OT - generator advice

So [email protected] was, like

> On Wed, 1 Dec 2004 19:50:28 +0000 (UTC), "Richard Brookman"
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>I understand watts and amps, but what's a kva when it's at home?
>
> It's the maximum rms current times the rms voltage. With ac the
> current can run out of phase with the Voltage, especially running
> things like motors, so while a load with 230 Volts across it and 4
> Amps flowing through it will draw 4 times 230 Watts instantaneously
> the current times Volts could be higher. To accommodate this the
> generator electrics are specified as a maximum Volts (what the
> insulation in coils can work at) times the maximum current (what the
> wires in the generator can stand without getting too hot). So the 1kW
> generator may be rated at 1.5kVA, there's generally no problem with
> drawing too much power from the system as it simply drags the engine
> down on these small devices.
>
> AJH

Very clear explanation, thanks.

--

Rich

Pas d'elle yeux Rhone que nous

On Thu, 02 Dec 2004 13:46:09 +0000, Steve Taylor
<[email protected]> wrote:

>> My view on this is that I never load any generator with more than 60%
>> of its rated power.
>
>Why ? Is it because you are running critical loads ?

Partly, also due to my overall philosophy of never overlading anything
apart from a 101

Never load servers, always have less than 50% HDD used, then RAID,
then UPS's running at <20% load etc...

When I had all of the electrics replaced here (which meant three days
work by Yorkshire Electricity, digging the road up and - erm,
accidentally cutting off some of the neighbours for a few hours) I
specified far higher capacity than I (thought) I'd ever use. They're
booked in to carry out a site test in January as they don't believe
what I'm currently using. Strangely, the police helicopter used to
hover quite a lot, prolly reckon I'm running one of those new high
tech Marijuana factory jobbies!