noise is definitely a factor to consider. What you are talking about is actually one of the quietest small gens around - with a corresponding price tag attached. If you have a cheaper Chinks equivalent, you would need a longer rope for your dinghy :-). Definitely another argument for a larger gen, as the difference between it working at an easy pace and screaming at full power is substantial. Those surprises with tripping when some automatic appliance kicks in don't do the generator any good - and neither to some appliances. Size sometimes matters ;-).
 
I have the Honda EU10i. Reasons being;

I can lift it in and out of the locker with one hand easily (2kw version is too bulky and heavy to do it easily)
The 20A shore power charger only uses 500w to charge the batteries
I specifically got a 500w calorifier water heater element
I also have a very nice 600w caravan SwissLux kettle.
Most power tools are <1kw

probably the only thing it can't power is the vacuum, but the wife has a brush anyway! :encouragement:
 
I have just sorted this set up with a Honda EU10i with a water heater (immersion) and a Ctek 300 etc etc
It takes about an hour running to get a calorifier of hot water. While this is going the battery charger Ctek will top up the batteries at the same time. After an hour I keep the Genny going but switch off immersion then ramp up the fridge to cool everything down ready for disconnecting the Honda.
Works fine for me and as a previous poster has mentioned the weight of the generator was a factor for him and likewise for me also.
I can get it out of the locker, carry it in deck with no problem.
Honda are very expensive compared to the rest but they are a lot quieter.
That was my guidance as to being quiet. It runs on deck without you noticing.
 
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RichardS said:
Why do you appear to have 2 leccy cables going across to the dinghy? :confused:

I assume that one is the shorepower cable and that the toaster is plugged into a mains socket on the boat.

Richard
Click to expand...

One is indeed the shore power cable (the white one) ... the other is an extension lead from the toaster ;).

I don't have a mains socket in the cockpit.

If I ran the toaster from the saloon, the extension lead would have to snake round the cockpit and deck, down into the saloon and into a suitable socket - the routing is difficult and it inevitably gets in the way or someone trips over it. Here it just goes under the helmsmans seat and out to the dinghy in parallel to the shore power lead ... nicely out of everyones way.

If we have breakfast "downstairs", then the toaster just plugs into a socket in the saloon as normal.

There is method in my madness ... but well spotted.
 
ctva said:
I have the Honda EU10i. Reasons being;

I can lift it in and out of the locker with one hand easily (2kw version is too bulky and heavy to do it easily)
The 20A shore power charger only uses 500w to charge the batteries
I specifically got a 500w calorifier water heater element
I also have a very nice 600w caravan SwissLux kettle.
Most power tools are <1kw

probably the only thing it can't power is the vacuum, but the wife has a brush anyway! :encouragement:
Click to expand...

I didn't know these things existed :D ... How many litres does your calorifier hold and how long does it take to generate enough hot water for a shower? ... I think I may have found my next modification. :encouragement:
 
Another vote for the Honda, we have the 2kw (1600w constant) and it does everything we need although only occasionally used as we often use solar shower bags and always gas kettle & grill. One big advantage of the Honda is worldwide parts and service available, we gave up on the cheap 2 strokes years ago, they're a throw away item when problem occur.
 
Be careful running petrol generator to a void any situation where the exhaust fumes might enter the boat. A CO detector in the boat should be considered essential.
I have a 1.5kVA petrol generator and the immersion heater stalls it . Don't do what I did and buy a generator from Screwfix - it has been unreliable.
If I buy another portable generator it will be the small Honda EU10i and boil a low wattage kettle (or use a gas kettle) when hot water is wanted.
 
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