Load shedding is currently in progress (Stage 1)

[RSS]

500MW of Load Shedding currently in progress nation wide.

More... (http://www.eskom.co.za/live/loadshed.php)

[TG]

:loser:
I have my generator now. Tje-Pow!
Take that!

[Voicy]

Stop clowning dawg!

you're such a playa.

** EDIT: that was directed at RSS, not you TG. Promise

[TG]

LOL!

Well, I'm not entirely there yet.. I still need to figure out how I'm going to wire the gennie in to the house.

[Badapple]

what size Gen did you get?

[Punky3025]

TG. U need to use to contactors. It is imperative that when the geny is on the mains power
CANNOT feed in. Otherwise c4 geny no push button required. Usually the contractors work in conjugation i.e when one is in the open position the other cannot activate. A lot of your set up will depend on whether or not you want an auto switch over or not.

[Voicy]

Dear TG

http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthread.php?t=91789&page=2

Read through a few of my posts there. It's not the ideal solution, but it is effective.

The only alternatives are to install a manual selector switch which selects MAINS or GEN input or change-over contactors which does the same job, but it costs a bit and has to fit into your small home DB.

Getting contactors won't be advised because they're only really a better option if you want the thing automated, and it still doesnt help to automate the whole thing when you still have to hand crank/manual start your Jenny.

[TG]

Yeah, I'm not too worried about auto switching.
The simplest way to link it in is to just shove a lead from the gennie in to a nearest plug socket and make sure mains and geyser is off. It's only a 5kw, so I won't be able to power everything. Main thing is lights, pc's, and TV. :p
I'm not too crazy about that idea however.

Ideal scenario is to install it on its own circuit in my DB, which would remain off while "utility" power is on. When power fails, I would just trip mains switch and all other circuits I don't want on, turn gennie on, and then flip up the gennie circuit breaker.

I'm also thinking some sort of lil LED type thing would be good to install on the mains circuit before the breaker that would be always on when mains is on. This way, when the power fails and I'm running on gennie, I would know that the mains power has returned.

[TG]

Anyway, doing some basic calculations using http://www.kestrelwind.co.za/assets/documents/power%20ratings.xls - also assuming I would have everthing I needed switched on at the same time (which I wouldn't), I would only be using 2kw. Say even 2.5kw's for small things I didn't think of.

[TG]

Stool - nope, haven't sorted that yet... tho this gennie will sort it out chop chop.

[Stool]

was just wondering since u said it wont be auto switching...

so how will the genny be helping then?

[TG]

It will help cuz I can just switch it on and then go back to sleep.
The problem comes in when the power goes off and stays off.

[Punky3025]

Can we please refrain from posting in this thread and leave it just for eskom updates ?

[WondaWoman]

This is not the latest thread...I think stage 3 is the latest one. Implementation for March 31st. So ignore this one Punks...

[senorblinky]

Can we please refrain from posting in this thread and leave it just for eskom updates ?

why?

[stoke]

Becuase we keep reading the damn thread looking for ze updates.

[WondaWoman]

Because the load shedding schedule is important to him with regards to running the factory at work. I think he thought all the updates got posted in the same thread. But everytime there is an update the guy creates a new thread. So I don't think it's a problem.

[Stool]

punky is such a drama queen

[sss]

Because the load shedding schedule is important to him with regards to running the factory at work. I think he thought all the updates got posted in the same thread. But everytime there is an update the guy creates a new thread. So I don't think it's a problem.

hehehe

[Voicy]

5kW 1ph Jenny will give you 22.5Amps to play with TeeGee ... that's ALOT. Seeing as your plug circuits are wired into a 15A plug, you'll only be running at 60%... so getting a selector switch might be a better idea.

Selector switch = 2 inputs - 1 output.

btw, TG - opt for a buzzer with a switch on it, so as you put the Jenny on, you switch on the buzzer connected to mains... when mains comes back on - buzzer annoys the crap out of you to let you know power is back on - then simply switch off the buzzer after throwing the selector back to mains.

you can run ALOT off 22A. PC's , lights, tv, but i wouldnt use the microwave though.

Microwave and kettles each pull about 8Amps each, but microwaves have a big surge current when they start up and your Jenny might not have a big enough flywheel to carry that strain.

[WondaWoman]

whatever sss...:ras:

[TG]

5kW 1ph Jenny will give you 22.5Amps to play with TeeGee ... that's ALOT. Seeing as your plug circuits are wired into a 15A plug, you'll only be running at 60%... so getting a selector switch might be a better idea.

Selector switch = 2 inputs - 1 output.

btw, TG - opt for a buzzer with a switch on it, so as you put the Jenny on, you switch on the buzzer connected to mains... when mains comes back on - buzzer annoys the crap out of you to let you know power is back on - then simply switch off the buzzer after throwing the selector back to mains.

you can run ALOT off 22A. PC's , lights, tv, but i wouldnt use the microwave though.

Microwave and kettles each pull about 8Amps each, but microwaves have a big surge current when they start up and your Jenny might not have a big enough flywheel to carry that strain.

Thanks for the heads up. Anything in particular I should look for in terms of selector switches?

[Badapple]

Mah microwave seems to be ok on loading the Gen when i use it. So the microwave may not be too much of an issue.

microwave - 1000W, Gen 6,5 KVA, with PC, TV, DVD, DSTV and 2 lights running

[Voicy]

Thanks for the heads up. Anything in particular I should look for in terms of selector switches?

I'm busy going through the CBi catalogue for single phase selectors. Will update your other thread as soon as I have answers.

Although I think I did come up with a way of making my own selector switch by using 2 isolators. You flip the one upside down, clip a toggle lock onto both toggles like your Earth Leakage has, then bridge out the bottom ends of the 2 breakers. :hmmm:

So when the toggles are on top the one is switched ON, and the upside down one is switched OFF and vice versa. So u always have a dead input on top and always have a source feeding to the load at the bottom (bridged out part)... I just need to check the mid-way state of these isolators and if there is no partial contact it could be a VERY cheap / space saving way of doing the whole thing :D

but yar, let me get the proper stuff through to you guys first.

[Badapple]

Has anyone seen this site, or used the downloadable utility for checking power outages?

www.myenergy.co.za

[senorblinky]

Checking it now, don't really see ho they can be better geared than eskom, but then again, i think the homeless community of SA are better structured and geared to deal with crisis than eskom...