THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN HIRING A GENERATOR

ENSURE YOU UNDERSTAND YOUR REQUIREMENTS AND ASK FOR EXPERT HELP

Looking to power some equipment for a fixed period of time? Looking to power an event, or a remote facility? If you’re looking for a temporary power source, hiring a diesel and/or hybrid generator is certainly one the most obvious ways to achieve your objective.

Once you’ve decided you need a generator, the next thing you need to do is put together a shortlist of requirements. These are not ironclad and will act as a guide only for your supplier, enabling them to find you a suitable solution faster. Examples of requirements include site access (where exactly it’s going to be delivered to and placed), power demands and time of usage (night-time, daytime etc).

Whilst we’d also recommend speaking with a generator hire expert at your earliest opportunity, we’ve put together the below list, which we hope will give you a fundamental understanding of the factors which come into play when selecting a hire generator.

POWER REQUIREMENTS/GENERATOR SIZING

Perhaps the most important question which needs to be answered; what exactly needs to be powered by the generator? It is for specialist, high powered lighting, or machinery on an active construction site, or perhaps it’s just for AV equipment at an event?

Drawing up a detailed list of this equipment before you speak with an expert will be a real help. This list will help the expert calculate what size and specification of generator you’ll require.

To the layman, it can be difficult to understand the exact power requirements for each piece of equipment. Fortunately, the temporary power expert will be well versed in generator sizing, so you won’t have to worry.

DAY TIME VS NIGHT-TIME USE

Will your temporary power system be required to run all day? Will it need to run throughout the night? If it needs to run throughout the night and your site is located in a built-up area, noise may a potential issue, which will need addressing through various noise suppression techniques e.g. acoustic canopies

LOCATION

Is your site in a secure and safe location? If it’s deemed that this isn’t the case and the generator could be easily accessed by unscrupulous individuals, a containerised generator may be suggested.

Another reason a containerised generator may be suitable is if you’re on a messy, busy construction site. If the generator is likely to get covered in dust and grit, it may be safer in a container.

SITE ACCESS

Is your site in a difficult to reach location? Is it in an extremely rural location? Answer to questions such as this can have a significant implication on the specification of generator you require. Whilst some generators can be delivered and positioned quickly and easily, some larger generators may require flat bed lorries to transport them. This is a vital piece of information which your generator hire company will need to know, so it’s important you notify them so they can advise and prepare as necessary. At #teamwb, we have a large amount of experience in delivering and positioning equipment into all manner of location, utilising our own fleet of 4x4s, flatbed and hiabs.

REGULATORY COMPLIANCE

The requirement to ensure adherence to rules for fuel safety, noise control, and safe use, such as ensuring cabling is properly routed, goes hand in hand with ‘site access’ above.

GENERATOR HIRE AT WB POWER SERVICES

Our fleet of high-spec generators is available, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If you need transport, fuel tanks, load banks, cable distribution, traffic management or UPS, we can help with all that too. Because every job is different, we offer plenty of flexibility – you can hire for any amount of time that suits your needs. Get in touch with us to find out more.