Blog

Whether you are running a business or a home, power is something that we all depend on. Even a few minutes without power can cause immense problems in some situations. New generators for sale in the UK are a good choice if you would rather avoid power outages. However, before you buy, there are certain things you need to consider about a generator.

The Key Factors to Consider Before Purchasing a Generator

1. Load BankTesting: A load bank unit is designed to accurately replicate the operating load your generator will reach during operation. A large boiler matches the generator's output and ensures that the generator does not wear out to the point where one day, it is no longer able to supply power to the building and is consequently shut down.

2. Age, operating hours, and usage: The first thing to check is the generator's operating hours, age, and history. You need to check how many hours the generator has been in use and how much fuel it consumes. Usually, generators are like cars and have an odometer. A generator used as a standby or backup power source is usually better maintained and has much less wear and tear than a generator used as a primary power source. Only those with technical expertise know the full features and specifications of generators. Therefore, you should seek advice from a professional before buying new generators for sale in the UK.

3. Fuel tank capacity and litres per operating hour: You want a generator that is economical in consumption but also one that holds a reasonable amount of fuel. Some generators adjust their engine speed (RPM) to the load demand to increase fuel efficiency. Both fuel efficiency and fuel tank size affect running time. You'll find the generator's running time under the respective unit's technical data.

4. The manufacturer's reputation: If you want to buy a new generator, you should find out about the manufacturer's history and reputation. Manufacturers with poor reviews or low reputations should be avoided. It's better to invest and be assured that you have chosen a trustworthy manufacturer with a good reputation for producing reliable equipment.

5. Visual inspection: If not you, trained personnel should inspect all mechanical components of a generator for wear or fatigue, including whether any parts are cracked or corroded corrosion build-up. Any parts found to be questionable should always be replaced. The bearings and bushings should also be returned as they are challenging to test for wear and tear – so it's best to replace them regardless of their function or condition.

Now that you know what factors you must consider before investing in a new generator, visit Blades Power Generation to receive relentless generator service; we have the best emergency power source in the UK. With our vast range of products, you will never run out of power, literally!

The manual transfer switch simply connects the home circuit to the generator. In the event of a power outage, the operator should turn on the backup power supply so that the backup power supply turns on all loads connected to the circuit. This switch can be easily used indoors and outdoors. You can manually connect the number of circuits based on the generator power. 

A Lifesaver in Disguise

Manual transfer switching (MTS) is a lifesaver when you need a safe and very fast power supply. Therefore, choosing the right size manual toggle switch can be difficult, especially when the supply capacity required for the building is unknown.

Selecting a manual transfer switch mainly depends on various parameters, such as an amplifier, circuit, and power supply. Take a look: 

Amp

The use of this switch mainly depends on the size of the generator and the properties you have, so a small or large manual transfer switch is used. Larger switches draw more amperes, and smaller switches draw fewer amperes. 

For example, a large company with large stores with multiple systems will need a larger manual transfer switch due to the use of larger generators.

Circuit

Some business owners may choose to power more circuits than their competitors during a power outage. Regardless of the cause or duration of the power outage, there is a need to power a variety of systems critical to daily operations. So manual switches handle a lot of dedicated switching.

Wattage

The wattage required for a generator to operate safely depends primarily on the electrical capacity of the building and the number of circuits it runs. If you need to control more circuits, you need maximum wattage

Watt meter

Many manual switchers have built-in power meters that track what is being powered. Without a power meter, the system can be overloaded and damage your device or generator.

Things to Remember

Do not connect the generator directly to a household outlet. It is called back feeding. It may cause an electric shock or a house fire. Proper installation of these switches can therefore eliminate these risks. 

Take away 

Several options are available for automatic changeover switches, but using manual switches has many advantages. They ensure better security, easier powering of wired devices such as air conditioners, and connectivity across service panels. 

Visit Blades Power Generation for a variety of manual transfer switches and build your understanding of the product based on your needs and budget.

It was William Shakespeare who wrote the words “Now is our winter of discontent” in his ‘Richard III’. However, in this instance he was referring to times being good, because those words were followed by “Made glorious summer by this sun of York”. It was a reference to the accession to the throne of Edward of the House of York. So, things were much better.

Unfortunately, in the UK at the moment, it seems we are only at the beginning of our winter of discontent, with all the strikes that are going on, the price of electricity, and the likelihood that we might not even have any. Heck, they’ve been without electricity on Shetland for four days now as I write this.

However, some of the residents of Shetland will be fine and have no issues. Why? Because they have their own power generator, so when the lights go out, they can keep theirs on. This is why so many people are beginning to sit up and take notice and are making enquiries about buying their own generator.

We have always taken electricity for granted for the last 100+ years, but it seems that that is no longer the case. And we don’t want to be sitting in a dark house freezing to death just because there is no power.

If you are one of those people thinking of doing something about it, why not consider the fact that you can buy used generators in the UK? Yes, at Blades Power Generation you can do exactly that: buy used generators in the UK. We have always got used generators for sale because people trade them in when they buy a new one. It’s exactly the same as buying a used car, which is what many people also do.

Why do some people buy a new generator? Well, many businesses that use them will expand, and when they do that, they may need a bigger generator to cope with their needs. That means that there is a second-hand market in generators. OK, they may have a few scratches or a dent in the bodywork, but so what? They still work!

If you do buy a used generator, you will need a changeover switch. The cheapest sort is a manual changeover switch as opposed to automatic. If you use a manual changeover switch you will need to fire up the generator yourself before you can switch over to it, but it is a lot less expensive than an automatic switch.

Do you remember the summer, when the days were non-stop sunshine, and it didn’t rain? It suddenly seems like a very distant memory, doesn’t it? Here we are, in the depths of winter, although as yet it hasn’t got really cold in some parts of the country. However, in the last few days, some places in Scotland have been around minus 15C. That’s no fun whatsoever if it happens that you also have a power cut.

Unfortunately, the possibility of power cuts is also on the cards. What with the shortage of gas and the horrendous increase in the cost of electricity, those bills are going to get ever bigger. If you think that is only temporary and the price may come down, think of this: when was the last time you saw prices of anything going down? Never mind electricity. Once they go up, they stay up.

This is why more and more people are thinking of investing in their own generator as the best emergency power source in the UK. And not just as an emergency power source, but as an alternative. Let’s face it: it is going to be a lot cheaper to run your own generator rather than pay inflated electricity bills. So rather than using a generator as the best emergency power source in the UK, a lot of people are considering saying goodbye to those bills by using one all the time. And why not?

Similar To Using Your Own Car

It is similar to having your own transport. Rather than using the trains (if you are lucky enough to find one running!), it is cheaper and far more convenient to drive your own car. And once you have your own car, you don’t need trains or buses. Goodbye, Mr Lynch.

If you invest in a generator, you will need a transfer switch. You have a choice of a manual or automatic transfer switch, but although a bit more expensive, an automatic switch is the way to go. If you have a manual one, you have to go out into the garden and fire up the generator yourself (no fun if it’s pouring with rain) before you can manually switch over to the generator from the mains.

An automatic transfer switch does it all for you. Fires up the generator as soon as the power goes down, and then when it’s up and running switches over to it. The lights will be back on in seconds – and you won’t spoil your dinner cooking in the oven. 

Open any newspaper over the last few weeks and you will have seen dark threats about the possibility of power outage in the coming winter. What with the war in Ukraine and other factors, undersea gas pipes being cut by – well, your guess is as good as anyone’s.

But it all adds up to the fact that if we have a cold winter – and most winters get cold, and we need to turn the heating on – there could well be a shortage of electricity resulting in power cuts. 

What’s the perfect answer? Generate your own electricity! If you do that, you won’t have to worry when the power goes down because you will still have all the electricity that you need for your home. Your lights will stay on, you will be able to cook, and you can have as much heat as you wish. Oh - and you will be able to power up your laptop and mobile which are essential pieces of technology today. Where would we be without them?

Obviously, you will need to install a generator in your home, but it is by no means as costly as you might think. At Blades Power Generation, we have used generators for sale in the UK.

You might ask why you should find used generators for sale in the UK. Why wouldn’t you buy a new one? 

The Same As Buying A Used Car

The answer is very simple. It is exactly the same as buying a used car in the UK, which many, many people do. It saves a lot of money! OK, you don’t have the latest swanky, luxury leather seats and so on when you buy a used car, but when it comes to a generator, you are going to put it outside in the garden where you may hardly ever see it. For many families it makes total sense.

You will need a transfer switch so that you can switch to the generator when the power goes down, and you have the choice of an automatic transfer switch or a manual one. An automatic transfer switch does cost more than a manual one, but it has one great benefit. When the power goes out, your generator will fire up automatically and the lights will come back on in seconds, your TV will be on, and your dinner will be cooking in the oven. It makes sense, doesn’t it? 

If you are thinking that you should buy a new generator in the UK for your home, you are by no means alone. With the current situation, shortages of gas and everything else going on at present, the last thing that you need is to be sitting at home in the dark with no TV, no heat, no cooker, and the food in your freezer melting so that you have to throw it all out. Not only that, but your Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio in the fridge will warm up as well! It doesn’t bear thinking about.

Many people are looking to buy a new generator in the UK for all these reasons. There are several considerations if you are among this group, one of the most important of which is the amount of power that you need to produce. This will depend partly on the size of your home and also what you use electricity for. So, if you have a gas boiler, or an AGA, for heating, you won’t need as much power as if you have electric heating. It can be a little complicated to calculate the amount that you need, so the best bet is to call in an electrical expert who will be able to do the calculations for you.

You Need One With The Right Power Output

No matter how much power you need to generate, at Blades Power Generation we have generators of all sizes and output. While you want a generator that will cover you for all your needs, there is no point in buying one that produces more power than you require. You need one with the right output, with a little extra just to be safe. 

You will also need a changeover switch. This is used to transfer from the mains to the generator when there is a power outage. There are two types of switch - a manual one or an automatic one. 

If you have a manual changeover switch, as the name implies, when the power goes down you have to manually use the lever switch to change to the generator once you have fired the generator up. An automatic one takes care of everything automatically, firing up the generator when the power dies and switching over to it as soon as it is up and running. 

A manual changeover switch is quite a lot less expensive than an automatic one, so if there is always someone on the premises it might be the best bet. If not, an automatic switch will keep everything running even when there is nobody at home. 

Life can be strange. We live in a world where we rely upon electricity for so many things. How would you charge your phone without it? Run your laptop? Cook meals? Drive a hybrid or electric car? Watch TV? Phone a friend? Keep the food fresh in your fridge or freezer? Have light in your home at night? You couldn’t do any of that, and more, without electricity.

And yet, what is strange is that we are at a point where for one reason and another, our electricity supplies are likely to go down at some point this winter, and maybe for days or weeks at a time. Yesterday, October 17^th, was the 35^th anniversary of the greatest storm we have ever seen in Britain which this writer remembers only too well, having been without electricity for 13 days as a result! And now, climate change seems to be bringing more severe storms to add to our woes of gas supplies being threatened by a certain Russian gentleman.

No wonder so many people are considering buying a generator to provide the necessary electricity when the mains go down. We have had a lot of enquiries recently for new generators for sale in the UK at Blades Power Generation.

Many Different Sizes

In fact, we have new generators for sale in the UK of many different sizes, since the size that you need is dependent upon the amount of power that you need to generate. So, you may only need a relatively small generator to run things in your home, but if you need to power a factory that is a different matter entirely. In fact, it is almost more important to power your business because otherwise it comes to a grinding halt.

You will also need to invest in a changeover switch to switch from mains to generator when the power goes down, and the reverse when it comes back on again, of course. You can use a manual changeover switch, but this has certain disadvantages, so an automatic changeover switch is far superior.

When you have a manual changeover switch you have to switch off the mains, go to the generator, fire it up, then switch to the generator. And of course, the same the other way around when the mains power comes back on. This can be difficult at the best of times, and impossible if you don’t happen to be on the premises. As you might guess, an automatic changeover switch does it all for you, so you will only be without power for seconds until the lights come back on.

Are we going to get through the winter in the UK without having power cuts?  What are the odds?

Well, if you listen to the government, everything is going to be hunky-dory. No power cuts. No worries.

But would you like to put your money on it? Say, £100?

Quite!

This is just one reason why so many people are considering investing in a standby generator to cover them if the worst really does happen. But there could be another one as well. It may well be cheaper to use a generator to produce your electricity than to use the mains.

You Are By No Means Alone

So, if you are considering investing in a generator for your home, you are by no means alone. The size of generator that you will need depends upon how much electricity you need to produce which, in turn, will depend upon the number, type, and size of the electrical products you use. The bigger the generator – not just in terms of sheer size but in the amount of electricity it can generate – the more it will cost.

However, you don’t necessarily have to buy a new generator, as at Blades Power Generation we have used generators for sale in the UK. And before you say: “uh oh, I don’t want a second-hand generator”, why ever not? If you are like most people, you will have bought a second-hand car in the past. You may even have one now. Buying a second-hand generator is just the same.

In fact, we always have a selection of used generators for sale in the UK. Many businesses use generators, and what happens is that they expand and take on extra work and produce more products. So, they need a bigger generator to produce more electricity, so they trade in the old one with us.

You will also need a transfer switch to transfer from mains to generator when the power goes down, and you can use a manual transfer switch or an automatic one. If you use a manual transfer switch you have to start the generator and then switch over to it when it is up and running. An automatic transfer switch – as the name implies – does it all for you. It is more expensive than a manual one, but the choice is yours.

What Would We Do Without Electricity?

The short answer is that we would be living like that ancient fellow in the Amazon jungle who was found dead a couple of weeks ago, and who had no contact with humans in the outside world. All he knew was hunting and fishing and being able to build himself a home by digging holes in the ground.

He didn’t have light, except for daylight. He didn’t have a laptop. He didn’t have a fridge or freezer. He didn’t have a TV. He didn’t have a shaver. He didn’t have hot water. The list of things that he didn’t have goes on. We have all of these things, (with the possible exception of the shaver if you are of a female persuasion!). What would we do without them all?

The answer is that we would be in the dark, both figuratively and literally. Yet, the way that climate change is going, and the race to get to green power without producing a carbon footprint means that in the not-too-distant future, power blackouts could become a regular feature of our lives.

That is no fun at all and is the reason why a lot of smart people are investing in a home generator which can produce power when the mains power goes down. Anyone who has the space for a generator can do this.

However, there are certain things to take into consideration, the size of the generator being one of them. It needs to produce enough power to run everything that you want to run.

A Transfer Switch

You also need a manual transfer switch or an automatic one. A manual transfer switch is much cheaper than automatic. What happens is that when the power goes down, you have to go and start your generator and then switch from mains power to generator using the manual changeover switch.

Why do you need a changeover switch? Because if you start the generator and the mains comes back on and the two are connected, you will burn out the generator. It can also work the other way. The generator can produce power which would go into the mains and very easily cause injuries to workers trying to restore the power.

So, the system is set up so that you cannot have mains and generator power at the same time. The way that works is that you use the manual changeover switch to switch from one to the other, either when the power goes down or when it is restored.

Good question. But a lot of people are thinking along those lines today because of climate change and the race to get to carbon neutral.

Just remember this. In 2030 there are going to be no new petrol or diesel driven cars in the UK. They have to be all electric after that. Sure, you can still use your “old” petrol or diesel vehicle or a hybrid.

But 2030 is only just over 7 years away! This means that, other things aside, there is going to be a huge surge in the demand for electricity in order to power the all-electric vehicles as well as the hybrids. Either that, or it’s back on your bike!

Owing to several political reasons, nowadays there is much less gas coming to produce electricity. So, it may be the right time to look for new generators for sale in the UK, such as the ones we supply at Blades Power Generation. This will keep you going when the power goes down.

If you search for new generators for sale in the UK, you need to ensure that you get one that is the right size for your home. They have different outputs, so you need one which will produce sufficient power for your needs.

You will also need a transfer switch because this is a legal requirement. There are two types – a manual switch or an automatic transfer switch. This is necessary so that you cannot have mains power and generator power at the same time because that can cause serious problems. If the generator is running and the mains comes back on, it can burn out your generator. Not good. Equally, the generator can push power back down the mains which can cause injury to workers.

If you have a manual transfer switch, it means that when the power goes down you have to start the generator and then switch over to it once it is up and running. That’s OK if you happen to be at home at the time.

However, an automatic transfer switch does it all for you. When the power goes down it sends a signal to the generator and starts it up. Once it’s running, it automatically switches over.

Equally, it works the other way around too, so when the mains power comes back on it will switch off the generator and transfer you back to the mains. So much easier than doing it manually.