To many people, renting a generator is an easy process that simply involves picking out a generator in your price range. This often leads to many problems arising from the use of such poorly selected generators. For most household generator rentals, undersizing is the main issue that could result in damage to many of your appliances as well as the generators. For large scale applications, such as construction sites, oversizing the generators ultimately leads to long term waste and increase in project cost. Whether seeking generator rentals for commercial or home purposes, keep the following in mind during the selection stage of your rental process.
Voltage, Amps and Phasing
It is important to know the basics of voltage and amps when visiting the generator rentals store. Voltage is an indication of the strength a current contains. For household use, lower voltages are recommended especially when the generator will be mainly used for lighting and such simpler tasks. For commercial and heavy duty applications, always go for generators that are rated higher in voltage; preferably the two hundred and eighty and above generators. Depending on your appliances, your generator rentals specialist should be able to calculate the appropriate voltage for your job.
Amps, on the other hand, are an indicator of the volume of current. It tells of how fast the available electricity is flowing at a given time. Obviously the correlation here is the more the electricity, the faster it flows.
Phasing is another consideration most people fail to make when selecting generators. Should you go single-phase or three-phase? When your intended use for a generator is mostly lighting and some light heating, single-phasing is a sufficient option. For high powered applications involving large motors and several windings, a three-phase connection is the best option. You should consult further with a specialist in electricity or your generator rentals provider on the intricacies involved with phasing.
Inrush Current
This is particularly important when hiring generators to run heavy duty equipment. Inrush current is the current drawn by an appliance when it is immediately turned on. Most AC devices and electrical motors can draw several times their rated power when first turned on. A contractor should, therefore, calculate their generator size factoring the inrush current anticipated from all the connected devices.
Fueling
Finally, you should always consider the fuel capacity of your tank and the refueling mechanisms. You do not want an inconvenient tank that force several refueling trips on you. Neither do you want to learn of the inability to use an auxiliary tank with the rented generator late!
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