THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO PETROL GENERATORS for mobile businesses
Petrol and diesel generators can be an invaluable tool for many businesses who require mains power where it may not be available. An example of these are building sites which have not yet been hooked up to the main electrical grid or working in remote areas without a plug socket handy.
in this guide i will mainly touch on semi commercial uses such as at home and remote workers who need power too far from a mains outlet; e.g road workers, mobile workers such as a mobile vehicle valeter who need electricity to power their pressure washers and vacuums.
Choosing the right generator for a mobile valeting business
If you are looking for a generator to power your equipment, chances are you may already have all of your valeting equipment ready to go. If that is the case, you will need to add up the wattages required to power them so you know your generator will be able to power all of your tools.
If not, then you need to have a rough idea of what valeting equipment you plan to buy to start your valeting business in order to work out your generator power. Here is our mobile car valeting equipment list.
So first before buying your petrol generator, roughly add up your equipment power requirements – some tools will probably surprise you with the amount of power your need.
For example; If you want to power a pressure washer with your petrol generator, the watts on the box aren’t the same as that which is required for your generator to startup the washer.
Cutting to the chase: Our top generators for mobile car valeting
Always check your power requirements first before buying your generator. Read below if you are unsure.
Mobile valeting generator tips
There are other general conditions to think about when buying a generator for mobile car valeting.
For example, if you choose to power a 1200watt pressure washer you may think that you just need a generator which can reach 1200watts right? Unfortunately this is not correct.
Pressure washers use an induction motor to power them. Induction motors require roughly 3 times the wattage when they start up due to the power surge. so a 1200 watt pressure washer would need a generator capable of powering an appliance upto 3.6kW.
You may be able to get away with a smaller generator which may struggle with the initial surge in power but then be fine so feel like you have “got away with it”, but this can decrease the lifespan of your tools which would end up costing you more down the line.
Does your petrol generator for car valeting need to be PORTABLE?
Do you want to be able to take the generator out to be able to reach your place of work? Maybe you have a hard to access area where pulling your van up close to the vehicle just wouldn’t work.
In this case you can get portable generators with wheels on. They can come in very handy and arent much more expensive than a regular generator with the same specs and power output. An example of this is below:
One problem with generators on wheels is they they need to be properly lashed down to your van so they don’t roll around when driving.
Another thing to think about is that generators are very heavy. even the cheaper ones are heavy. So if you are planning on taking the generator in and out of your van then i think a set of ramps would be really useful. I’ll link an example below.
Make sure to EARTH your generator in your van
First, make sure that the generator is properly grounded. If it isn’t, the electrical current could flow through a number of conductible objects if faulty.
It is recommended to screw the earth in to an area of the body which connects to the chassis.
Does your generator require an extension and adaptor
If you require an extension, be sure to use a heavy-duty extension cord that can handle the high amperage required by the motor.
Most generators have a 110v outlet for work on building sites which which has a 2-pin connector vs our standard domestic 3-pin plug.
The tools you will be powering only require the standard 240v 3-pin connector. So if you find yourself with the 110v type, you will need an adaptor which you can find here:
General generators for your home & garden
We take for granted the fact that we can walk into our homes and simply flick a switch and turn on the electricity. But, what happens when you are not close to an electrical outlet or what would happen if the electricity that you already access no longer works? This is when you are going to need a generator.
You can use a generator for electricity in the shed or garden. Maybe you want to get out in the great wide world for camping?
Most electrical generators can handle these kind of appliances due to the domestic voltage of 240v.
What types of Generators are there?
There are a variety of generators out there that you can choose from and the main choice is between petrol and diesel generators.
Whilst this makes the decision somewhat easier, there are still lots of different things to think about when it comes to choosing a generator that is going to be the right fit for your needs.
What do you need to power with your generator?
The first place to start is by thinking about what it actually is that you want from your generator.
This is important because you will need to find the right generator to power your electrical item. Not all wattages are created equal.
Understanding watts and power requirements
An important thing to consider is what it is that you want to power and whether or not you will be powering them all at the same time or at different times.
You need to consider both the starting watts for the items that you want to power and how much power that they take to run too. That way, you will be able to ascertain how much power you are going to need.
As well as considering the power output of your generator, you also need to think about the outlets that your generator has too. The more outlets (and the right type of outlets) that you have then, the more use that you can get out of your generator.
How long will the generator run for before needing refilling?
You also need to think about the run time of your generator too. This is because the longer that your generator will run, the less you will need to refill it.
It is a good idea to aim for a generator with a 10-hour run-time at half-load as this will help you get enough power to get you through the night.
Is it portable?
You can choose between a portable generator or one that you cannot move and has to be set in place. You may want to consider a portable generator if you want to be able to move your generator around and place it exactly where you want it to be.
That said, you must keep in mind that even generators that are made to be portable can still be incredibly heavy to move and will require wheels to ensure that you can put it into the right position with ease.
The pros and cons of diesel generators
It may seem like choosing between a petrol and a diesel generator may be a simple decision because they are much the same in the way they work. However, there are differences between picking a petrol generator and a diesel generator.
Diesel generators are efficient in their fuel use, which can mean that they can last longer after being filled up. Not only this, but diesel engines are put under less stress than their petrol counterparts, which means that diesel generators are much more likely to last, and if you don’t use the generator for some time, then you can still expect it to kick into action with ease.
Another reason that some people may choose a diesel generator over a petrol one is that they can handle much heavier loads. They are ideal for those who are trying to power lots of things at once, or what they are powering is going to need a lot of electricity to get it going.
Whilst there are lots of great things about diesel generators, they are known to release more gases into the environment than petrol generators, which is not ideal if you are worried about your own carbon footprint.
It is also worth noting that although they don’t very often go wrong, diesel generators are expensive to fix any issues that can come up with them, which means that you could end up spending out more money than you want to in order to get it working again.
The pros and cons of petrol generators
Petrol, to buy, is cheaper than diesel, which is one reason why some people may decide to choose a petrol generator over a diesel one. However, this is not the only reason why people prefer these over the alternative.
A range of choice of models is another reason why other people choose petrol generators over diesel generators. These come in different sizes and styles as well as budgets, which means that no matter what you are looking for or how much you are willing to spend, you are going to find the right choice for you.
With the variety of petrol generators out there, there are more and more designs being created. These include generators that are designed to be more economical in their function and act more like diesel generators in their efficiency and use of fuel.
When it comes to drawbacks, petrol is a more volatile fuel than diesel, which means that if safety is one of your primary concerns, then you are going to want to consider diesel over petrol. Although, it is worth saying that petrol generators are often designed with a host of safety features and measures within them to ensure that everyone in the area is safe.
One final drawback to petrol generators is that they reach higher temperatures when they are in use, which means that they are much more likely to have more wear and tear over time.
This means that petrol generators can need replacing more often and have a much shorter life span. Not ideal if you want to invest into something that is going to stand the test of time.
Anything else that I need to know about petrol or diesel generators?
No matter whether you choose a petrol or a diesel generator, you may have a few questions that need answering before you take the plunge and buy one.
Many people ask if they are loud when they are running. The answer to this is yes; they can be. There are different models that you can choose which are designed to offer up quieter running, but due to the fact that you are running a motor, it makes sense that things are going to be loud.
The best thing that you can do is locate your generator as far away from anywhere that people spend time as you can. Of course, this is not always possible, which means that you may need to consider what times of day that your generator is running.
Another question that often comes up when it comes to generators is just how long you can expect the fuel in the generator to last. It does depend on what you are powering and how long you are powering it for. However, you should expect your tank of fuel to last somewhere between six and twelve. That said, you can sometimes find generators that will list as many as eighteen hours.
In order to ensure that your fuel lasts as long as possible, you should make sure that you service it as often as you can and ensure that the carbon deposits are removed frequently, as this helps the motor to run as easily as possible.
It is also a good idea to avoid overloading your generator, as when you overload it, then it can start to run slower.
As you can see, there is plenty to think about when it comes to generators. However, if you take the time to think about what it is what you need and also how much you are going to be able to invest in your generator, then you will soon see the benefit of taking the time to think about which generator is right for you.