House electrical power back-up

[GAB]

For many years we suffered from frequent power cuts so I invested in a portable generator and transfer switch. Having said that, they have since replaced the sub-station and we have a more reliable supply but I still think of it as good insurance for when the SHTF.

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Having a limited back-up is essential as we have to pump to the sewer and it is great for running the gas central heating which, of course, also goes off with the power. We can also operate a limited number of appliances such as the mircrowave etc.

The best bit of kit is the manual Transfer Switch which allows you to plug into the house system. The switch fully isolates the main supply is is fitted between your meter and fuse board. An indicator light tells you when the mains power has been restored and you simply switch back. You can get automatic switches and generator start-up but you are talking serious money here. I just wheel my generator out of the garage, plug it in and start it up. You do have to be careful to limit the load and switch circuits back on one at a time ensuring that equipment such as the oven, washing machine etc. are all off.

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As mentioned in other posts, generators are very noisy. Good sound-proofing is beyond my budget but it can be done. If I'd had more budget, I would have bought a diesel powered one since diesel is easier and safer to store and I've since started making my own biodiesel! I don't know why they are so expensive but they just are. Another solution to the noise problem might be smaller inverter type unit but the power generation available is much less.

Happy prepping!

[Red Doe]

How much is one of those? I imagine it`ll be out of the price range for many preppers.

[the-gnole]

How much is one of those? I imagine it`ll be out of the price range for many preppers.

The fancy switch above can be very expensive compared to the basic three position switch that is minimum requirement for switching over between genny and mains, basic switch is IIRC about £70, the setup above is anything upto £200, then there is fitting and getting it certified.

Generators for basic set up can be a £200+, Diesel is better than petrol as you can store lots of fuel without needing to rotate it as often, and of course you can get it a lot cheaper than petrol and regular diesel if you know somewhere that sells red diesel for such purposes

So £400 is about the minimum for a decently installed switch over set-up.

[GAB]

The switch shown is a basic 3 position switch. Inside is a 100amp double pole 3 position switch - mains - generator and an off position. Today, yes you need to get it certified but wiring it up is not difficult so costs should not be too high. Generators - well that depends on your power needs. We needed it for the drain pump and wanted to be able to power the central heating pump/controls, fridge/freezer and microwave. Not too much but remember that any motor draws more power on start-up and you need to allow for this.

[the-gnole]

http://www.generators.co.uk/Product/Mai ... 4QodG0h7rg

£215ish for one of these



Or one like this for about £70ish


Which does the same job without the bells and whistles

[andy prepper]

I know it does not apply in this case but if anybody does have any off grid supplys e.g solar, wind etc conected all time you must have an automatic switch fiited. Does same as above switch but on its own, so if mains power goes out your off grid power kicks in and is isolated from mains power and does not send any power down lines to person who thinks he working on a dead cable.

[hobo]

We'd go into camping mode - would love generator etc but tbh we don't need it - we already have our backup LED lighting installed. That, and a rocket stove on the balcony would hopefully see us through a power cut.

Hobo

[diamond lil]

We won't bother with a generator either hobo. Used to frequent powercuts and just work around them. It all sounds a bit of a faff really, unless you really need one like GAB for sewage etc.

[SW_pheonix]

I know it does not apply in this case but if anybody does have any off grid supplys e.g solar, wind etc conected all time you must have an automatic switch fiited. Does same as above switch but on its own, so if mains power goes out your off grid power kicks in and is isolated from mains power and does not send any power down lines to person who thinks he working on a dead cable.

Yes. As said before this is the reason that grid-tie solar (PV) systems will be useless in a power outage. unless you know how to isolate your electric supply from the grid and set the inverter to 'Off grid' mode.

[GAB]

Like the simple switch! Prices have risen since we installed ours. I'd love to go solar and already have the south facing roof for it - just have a very large tree next door that blocks the sun! If not for the sewer issue, a generator would not be a high priority for me.