06 / Power & water
Power and pumping, sized to the actual load
Diesel gensets, silent and containerised sets, changeover panels, solar pumping, boreholes and compressors sourced direct. Most people are sold a bigger generator than they need. We would rather size it on the load you can measure than on the worst case you can imagine.
What we source in this line
Outputs below are the common bands. Send us a list of what has to run, or a photo of your distribution board, and we will do the sizing calculation properly.
| Equipment | Typical range | Worth specifying |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel generators, open frame | 5 – 500 kVA | Alternator and engine make, AVR |
| Silent / canopy sets | 10 – 500 kVA | Noise level at 7 m, tank hours |
| Containerised sets | 250 – 1000 kVA | Bunded tank, ventilation, access |
| Changeover & ATS panels | 32 – 1600 A | Break time, auto-start signal, bypass |
| Petrol generators | 2 – 10 kVA | AVR vs inverter, run time per tank |
| Inverter generators | 2 – 7 kVA | Harmonic distortion for electronics |
| Solar pumping systems | To 200 m head | Array size, controller, daily volume |
| Borehole pumps | 0.37 – 15 kW | Head, flow, casing diameter |
| Booster & transfer pumps | Diesel & electric | Head, flow, fitting sizes |
| Air compressors | 3 – 75 kW | CFM at working pressure, screw vs piston |
| Pressure washers | 150 – 500 bar | Hot or cold, flow rate, hose length |
| Water treatment | RO & filtration | Litres per hour, feed water quality |
| Tanks & pressure vessels | 500 – 10 000 L | Material, food grade, fittings |
| Welder generators | 200 – 500 A | Duty cycle, auxiliary power outlets |
Not on the list? Send a photo or a model number — most power and pumping equipment in this class is available.
What actually decides whether the set does the job
kVA is the number on the canopy. These are the ones that decide whether it starts your load, survives the year and doesn't cost a fortune to run.
Size on starting load, not running load
Electric motors draw several times their running current for the moment they start, so a generator sized on the nameplate figures of your equipment will stall the first time the biggest motor kicks in. Tell us what the largest motor is and whether it starts under load, and we will size for that rather than for the sum of the labels.
The badge on the canopy is not the badge that matters
What matters is the engine and the alternator inside it, and those are frequently from different makers than the name on the outside. We tell you both, because the difference between a known alternator and an anonymous one shows up as voltage stability and as whether you can get a spare in a hurry.
Someone local has to sign it off
A generator feeding your building needs proper earthing and a changeover arrangement that cannot back-feed the grid, and a registered person issues the certificate of compliance for that electrical work. It is done here, by an electrician, and it is not in the landed price — budget for it from the start.
Work out the litres per hour before you commit
Running cost decides whether a set is worth owning, and consumption at half load is very different from consumption flat out. Tank size decides how often somebody has to be there to refill it. Both belong in the decision, and a bunded tank is worth the extra.
Check the rating, and check your neighbours
An open-frame set is dramatically cheaper and dramatically louder. In a residential or mixed-use area that difference becomes a municipal complaint quite quickly. Silent canopies are rated in decibels at seven metres — compare on that figure, not on adjectives.
You're trading the dealer network for the price
That's the honest trade. No service plan comes attached. Gensets want filters, oil and a load test on a schedule, so budget for a relationship with a good diesel technician and buy a set built around a common engine rather than an unusual one.
Site and facility managers ask these
What size generator do I actually need?
Send us a list of what has to keep running, or a photo of the distribution board, and we will work it out. The common mistake is buying on total connected load, which is almost always far more than you ever draw at once — the real constraint is usually the starting current of your largest motor.
Will it start on its own when the power goes?
Only with an automatic transfer switch and a set specified for auto-start. A manual changeover is considerably cheaper and perfectly sensible if somebody is always on site. We quote both so you can see the difference rather than assuming it is included.
Do I need a certificate of compliance?
For a fixed installation feeding your building, yes — a registered person must issue one for the electrical work, and your insurer will ask for it after any incident. We supply the machine and its documentation; the installation and the certificate happen locally.
Is solar pumping worth it instead of a diesel pump?
For boreholes and stock water it very often is, because the running cost is nothing and there is no fuel to deliver or to steal. It pumps when the sun shines, so it wants storage rather than pressure on demand. Tell us your head, your daily volume and your tank capacity and we will say honestly which one suits.
Tell us the load, not the model number
What has to keep running, the biggest motor on the list, and whether anyone is on site to start it — that's enough for us to come back with options, a landed price in Rand and a realistic delivery date.
- No obligation and no cost to quote
- Options at more than one build quality
- Landed price — duty, VAT and delivery included
- We reply within one working day