Tips you Need to know before buying Power generator for Campers

Power generator for campers:

The generator for campers represents a point of reference for many campers, for camping lovers, and in general for all those who love trips out of town.

The needs for those who decide to buy a power generator are the most disparate: from powering the lights for lighting the camper and the outdoor area, to powering an air conditioner to cool the environment, to supplying electricity being able to watch television in the evening. On the other hand, there is always this continuous search for greater comfort in every situation and even during your holidays having a small easily transportable inverter generator available is an element that many of us do not intend to give up.

VOLTAGE:

A very important element to take into consideration before purchasing is the voltage of the current generator, that is to say the type of supply, therefore we will find single-phase or three-phase generators on the market.

Three-phase and single-phase generator:

Single-phase power generators are mainly used in the home by supplying a maximum of 230V, which is precisely the energy that is supplied in the normal home network. It is therefore clear that with these generators we will be able to connect all those electrical appliances that are usually connected to the wall socket of the house such as light bulbs, refrigerators, hairdryers, radios, etc., and in any case respecting the load limits of the generator.

On the other hand, three-phase power generators deliver up to 380V by connecting them directly to the industrial power socket. Therefore the three-phase generator is used to power more powerful machinery (such as construction site concrete mixers, pillar drills, etc.) which usually have absorption of around 6 kW.

If the need is to use the electric generator for both domestic and industrial current, there are current generators capable of delivering both 230V and 380V. In fact, on the market, we find generators on which there are two electrical sockets: one in blue that supplies 230V (single-phase) energy and the other in red that provides 380V (three-phase).

POWER:

Before being able to make the correct assessments about the type of generator to buy according to the power needed, it is necessary to have a clear idea of ​​what we mean when we hear about nominal power and peak power. If the peak power is the maximum power that the generator can reach, usually for short times, the nominal power is the power delivered during normal and continuous use and it is precisely the latter the data we need to understand which model we need.

Power supplied by a current generator: which one to choose?

The best criterion is to identify, first of all, which instruments we need to power with the generator. Precisely on the basis of the household appliances and electrical appliances that we want to operate, it is possible to determine which type of current generator is right for us and, therefore, whether to opt for simple inverter generators or more structured generators.

Without wasting time on the meaning of the inrush coefficient, we must identify the electrical needs of the various appliances we intend to connect and the electrical power that characterizes the current generator we are evaluating the purchase. In this regard, it is advisable to know the difference between kW and kVA to establish in greater detail the field of application of the generator (pay attention: some dealers report, in the product sheet, power values ​​expressed in Kilowatts, others in Kilovolt Ampere) .

The nominal power expressed in KVA represents the maximum power that the generating set can deliver at the reference environmental conditions and corresponds to the apparent power developed by the generating set and has no particular meaning for the user. To know the active power of a generator, that is to say the actual usable power of our current generator, we must multiply the value in kVA by 0.8.

This variable cosφ represents the power factor, which depends on the load connected to the generator: the more the load is of the resistive type, the more its value tends to 1, but in the case of the alternator of a generator, it is around 0.8.

At this point, choosing the generator is simple! Add up all the values ​​relating to the electrical power of the appliances you intend to power and you will get a result that can be approximately 70% of the active power of the generating set you need. Let’s take an example to clarify further: if the amount you found is about 5,000W, then you can consider a generator with a power of not less than 9kVA, or 7.2kW.

Ultimately, in the selection phase, it is important that the power of the generator is strictly correlated to the instruments that the generator will have to power, and to obtain the maximum benefits with the lowest cost each current generator must be chosen in relation to the use to which it will be intended. Opting for a model with too low power would end up making the generator work constantly under load, causing damage to the engine, with the risk of not being able to power the various devices. On the other hand, even choosing one with a much higher power than necessary would mean taking on greater and unnecessary consumption of both fuel and lubricating oil. On the market, there are portable power generators ranging from 1 to 3 kW perfect for domestic use and then there are also models over 10 kW of power intended for industrial use (construction sites, outdoor events such as music concerts, etc.).

When choosing the power, it should also be remembered that a current generator undergoes a 9% decrease in power every 1000 meters of altitude and that to operate electronic equipment (computers, televisions and all equipment equipped with an electronic card) it is necessary to purchase current generator equipped with an “inverter” (which stabilizes the supplied current).

3kW generator set – 3 kW current generator:

The 3kW generator is the portable version suitable for infrequent use and being able to connect various electrical devices for domestic use. Generally compact in size and easy to use, they are part of the line of best-selling power generators in Italy. Most equipped with the new inverter technology, they are a model that is well suited to connect home appliances and to take with you on outings on camping trips.