Blog posts tagged with 'New Generators'

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!

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. 

If you don’t want to suffer from power outages in your home or business, the time to buy a standby generator is now. There is no doubt that climate change seems to be causing more storms, and in turn that can lead to power lines going down and not being repaired quickly. Recent storms in the Northwest and Scotland left some people without power for two weeks!

Furthermore, with the war in Ukraine, and countries trying to avoid buying Russian gas, that can only make the situation worse. No, we do not use a lot of Russian gas directly here in the UK. Depending upon whose figures you believe, it is either 4% or 8% of our total energy imports. However, other countries in Europe are turning away from Russian gas, and that means that the electricity we buy from those countries will be less available. So, the war will still affect us in that way.

Generators are available in a range of different sizes, and the one that you need will depend upon a few factors. You need an electrician to calculate the amount of power that you require. Then you can buy the appropriate size of generator. Obviously, the more power that you need, the bigger generator that you will require, and therefore the more expensive it will be. 

Used Generators

However, you don’t have to buy a new generator. You can find used generators for sale in the UK. This is just the same as buying a second-hand car. You only have to watch the TV ads to see that there are several companies supplying second-hand cars up and down the country, and of course they cost a lot less than a new one.

Here at Blades Power Generation, we always have used generators for sale in the UK. Many businesses who need a generator will purchase a new one from us and then simply trade in their old one. So, we always have a range of different sized used generators from which you can choose.

You will also need a changeover switch, and whether you choose a manual changeover switch or an automatic one is a matter of personal choice. A manual changeover switch will cost less than an automatic one, but it does have the disadvantage that you have to be on the premises when the power goes down. With an automatic changeover switch, the generator will kick in immediately the power goes down, and you will only be without it for a matter of seconds. 

It’s a fact that today we rely more on electricity than we have ever done before, and not only that, but we are going to be relying on it even more in the future as the world moves towards electric vehicles.

At the same time, it seems that climate change is also having an effect, with more violent storms in Scotland and the North-West having brought power outages recently - in some cases for two weeks!

So, it is important to keep the lights on. It is vital if you run a business which relies on electricity to power plant and keep machinery running. You cannot afford to have your factory come to a grinding halt because of power outages. OK, if you are watching TV at home and the power goes down, that can be annoying, but it is not like interrupting workflow. Even so, more people are looking to buy a new generator in the UK for their homes today.

If you are considering that you might buy a new generator in the UK, then you need to talk to us at Blades Power Generation: it is what we do. We have generators of all sizes, from those for small usage in the home to much larger models that can keep the power running in your factory and prevent the productivity losses that would otherwise occur.

You Need A Changeover Switch

If you have never installed generator before, you will need a changeover switch. This is a legal requirement as it prevents the mains power coming into contact with the generator when the mains come back on, and it also avoids the generator back feeding the mains, which would put the lives of electricity workers in danger.

There are two types of changeover switch – either a manual or automatic changeover switch. If you have a manual switch, it means that you have to switch from mains to generator – and back again – manually. In turn, this means that somebody has to be on the premises in order to do it.

An automatic changeover switch, as you might guess, does it automatically, which means that you will only be without power for a few seconds while the generator fires up. 

In today’s world we are almost totally dependent upon electricity – far more so than even 50 years ago. Back in the day, we didn’t have computers, but today it is almost impossible to run a business without one. Even a local convenience store which deals largely with cash may not need a laptop for the actual serving of customers, but you can bet that the owner has one for ordering stock and supplies, keeping track of stock levels, and so on. Electricity is also necessary to keep the fridges running. So, electricity is vital.

However, with the increase in the use of electricity comes the possibility of more power outages. This is increased further by climate change which seems to be bringing us more frequent and very heavy storms, which in turn can bring down power lines. So, if you run any sort of business, it makes sense to invest in a standby generator in order that you can keep going when the power doesn’t.

Used Generators

But you don’t have to invest in a brand new one if you only run a small business or need one for your home. You can buy used generators in the UK for considerably less than a new one. In fact, when you buy used generators in the UK it is just like buying a used car. Sure, if you can afford the very latest swanky Mercedes Benz or a Roller, then you might want to buy one. But a second-hand Nissan Juke will get you around just as well.

You can buy used generators in the UK for under £500 at Blades Power Generation. Of course, you then have to add in the cost of installation as well. And you will need a transfer switch. This is a legal requirement because it stops the mains power coming into contact with the generator, which would almost certainly burn out if this happened. It also stops the generator from back feeding the mains when it has failed, endangering the lives of electricity utility workers.

You can buy an automatic transfer switch (ATS) or a manual transfer switch. An automatic transfer switch does what it says on the tin, so when the power goes down it will fire up the generator and you will have power back on within seconds. However, a manual transfer switch costs a lot less than an ATS. It does mean, of course that you have to fire up the generator and then switch over. This is OK if someone is on the premises but could prove difficult if you need to keep the power running even though you are not there. You need to consider your options. 

The likelihood of power shortages and outages in the UK has increased considerably since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Only a few days ago, MPs were warned that oil and gas could be rationed because of the crazy increase in prices. Experts have stated that household energy bills could increase to £3,000 a year – that is £60 a week!

The US, UK and EU have unveiled a growing list of sanctions, including on the import of Russian oil and gas. While only 3-4% of UK gas comes from Russia, plus 8% of our oil, Russia provides 40% of the EU’s gas and 25% of its’ oil, which means that energy price increases on the continent will have a major knock-on effect elsewhere. 

At a Treasury select committee in parliament on Monday March 14th, Dr Amrita Sen, director of research at Energy Aspects, told MPs that the rationing of diesel and gas could be on the horizon as a result of supply issues and growing instability in energy markets. That can have a serious effect on electricity supplies.

What’s The Answer?

So, what is the answer? What can you do to keep the lights on and the wheels turning if the power goes down?

Fortunately, there is an answer, and it is one which quite a lot of businesses have been investing in recently. Many businesses simply cannot operate without electricity, and for place such as hospitals it is vital that they keep the power going. So, the answer is a standby generator.

If you have a standby generator in your home or at your business premises and you team it with an automatic transfer switch, when the power goes down you will only be without electricity for a matter of seconds.

Now, a new standby generator can cost quite a bit of money, depending upon the amount of power that you need to produce. However, you don’t have to buy a new generator because you can also find used generators for sale in the UK.

Indeed, at Blades Power Generation, we always have a selection of used generators for sale in the UK because as businesses expand, they find that they need a generator with more capacity than the one that they currently have. So, they come to us for a bigger generator and then trade in the existing one. We are happy to do that because it is a profitable deal for us, and it also means that you can get a generator for your home or business for a lot less than buying a new one.