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You may have used a generator in the past while out camping or even when you’ve experienced a power cut at home. In the same way that a generator can help keep the lights on at home, an industrial generator can be a vital piece of equipment on the worksite. Given that you may not need a generator for work all year round, hiring one can be smart and cost-effective instead of buying one.
But, what size commercial generator do you need? How do you choose an industrial generator? And what are your generator hire options? In this guide, we will take a comprehensive look at everything you need to know about industrial generators and how to use them. Here’s what we’ll cover:
What is an industrial generator?
Why a generator is useful on the worksite
How to choose the right industrial generator
How to operate an industrial generator
Safety considerations when using a generator
Types of power generators that are available at Hirepool
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To start with, what actually is an industrial generator? You’ll find that the generator you have at the work site may be a bit different from what you’d have in your garage. An industrial generator is designed more for commercial use. As a result, many industrial generators are larger in size due to the amount of power required.
These big boys often come with other handy design features, whether a diesel generator or a portable generator. In saying that, there is often a crossover between industrial and home power generators. For example, some home power generators or portable generators can also be used for smaller worksite tasks.
There are many reasons why an industrial generator can be useful on the worksite. No matter your industry or how big a job is, there’s a suitable generator size and type.
This one may be a bit of a given. Still, an industrial generator, like a power generator in a natural disaster or at home, can keep the lights on, power tools running and important electrical equipment online if you lose mains power. This emergency power can mean that your team stays productive if the power has been cut off to your work site due to a weather event or a downed powerline. Read our helpful guide for other productivity tips for your trade businesses.
Emergency power aside, an industrial generator can also be helpful with powering equipment or tools in general. Depending on the size of your worksite, sometimes you’re limited by the cord length of your power tools. Hiring a smaller portable power generator or power distributor can mean you can move around freely and use your gear wherever you need. If you are using electrical equipment on-site, it’s vital that you keep safety top of mind.
In a way, this point extends our discussion about emergency power. Some electric machinery and larger pieces of equipment can easily become damaged if you suddenly lose power. A generator obviously won’t be affected by a power outage, meaning an uninterrupted electrical supply to your vital machinery on site. To further prevent damage to electrical equipment, it can also be helpful to consider electrical accessories like a surge protector. For more advice on looking after your gear, read our 5 maintenance tips for checking your gear.
It can be tough to get up on a cold winter morning to work. But as well as being cooler in general, the days are also shorter. If you’re working outside, the lack of daylight hours can pose a problem regarding productivity. In most cases, you’ll knock off at 5 pm, but sometimes you’ll need to work later in the evening, and then there are obviously shift workers that need to work when it’s dark. Thankfully, considering an electrical generator hire or diesel generator hire can help to power lighting and heaters. Read our guide covering essential hire gear for winter for other helpful equipment tips for the colder months.
The Hirepool range of generators has a good variety of equipment so that you can choose the perfect size and type for your work site. But, it also means that it can be confusing to understand all of your options. It may be helpful to talk with your local Hirepool team for advice. Otherwise, here are some considerations to help you decide.
Your worksite will be an important factor in deciding which industrial generator is best. Moving gear around a worksite is often the main consideration when choosing the right generator for you. The ease of unloading and loading the generators, along with their total weight are the first things to consider.
The physical size of a worksite is not a factor when working out how much power you need as smaller worksites may use and require more power tools than a larger site.
This is a simple one, really. If you’re powering large machinery and a lot of gear, chances are you’ll need a more powerful industrial generator. The generator you hire from Hirepool will specify what voltage it can pump out along with the number of outlets it has. If you overload your generator, you run the risk of damaging your equipment and causing injury.
The best method to work out what gear you need is to calculate the wattage of all the power tools you look to provide power for. In doing that, you will be able to get an approximate number to work with and point you in the direction of the best generator for your job. Check the silver sticker of the power tool to determine the wattage. Add together the wattage of the power tools you need to power and multiply that total number by the number of units to be used.
An example of this would be needing to use the following power tools on a worksite:
Adding those together gives you a total of 7500 watts. Multiplying that by the number of units used (4) gives you a total of 30000 watts of power to run that particular worksite.
Although each industrial generator at Hirepool will be slightly different in terms of starting procedure and operation, there are general themes to consider across the board.
Before you even begin getting your industrial generator up and running, you must go over pre-start safety checks. They will vary from model to model, but will most likely include:
Top tip: Electricity is what’s known as a hidden hazard. This means that you need to treat it with respect as electric shocks can cause serious injuries or even kill.
Here are general steps to follow when starting your portable generator.
Start by turning on your fuel supply and then flicking the engine switch to begin the process. This will ensure the industrial generator is ready to start.
Next, you’ll need to engage the choke to restrict airflow. This step is only necessary if you’re starting the industrial generator cold.
Now, it’s time to pull the starter cord. Ready the cord by pulling it until you feel slight resistance. Then, pull the cord in a sharp, quick motion until the engine goes. You may need to do this a couple of times.
To finish, disengage the choke. Let the industrial generator engine warm up a bit before plugging anything in.
Like any piece of machinery, gear or electrical equipment, safety is vitally important to prevent a nasty injury. Steps for safely operating an industrial generator or smaller generator include:
Each industrial generator you hire from Hirepool will come with its own specific safety instructions and operating procedure. However, if you’re ever unsure, reach out to your friendly Hirepool staff or a qualified sparky.
The safety gear required for using an industrial generator will depend on its type and model. In saying that, safety protection you will need across the board includes:
As the saying goes, you’re always better to be safe than sorry!
Hirepool offers a wide range of different industrial generators, including diesel generators for hire, petrol generators for hire, skid-mounted generators for hire and portable generators for hire. Which generator is best for you will depend on your industry or work site. We break down our range of generators for hire into two main categories.
A single-phase generator is often a lot smaller than a three-phase generator and easier to transport around. As the name suggests, this particular type of generator operates on one wave of power. These generators are great for power tools and appliances under 2500 watts. For example, if you are running a fridge on-site or a coffee machine as a smoko station on your site, a portable single-phase generator may be the appropriate option.
It is also advised that there are no voltage modulators built into Hirepool's generators and we accept no responsibility for any damage that may occur to your equipment.
The range of single-phase generators at Hirepool includes:
A three-phase generator can produce more power than a single-phase generator. These beasts are also cheaper to run and operate more efficiently. In saying that, three-phase generators are often much larger and challenging to move around. The range of three-phase generators at Hirepool includes:
We also offer a range of three-phase generators, including:
To top it off, at Hirepool, we also have a big selection of generator accessories and cables for hire. This includes electrical distributors and other helpful safety equipment.
Splitter boxes are also available to hire and are used to split the power supply from generators to multiple sockets. This allows multiple tools to access the power at the same time.
Just like how a generator can be vital at home, an industrial generator can be essential to have on the worksite. You may not need an industrial generator all year round, so it can be a cost-effective option to hire one instead of buying it. For more information on our range of generators at Hirepool, browse our range online or speak with your local Hirepool team. For more money-saving tips, read our guide that explores whether you should hire or buy gear for your trade business.
