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UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: stu_thomson on July 29, 2019, 09:37:35 pm

Title: Using a generator to power porty
Post by: stu_thomson on July 29, 2019, 09:37:35 pm

Calling all you electrical nerds out there, I recently tried  using my powerflight machine with a 5.5 KVA generator and it worked ok with pump both vacuums and heater going for about two minutes then stopped

Any ideas,..?

Stu

Title: Re: Using a generator to power porty
Post by: john martin on July 29, 2019, 10:50:43 pm

i didnt look into it too much , but theres something about 0.8 of the 1kva being properly usefull in a generator due to efficiency loss , so you need about a 7 or 8 kva at least to run the machine with the heater  ....id guess

Title: Re: Using a generator to power porty
Post by: Robin Ray on July 30, 2019, 08:23:20 am

John is right, here is the maths.
If a powerflight machine itself with pump and two motors running uses about 3 kw and a heater uses the same amount that means there is a constant 6 kw of electricity draw. If 1kva is equal to 0. 8kw that means --- 6kw (total draw) divided by 0.8 kw = 7.5 kw (of electricity draw on the generator).

Therefore the generator needs to be rated at at least 7.5kva (constant use) to supply just enough electricity. The problem is this is operating at the top level of consumption so it really needs to be rated at higher than that to be sustainable.

Title: Re: Using a generator to power porty
Post by: Ned Kelly on July 30, 2019, 09:19:00 pm

I have been toying with the idea of using a generator also guys ( getting tired of tripping over three cords). Any ideas how big I'd have to go to power a 400psi Airflex pro with the booster pod?

Title: Re: Using a generator to power porty
Post by: john martin on July 30, 2019, 09:49:34 pm

depending on the motors used in the pro ...    with a booster ...that would be about 1000w or 1500w less that the setup mentioned above ...   so you might get away with a 6 or 7kwa but bigger the better to be safe

Title: Re: Using a generator to power porty
Post by: stu_thomson on July 31, 2019, 01:10:33 am

Thankyou for your answers

Very helpful

👍👍

Stuart

Title: Re: Using a generator to power porty
Post by: Ned Kelly on July 31, 2019, 09:27:05 am

Quote from: john martin on July 30, 2019, 09:49:34 pm

depending on the motors used in the pro ...    with a booster ...that would be about 1000w or 1500w less that the setup mentioned above ...   so you might get away with a 6 or 7kwa but bigger the better to be safe

Would it be the same size of genny for a Storm John?

Title: Re: Using a generator to power porty
Post by: john martin on July 31, 2019, 05:53:08 pm

In theory about 5kva ...but perhaps a bit  bigger to be sure .

Title: Re: Using a generator to power porty
Post by: Ned Kelly on July 31, 2019, 07:18:04 pm

Quote from: john martin on July 31, 2019, 05:53:08 pm

In theory about 5kva ...but perhaps a bit  bigger to be sure .

Cheers John.  Am I right in saying that the Storm ( 2x 6.6's motors + 400psi pump) would pull less watts and require a smaller genny than my Pro with booster (HDVS  1 X 1400 watt + 1 x 1200 watt+ 6.6 vac motor + 400 psi pump)? Thanks in advance

Title: Re: Using a generator to power porty
Post by: john martin on July 31, 2019, 09:01:48 pm

yeah , the storm would be about 1000w less that the other setup .