Garage power for freezers

[stillp]

And won't you need planning permission for the change of use? Let alone needing to meet the environmental health requirements for food storage.

Yes change of use is an issue. I will be submitting forms to do so.

Good luck, and please let us know the outcome.

 

[ericmark]

I had this situation on the Falklands. No mains power, two generators a 3.5kVA and 12kVA large battery bank Nickel Iron small wind charger and freezer.

While the farmer was at home running generator in the morning and evening the freezer worked fine. However when he wanted to visit other farms there was a problem.

There seemed to be two options. Auto-start generator or inverter. There were some very old generators in some of the shepherds cottages which would auto-start with the first light which was switched on and this seemed the way to go. However where we enquired with other farms it seemed it would not work with the larger freezers the 1.5kVA from these units was not enough. The more modern type were very expensive.

So looked at inverters. The problem here was the inverter uses power even when the freezer is not running. So it would need some sort of switch like the generator so it would only switch on when required. Since then the price of inverters has dropped but then we after getting all info decided it was not really something which could be done.

With what you talk about the problem is compounded as more than one freezer so likely one or the other would always want power so the generator would not turn off. Using a timer so it switches on twice a day for two hours a time would likely work. But for a generator able to start without anyone there and have all safeties likely it would cost more than getting power.

But yes it can and has been done. On other farms they did do it. What they had was a timer and a load operated switch. So the timer would switch on the generator twice a day. Once the load dropped to near zero the generator would stop. But needs to be a basic freezer frost free type will not work. I would not expect any change from £3000.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

And running the generator inside the garage is probably not a good idea.

How many guesses do people need to arrive at the likeliest outcome of leaving a generator outside in an area where lock-up garages go for low prices?

 

[ricicle]

ou est mon generateur de putain ?

 

[ericmark]

And running the generator inside the garage is probably not a good idea.

Why a garage is designed for cars to go in which have engines far bigger than a generator. Clearly exhaust would need piping outside and sensors for low oil, high temperature etc. would be required to auto shut down the generator.
One may also want to consider what happens if some young lads decide it's fun to put a cork in the exhaust pipe.
But no real reason why you can't have a generator in a garage.
To run trouble free one would not want a high revving type a Lister running at 1500RPM will likely last for years and years.
If one considers 6 freezers starting together they would likely be a problem so a bank of contactors with timers so there is a delay between each one so when power comes on they don't all try to start together will get around that problem. A simple current monitor can switch of the generator.
So at set time generator starts lets say twice or three times a day switched off when load is near zero means once each freezer down to temp required generator will switch off.
So yes no reason why one should not use a generator just two problems.
1) Cost of system to install likely cost more than electric supply.
2) Monitoring in case of failure.
Telemetry could be used it could be incorporated with intruder alarm and auto ring ones mobile so in real terms only problem is cost.
Good quality generators designed to run regular are not cheap. One would not want to be using Lidi or Aldi types. They are OK for emergency but not for the amount he needs.
If the garage was on the slopes of Snowdon and to get power would mean a 3 mile power cable needs laying I would say yes to generator/s likely a second to auto kick in on failure of first. But in a Urban area just can't see it being cost effective.

 

[Monkeh]

So at set time generator starts lets say twice or three times a day switched off when load is near zero means once each freezer down to temp required generator will switch off.

Would you buy food out of a domestic freezer installed in an unheated garage and only turned on a couple of times a day?

 

[ericmark]

Yes in the same way as I will buy frozen goods and take them home without using a freezer bag.

Unheated garage must be better than heated one.

As to food standards agency they may have other ideas. I know a butchered cow turned into sausages using mutton skins would last a year without a problem in a freezer only powered twice a day. This was normal in the Falklands. But this is very different to storing cooked food. I would guess chart recorders would be required to show it had never de-frosted.

But the larger freezers have a auto defrost which is an element which switches on from time to time to melt and get rid of any ice build up. It relies on food items being too big to defrost in the short time the heater is on.

Any freezer with this system would have a problem with intermittent supply.

 

[Monkeh]

Yes in the same way as I will buy frozen goods and take them home without using a freezer bag.

Except that's a quick trip, not hours with a bad seal. Or a few days if the fuel runs out or something fails.

Unheated garage must be better than heated one.

Domestic freezers don't work at low ambient temperatures.