Any housing society should have proper power backup facilities or generators for its residents to enjoy living in the complex on a long term basis. Power backup has become a basic necessity as lengthy power cuts have become the order of the day. Instances of power cuts can interrupt daily life especially during the tropical summer.

The worst effect of a power cut that housewives try and counter is food spoilage. Choosing a generator is not an easy task and the housing society management should carefully look into the smallest details before purchasing a generator.

Steps to Choose a Generator

Here are some simple steps that a housing society must follow while choosing a generator:

• Identify The Need

The housing society management needs to create a rough estimate of the appliances and fixtures that need to operate even during power cuts. Generators are not installed as substitutes for a power cut, they just aid in providing the basic facilities required during load shedding.

• Create a Financial Estimate

An estimate should also be created on the expenses involved and the amount of money that can be spent on the power backup services. This will be taken care of the housing society management too, as all residents would have paid a predefined amount for the power backup option. Money can otherwise be collected from all the permanent residents, who can then install the power backup service.

• Compare the Types and Decide

There are different types of generators, and the housing society management should go through these types in order to determine the one that will be effective, taking the size of the housing society into account. Professional help can be useful in this regard.

There are different types of generators, including:

• Diesel Generators
• LPG Generators
• Natural Gas Generators
• Gas Generators

Depending on the size of the apartment complex, diesel or gas generators can be chosen. Comparing the advantages and disadvantages of these generators can be useful.

When choosing a generator, the housing society management must find out the wattage provided by the generator, and this is usually stamped on the electrical data plate or the motor name plate of a generator.

Inductive load appliances normally require heavy power for the initial start up. For this reason, the inductive load appliance figures need to be calculated.

Gas engine generators have an added disadvantage of carbon monoxide poisoning. Such generator units need to be placed at a safe distance from the apartments. The manufacturer might try and conceal the run time offered by a gasoline generator and this should be ideally noted.

Battery invertors are quiet options that can be used in individual houses separately. The batteries need to be recharged time and again, and they will be able to provide only limited service. Battery invertors will not be ideal for places that experience long outages.

• Install and Test the Generator

Once the type of generator is decided upon, it can be professionally ordered and installed. Information on how to use the generator and its many functions is something that needs to be trusted with one individual. An employee can be hired to run and maintain the generator and fix any minor issues that may surface in the future.

Installing a generator is not an easy task and a lot of research should be put in before a collective decision for the housing society is made. Residents can contribute with their inputs during meetings.

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