Recommend a generator to buy in Ireland?

MichaelR

Hello,

I am considering the purchase of a generator. But the stores are closed right now, And I want a warranty that will work in Ireland, without needing to send the yoke to Britain or elsewhere if it breaks.

So I need two things - the power rating and the supplier. Obviously I do not want to spend too much, and on top of it, I'd like it to be compact and light-weight enough to be stored in the attic. I do understand I need to bring it outside to use it safely It's just that I don't have very secure storage outside, so I'd want to bring it into the attic when not in use.

For power rating: I want to be able to heat the house primarily - with an *oil* system; also to have some lighting and to charge laptops and mobile phones and to feed the Internet router (in case the phone line is live while power is down). Ideally, to run a washer or dryer, "not at the same time" is fine. Microwave, at a stretch. Oh, and the fridge would be very nice too, but it can "take a break" while the washer/dryer/microwave is running. No need for kettles or stoves.

So basically, "one household appliance plus oil burner/pump plus some charging/router" is the expected load. Would that be something like 3 kVa? Or do I need to go higher?

For supplier: I am primarily worried about the warranty. Ideally I want to be able to bring it somewhere in Limerick if it breaks. Next preference: Cork or Galway. At a stretch: Dublin. Totally unworkable: anywhere off this island.

There are Irish suppliers online but I have heard nothing about them, so I don't know which of them can be trusted.

Advice very much appreciated.

Irish Steve

As no one else has responded, 3KVa is too small for things like washing machine or dryer alongside other devices, due to the load of the heating element, and starting a fridge or freezer can also take a significant momentary load that can bog down a small generator, so realistically, you're looking at closer to 6Kva minimum, and for economy, a diesel will be better than petrol, and weight wise, getting it into the attic won't happen any time soon, weight and size will be show stoppers once you go above the smaller petrol 3Kva sizes.

With the range of things you want to run, your next issue will be having to get a changeover switch installed in order to be able to get the power to the devices you want to run, as the heating and pumps for it are unlikely to be supplied from a 13A socket, the lights definitely would not be, and once you want to use the house wiring, there are specific rules about isolation to protect ESB workers, and make sure that your generator is not trying to run the rest of the area around you. That then also means that while you can run things like lights, TV etc, you have to make sure that the other devices in the house (like kettles) are not on when you don't need them, to avoid overloading.

May not be what you wanted to hear, but hope it helps

Diesel's dead..put a bullet in her.