When your generator power fluctuates, the power gets dirty; you’ll notice some disturbance with your electrical appliances. In that case, it’s best if you know how to clean up generator power for electronics.
To clean up a generator power, you can use an Automatic Voltage Regulator (AVR), a Power Line Conditioner, or an Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS). If none of these methods work, you’ll need to get an inverter generator.
If you go further in this article, you will learn what dirty power is and its causes. You will also find out why we need clean power for electronics and how to make a generator power clean.
What Is Dirty Power From A Generator?
Dirty power from a generator refers to electrical pollution that affects the power delivery. It is also a fluctuating and unstable power connection when attaching some home appliances to the generator.
If you notice your generator is supplying dirty power, it is better to sort it out as soon as possible. We’ll get into how dirty power can negatively affect your household electronics later in this article. Also, the signs of a dirty power generator don’t hide; they are glaring. And once it starts, you will know for sure.
Signs of Dirty Power in Generators
- When your generator’s power is dirty, the generator will vibrate and produce noise when you turn it on.
- The light from the bulb will flicker and blink sometimes.
- You notice that the generator supply’s power is not enough to carry some appliances it normally would carry.
- The generator will develop heat excessively and fail in its performance.
- Low voltage in generator power supply.
What Are The Possible Causes Of Dirty Power?
Generators do not just develop dirty power issues on their own. Something must cause the power to be dirty, and such things are:
- Faulty internal components: When any generator parts get damaged or faulty, they can cause the generator to produce dirty power. So, when you notice an issue with power from your generator, check if the components are dirty or faulty for repairs or washing. For example, parts like fuel filters, when they are clogged, can lead to a dirty power issue.
- Harmonic distortion: Harmonic distortion occurs when you constantly turn on and turn off an appliance when the generator is still running. It disrupts the power and can lead to dirty power. This mostly occurs when you use your generator for construction purposes like well-pumping and more. In that case, you’ll definitely need a safe generator for Well Pump.
- Contaminated petrol or diesel: The diesel you put in your generator holds the potency of making it bad or run well. If you put contaminated fuel in your generator, it will cause it to supply dirty power. So, make sure you buy diesel from a trusted supplier to avoid such issues.
- Overused or bad oil: When the oil in your generator is old or runs out of gas, it is good to replace it anew. This is because the old oil can cause dirty power.
- Unbalanced load: This means the load is too big or too small for the generator. So, it is better to buy a high voltage generator if you have many high-power demanding appliances in your house.
Why Do We Need Clean Power For Electronics?
We need to clean your generator power for the safekeeping and handling of our electrical appliances. If you notice any dirty power signs, you should work them out as quickly as possible to avoid more issues. Dirty power can cause many defects in our electronics, and they include:
1. Electronics Damages
Most electrical appliances are sensitive to power fluctuation. A mere switching off and on of some of these devices might be enough to damage them or cause them to develop faults. For power fluctuations, it is even worse.
Most electronics burn when power fluctuates. The motherboard, wires, and cables get burnt, and such devices cannot get fixed. It might even cause an explosion or a bigger fire outburst. So, it is good to keep your power clean to prevent loss of properties.
2. Device Inefficiency
When power fluctuates, it makes some devices inefficient. A fast device becomes slow. A powerful device becomes weak. Devices that display bright light become deemed.
Washing machines do not work well without efficient or clean power. Likewise, televisions and fans, refrigerators, and many other appliances reduce their productivity due to the dirty power. Even mobile devices share in this inefficiency when their chargers are slower than normal.
Laptops and desktop computers share a greater part of this issue. When you haven’t saved your work on the computer and the power goes off, you will start all over when it comes back on. This is a terrible experience.
3. Life Risk
You might put your life or other people at risk if you ignore dirty power issues. The reason is that electronics react terribly to dirty power, and some of them with metal parts might get charged. So, if someone touches it, they may get electrocuted.
Therefore, it is essential to sort out dirty power issues to save your life and others when you notice them.
4. Low-quality Sound And Visual
Some people have audio devices in their houses like a radio set, music box, or even a television. These devices will not produce quality sound if your generator supplies dirty power. They will produce noise instead of soothing sounds.
This mostly applies to event centers and gatherings that use the sound system. The best sound engineer cannot make a bad sound source from dirty power to sound good. You should tackle the problem from the generator and not the sound equipment.
This also applies to display devices like projectors or TVs. Such devices might not produce quality videos until the power is clean.
How To Clean Up Generator Power For Electronics
As I mentioned earlier, understanding how to clean up generator power for electronics is essential as dirty power affects electronics badly. You can find the process below.
Use An Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS)
A UPS is an electricity battery backup. Using the UPS conjointly with your generator can make the power clean.
When the generator supplies dirty power to the UPS, the UPS cleans the power and sends it to your appliances. It saves electricity and provides power steadily when the major power fluctuates.
It gives you enough time to save your work when the generator suddenly goes off. Also, the UPS supplies power long enough for you to sort out the dirty power issue and settle it. Some UPS devices have small units, which can protect about 1 to 2 devices from dirty power issues. Others have large units that can protect every appliance in the house.
There are two types of UPS units: Standby UPS Units and Line-Interactive UPS Units. It’s best if you use a standby UPS.
The UPS performs according to its units and won’t do much if you overload it. So, buy a UPS compatible with your generator to enable them to work well together.
Use An Automatic Voltage Regulator (AVR)
Unlike the UPS that smoothens the AC curves from generators, AVR regulates and manages the voltage generators supply.
This is a better option since the most common occurrence of dirty power is voltage fluctuation, damaging appliances more. So if you buy an Automatic Voltage Regulator, you can manage the generator voltage and keep it steady.
An AVR also reduces fluctuations in the RMP of your generator. It looks out for the slightest change in the current flow and fixes it immediately before you notice it. AVRs work differently with different generators. Therefore, it is essential to check the compatibility of the AVR with your generator before you buy it.
Use A Power Line Conditioner
Using a Power Line Conditioner is most likely the easiest way to clean your generator power. Compared to other means, the Power Line Conditioner is relatively cheaper. It conditions or controls the power voltage your generator supplies.
If the voltage is too high, it is the conditioner’s job to streamline it to a moderate level.
If the voltage is too low, the conditioner brings it up to maintain a steady level for your appliances.
This way, the electronics in your house will not damage out of power voltage issues. Like other devices, make sure you get a Power Line Conditioner suitable for your generator.
Call A Technician
Calling a generator repairer to check and repair your generator is good to clean the power. But there is no guarantee that it will get cleaned after the repairs. Some generators have stayed for too long, and repairs will only make the power they supply clean for some days. Then, after a while, they go back to supplying dirty power.
Use An Inverter Generator
This is the safest way to use clean power in your home. If you have tried other means and it didn’t work at all or for long, try buying another inverter generator. Possibly your old generator is dead, and you need a little upgrade. With an inverter generator, you are sure of always having clean power.
People also call the inverter generators ‘smart generators’. A smart generator generates the exact power voltage that your appliances need. So if you plug out a device in your home, the generator will reduce the amount of power it generates to suit the remaining appliances. This means your devices are always safe with inverter generators.
Inverter generators also recognize harmonic distortion and get rid of them. An inverter generator gives you clean power and helps save power, petrol, and diesel.
Conclusion
Clean power is essential for every house. It ensures a convenient power supply and the safety of appliances. So, everyone using a generator to power appliances should know how to clean up generator power for electronics.
The procedures I mentioned in this article only take just a few actions to clean up power, though they come with additional expenses. However, buying an inverter generator may be the best cost-effective and safest choice for a clean power supply.
