Eskom guidance on generators published

I wish there was a legal noise limit for generators, the one next door is 70db when I measure with my cellphone outside. Madness, its like torture
 
reactor_sa said:
I wish there was a legal noise limit for generators, the one next door is 70db when I measure with my cellphone outside. Madness, its like torture
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Well get use to it. This is the South Africa we live in now.

By laws or not. Can you guarantee your neighbors safety when the lights are out. Its gonna a be long struggle if you complain to get someone to switch of their generator just for you.

And just a side note. 60db for a normal conversation.
 
I switched mine off at 9pm tonight - it got a bit noisy while heating up the geyser but had to be done.
 
bwana said:
I switched mine off at 9pm tonight - it got a bit noisy while heating up the geyser but had to be done.
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What size is your genny that you can heat the geyser? I have tried with my 5.5Kva but it almost chokes it's-self. Microwave and stuff is fine. Even heaters in 2 rooms. And all along with the entire house being powered. But the geyser is a no no.

My next genny will be one that can heat the geyser. Will be handy to know what you are running. And if running anything else while heating the geyser.
Thankfully our geyser is solar, so only need electricity if no sun for the day, or the girls have drained it with their evening bath. But still, would like to have the option of heating it with the genny when I need to.
 
How is the generator connected to the load? Volt drop on long cable feeds is one of the more common issues with the typical installation being done at the moment.
It is one thing being able to supply a couple of simple devices and another to now also want to cater for things like geysers.

The ESKOM document is quite good at dealing with how to size a generator for what you want to provide with power, but is not very explicit in dealing with the installation issues as they are expecting home owners to get an electrician to do the more complex installations.

My neighbour has a generator installed at the bottom of his garden, with a long "heavy duty cabtyre cable"
feeding his home. No doubt because he objects to the noise the damn thing makes.....
What hê does is throw the change over switch, which is supposed to then automatically start the genie, without bothering about the load connected. The stooped thing then does not start, so he then stands there trying to get it to start. Sometimes he get he message just in time for power come back anyway ........
 
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daniellgr said:
How is the generator connected to the load? Volt drop on long cable feeds is one of the more common issues with the typical installation being done at the moment.
It is one thing being able to supply a couple of simple devices and another to now also want to cater for things like geysers.

The ESKOM document is quite good at dealing with how to size a generator for what you want to provide with power, but is not very explicit in dealing with the installation issues as they are expecting home owners to get an electrician to do the more complex installations.

My neighbour has a generator installed at the bottom of his garden, with a long "heavy duty cabtyre cable"
feeding his home. No doubt because he objects to the noise the damn thing makes.....
What hê does is throw the change over switch, which is supposed to then automatically start the genie, without bothering about the load connected. The stooped thing then does not start, so he then stands there trying to get it to start. Sometimes he get he message just in time for power come back anyway ........
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Bit of a dimwit this neighbour of yours :)

I have a changeover switch, but my procedure is...
1. Start genny and allow it to warm up a bit.
2. Turn off geyser at db board and make sure no heaters are on.
3. Throw the changeover switch.

Reverse process when power comes back on.
 
daniellgr said:
...
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Ja a decent chunk of people should not be doing anything electricity related beyond changing batteries on their TV remote.

Mike Smit said:
What size is your genny that you can heat the geyser?
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One of the mybb regulars picked up a moerse genie for peanuts before this sht started...don't recall if it was bwana or not though.
 
spyketdog said:
Well get use to it. This is the South Africa we live in now.

By laws or not. Can you guarantee your neighbors safety when the lights are out. Its gonna a be long struggle if you complain to get someone to switch of their generator just for you.

And just a side note. 60db for a normal conversation.
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A know a few things about sound levels, 70db is twice as loud as 60db as the decibel scale is logarithmic. What's your point re 60db being a normal conversation?

Personally I think they are at a bigger risk with a loud generator running, no ways they will hear a break-in or anyone else will hear their cries for help....
 
Actually every 3dB is double / half depending if you are going bigger or smaller.
 
HavocXphere said:
One of the mybb regulars picked up a moerse genie for peanuts before this sht started...don't recall if it was bwana or not though.
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Perhaps it is me you're thinking of?

http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthr...ousing-DIY?p=15030448&viewfull=1#post15030448

http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthr...ity-expert?p=14137727&viewfull=1#post14137727

Yes it runs the geyser. And the stove. And the lights. And everything else. All at the same time. And it barely breaks a sweat.

As a three phase unit it was 18Kva, but the windings are configured for single phase so that drops the max continuous output to about 14 Kva. Diesel usage is +/- 1 litre per hour.
 
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Mike Smit said:
What size is your genny that you can heat the geyser? I have tried with my 5.5Kva but it almost chokes it's-self. Microwave and stuff is fine. Even heaters in 2 rooms. And all along with the entire house being powered. But the geyser is a no no.

My next genny will be one that can heat the geyser. Will be handy to know what you are running. And if running anything else while heating the geyser.
Thankfully our geyser is solar, so only need electricity if no sun for the day, or the girls have drained it with their evening bath. But still, would like to have the option of heating it with the genny when I need to.
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My generator is also a 5.5 but the difference may be the geyser element. Mines a 4kw. It struggled but after 20 hours without power at that stage we didn't have much of a choice.
 
JohnHay said:
Actually every 3dB is double / half depending if you are going bigger or smaller.
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No, 3db increase requires double the power from the amplifier. Double the power increases the volume 3db.
10db is what is generally accepted as what the ear perceives as twice as loud.
 
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