Portable Generator - recommendations?

[FarangRimPing]

We need to get a portable generator for a construction project which does not have PEA power. Probably need 5KW or higher. I've been told that diesel generators are considerably quieter than gasoline, and since we'll use the portable generator at our house (for PEA power outages) after the project is over, quietness is a big plus.

 

 any recommendations? 

 

Thank you.

[KhunLA]

How far are you from PEA line ?  If you don't know, PEA, they'll put up temp meter for you, then simple run wire to the build site.  Present build is 150 meter away from metered pole.  Builder simply runs a wire to the site.  

If buying, I would go with one of the better, larger Honda brand.  Noticed Global & HomePro only offered 2 brands locally, as peeked myself.  Think Honda only offers 2 models locally, with more than a few models of the other brand.

[bankruatsteve]

I have a 6kVA Welpro from Do Home that has been a trooper for several years now.  It's petrol but a reliable diesel was beyond my budget.   And, agree with the thought of getting PEA at this point.  If you want to have grid power eventually, you might as well start with construction service.

 

BTW:  any generator above about 2kVA is not very "portable".  It might have wheels but they are very heavy.

[Yellowtail]

I don't think that all things the same, diesel is quieter. But diesel is generally safer and cheaper to run. But they are more  expensive. 

 

How long is the construction supposed to last, and are the workers living on site? 

 

[FarangRimPing]

To get to the PEA line is hundreds of meters, and later on, we'll probably end up buying our own transformer & line from them, but don't want to do it now. A neighbor had a line and private transformer put in and he told my wife his total cost was about 1m. The neighbor wants more than 200k to initially tie into his system and from then on, we have to pay him for our use according to a private meter. If we don't tie into him or get our own line/transformer, the run is too long to get sufficient power, according to PEA and contractor. So rather than have the huge outlay for the transformer while we are paying for the initial build, we thought we might get a portable generator during construction and then use it at our house later once we get the PEA power.

Construction workers will not live at the construction site.

[Will B Good]

How easy/difficult is it to pipe electrickery from a portable generator into you house circuit?

 

I am fretting that we will lose the mains supply at some point and die from heat exhaustion.

[Led Lolly Yellow Lolly]

There's a nice Hyundai built under license being sold at MegaHome. It's a silent 5.5 KWh Diesel (not really silent but you get the idea). It's something like 55,000 Baht. This is the one I've been eyeing up for years. However, I've also been considering building my own with an old pickup engine. You can buy alternators pretty inexpensively, pretty powerful ones too (I'm looking at a 10 KWh system). Thereafter it's just a case of connecting it to the drive shaft and fashioning some form of basic engine speed control. . .

 

Be aware that any genset you get for your purposes will be 3000 RPM. This is what makes them noisy, and crucially what makes them unsuitable for 24/7 duty cycle (you have to service them and do a full rebuild every 1 or 2 hundred hours). This is why I want to build my own 1500 RPM generator.

 

 

 

 

[Led Lolly Yellow Lolly]

2 hours ago, Will B Good said:

How easy/difficult is it to pipe electrickery from a portable generator into you house circuit?

 

I am fretting that we will lose the mains supply at some point and die from heat exhaustion.

This has to be designed VERY carefully, you need a pro to do it. Essentially you need a switchover that ABSOLUTELY ENSURES that the incoming neutral is the last to be disconnected after the phase, the first to be reconnected before the phase, and that the PEA side is never, ever connected at the same time as your generator. The consequences are not just for your generator, but you could potentially kill a PEA linesman by backfeeding. You also have to study the earthing arrangements very carefully (related to the neutral situation, which will vary from property to property).

[Yellowtail]

3 hours ago, FarangRimPing said:

To get to the PEA line is hundreds of meters, and later on, we'll probably end up buying our own transformer & line from them, but don't want to do it now. A neighbor had a line and private transformer put in and he told my wife his total cost was about 1m. The neighbor wants more than 200k to initially tie into his system and from then on, we have to pay him for our use according to a private meter. If we don't tie into him or get our own line/transformer, the run is too long to get sufficient power, according to PEA and contractor. So rather than have the huge outlay for the transformer while we are paying for the initial build, we thought we might get a portable generator during construction and then use it at our house later once we get the PEA power.

Construction workers will not live at the construction site.

I would buy something cheap and popular from a supplier in the area and plan on replacing it once the construction is complete. You might think about a two or three small ones rather than a big one. You don't need 5KW to light the area or run a grinder. 

 

 

[Will B Good]

2 hours ago, Led Lolly Yellow Lolly said:

This has to be designed VERY carefully, you need a pro to do it. Essentially you need a switchover that ABSOLUTELY ENSURES that the incoming neutral is the last to be disconnected after the phase, the first to be reconnected before the phase, and that the PEA side is never, ever connected at the same time as your generator. The consequences are not just for your generator, but you could potentially kill a PEA linesman by backfeeding. You also have to study the earthing arrangements very carefully (related to the neutral situation, which will vary from property to property).

Yikes.....think I'll run an extension from the generator and live with a fan.....555

[tjo o tjim]

Might be cheaper in the end to put in an off-grid solar setup, and expand it when the house is finished.

[FarangRimPing]

13 hours ago, Yellowtail said:

I would buy something cheap and popular from a supplier in the area and plan on replacing it once the construction is complete. You might think about a two or three small ones rather than a big one. You don't need 5KW to light the area or run a grinder. 

 

 

This is what I'm leaning towards. It will be used for quite a bit of welding, I assume.

 

The Global here in Chiang Rai has what I assume is their own brand generator, named G Tech or something like that, which was ridiculously cheap. Price was in the neighborhood of 11k for a 5kw unit.

[FarangRimPing]

My mistake, generator is at Thai Watsadu. Gianttech GEN5000. 10,800 baht.

[Yellowtail]

8 minutes ago, FarangRimPing said:

My mistake, generator is at Thai Watsadu. Gianttech GEN5000. 10,800 baht.

That looks like a great buy, I would snap one up.

 

Again, you may want to get the GEN2500 for when they are not welding. It's not good to run a generator unloaded, and the bigger units burn more fuel. 

 

Make sure you have a good clean fuel can.

 

Change the oil after the first hour or two. 

[billd766]

3 hours ago, FarangRimPing said:

This is what I'm leaning towards. It will be used for quite a bit of welding, I assume.

 

The Global here in Chiang Rai has what I assume is their own brand generator, named G Tech or something like that, which was ridiculously cheap. Price was in the neighborhood of 11k for a 5kw unit.

Bison generators from Global are reasonably priced and come in varying kva and both petrol and diesel. If they don't have what you want in stock I expect that they will order it for you. They will probably deliver it as well for an extra fee,

[FarangRimPing]

21 hours ago, billd766 said:

Bison generators from Global are reasonably priced and come in varying kva and both petrol and diesel. If they don't have what you want in stock I expect that they will order it for you. They will probably deliver it as well for an extra fee,

I looked at the Global Website and they have a gasoline-powered 5kw for about 15k. BUT, they have a diesel-powered 4.5kw for 37k, and it says it's for welding. I assume any 5kw generator would be OK for welding, is my assumption correct?

[bankruatsteve]

2 hours ago, FarangRimPing said:

I assume any 5kw generator would be OK for welding, is my assumption correct?

Should be unless they have the old style behemoth that sucks all the amps out of the grid.  Be aware that maximum sustained output is no more than about 80% of rating.

[billd766]

3 hours ago, FarangRimPing said:

I looked at the Global Website and they have a gasoline-powered 5kw for about 15k. BUT, they have a diesel-powered 4.5kw for 37k, and it says it's for welding. I assume any 5kw generator would be OK for welding, is my assumption correct?

TBH I really have no idea. At age 77, welding is a skill I have yet to acquire.

[Yellowtail]

3 hours ago, FarangRimPing said:

I looked at the Global Website and they have a gasoline-powered 5kw for about 15k. BUT, they have a diesel-powered 4.5kw for 37k, and it says it's for welding. I assume any 5kw generator would be OK for welding, is my assumption correct?

I may be diesel powered welder with auxiliary power. 

 

Why not post a picture or link? 

 

Anything with enough power will run a stick-welder. I would think 2500-3000 is fine for a typical stick-welder here.

[FarangRimPing]

19 hours ago, Yellowtail said:

I may be diesel powered welder with auxiliary power. 

 

Why not post a picture or link? 

 

Anything with enough power will run a stick-welder. I would think 2500-3000 is fine for a typical stick-welder here.

https://www.globalhouse.co.th/product/detail/2422006400437

 

We were at Global and spoke with several salespersons. (They were in a group, socializing.) Not particularly helpful, but one of them said that it was a welding generator because it had the function of a welder too, so you don't need a welding machine.

[Yellowtail]

5 hours ago, FarangRimPing said:

https://www.globalhouse.co.th/product/detail/2422006400437

 

We were at Global and spoke with several salespersons. (They were in a group, socializing.) Not particularly helpful, but one of them said that it was a welding generator because it had the function of a welder too, so you don't need a welding machine.

That makes sense. 

 

That's a good price