75ZT Community

Just bought a 2.8KVA generator at Lidl £149 unbelievable value.
I live in a place where regular power cuts are the norm. This will give us fridges, freezer, lights, TV and heating pump. No more candles

Beware of sensitive electronics with a genny like that. There's nothing in principal wrong with them but I had some stuff blown up at a nano by a cheap 800W one.

The problem is to do with the regulation. If you have a heavy load switched on, and unplug it or it switches off (thermostat for example) then they can produce quite a voltage spike. In my case, it took out a flourescent lead lamp (blew up a resistor inside) and an 'earth good' indicator on the extensions lead (blew a zener and a capacitor).

A surge protected lead might help, I don't know. Either that, or avoid heavy loads switching on and off while sensitive stuff is also still plugged in.

Oh, and I suspect that conventional but expensive ones, aren't a fat lot better in this regard. Only the inverter ones (sometimes known as true sine) are really any good in this situation. Even car alternators do the same, known as load dump. Car electronics have to be designed to withstand it, though sometimes you can get the alternator itself to give some protection.

Dave Goody wrote:Just bought a 2.8KVA generator at Lidl £149 unbelievable value.
I live in a place where regular power cuts are the norm. This will give us fridges, freezer, lights, TV and heating pump. No more candles

I find quite a few bargains in Aldi (run by the brother of the Lidl guy). It’s the one time I don’t mind all that ‘orrible shopping in my R75 boot. In there once in the checkout queue behind a wom…sorry, lady, in a very expensive camel coat sporting a fur collar (didn’t ask her if it was real fur - don’t like a fuss) and vulgar diamond earrings got her cell phone out to answer it in her best very-far-back voice:

“Hello darling, please don’t call me when I’m in Waitrose, you know it’s infra dig".

Having used a cheap borrowed generator before I'm not too worried about spiking but may take your advice and put a spike protector in the line.
I wont run my computer on it but will run lights, TV, Heating pump, fridges and freezers. I have been a bit naughty in the past with a borrowed generator, just switch off mains to stop me electrocuting any repair men on the line, switch off all the fridges/freezers, then plug the generator into the ring main in my garage followed by gradually switching the heavier appliances on. I now think I will have a proper switching system installed. The generator may be cheap but has overload protection, and low oil cut out, voltmeter, Wheels/towing handle etc. All for the price of a weeks shopping. Dave

So long as you understand about spiking, that's good. Just some people wouldn't have known. Both Lidl and Aldi have some bargains, I buy loads of tools from them. The odd bit is rubbish, but mostly very worthwhile.

Regarding the brothers thing, that's a slight urban myth. Both the 'Aldi' brothers (Albrecht Discount) run the two parts of Aldi, North and South. Our one in the UK is Aldi Sud, rathern than Aldi Markt the northern one.