# ALOT of advice needed!



## Mcreighton (Mar 13, 2014)

Hello,

I hope somebody can help me here. I am planning on stsrting up a milkshake/smoothie business from converted van. I have most of the logistics sorted, apart from a pretty major one...energy supply! And this is something I do not have a clue about!

Basically I need to get enough energy to run a freezer, two blenders (220/240 volt) and possibly a coffee machine/urn.

I have toyed with the thought of somehow getting electricity from the vans engine? Is this possible/cost effective?

Otherwise I think it's a generator job? How big a generator would I need? And how much would it cost to run all day? I don't have a clue about the electricity lingo, so please speak in a simpletons way!!

I have also considered solar power, but not sure if it would be worthwhile!

Thanks a lot in advance.

Matt.


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## aandpdan (Oct 8, 2012)

Hi,

All your choices are going to depend exactly upon how much demand you have. You need to review closely your equipment choices.

It may be possible to use the vans engine to power an inverter for the 240 volt loads that you have. I'm hoping the van is a diesel. You may need to upgrade the electrical system however and then it would need to be running all the time.

Solar? You won't be able to put a collector anywhere big enough to meet your needs. What do you do on a cloudy day? You'd also need a lot of room for all the batteries.

A good generator is likely your best bet. An inverter generator would be great, likely saving you a bit of fuel and being quiet. Check out Honda. Don't forget a big chain.


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## Mcreighton (Mar 13, 2014)

Hello,

Thanks for the reply. So say I get an inverter generator, firstly, what sort of size to accommodate for what I'm hoping to be a high demand during the day? They come in all different specs which just confuses me greatly. I know the blender is 1150 watts, but I would also be hoping to the freezer all day, and possibly a coffee machine too. How does this generator work, is there a fuel tank? And does it simply have a plug socket on it? 

Also, what sort of running costs for the generator per day are you talking? Assuming it's on for about 8 hours?

Thanks again.


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## aandpdan (Oct 8, 2012)

How much power does your coffee pot and freezer need? You'll also have some light going won't you? Anything else? The blender won't be on all the time I imagine. Even the freezer and the coffee pot won't, they cycle on and off.

The 240 vac is a problem. There are lots of smaller inverter generators but they are 120 vac only. Honda makes a 6500 watt inverter generator that'll do 240 vac that would likely handle your loads with plenty of room to grow but it isn't cheap. It says it'll run or about 14 hours on 4.5 gallons of gas. The advantage of the inverter type is that it is very fuel efficient and usually quieter.

Yes they have a separate fuel tank.


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## HandLogger (Apr 8, 2014)

*Freezer?*

The response to your original post (OP) is correct. You must know what your total current load will be before you can solve this issue. This means that you have to examine every item you'll be powering up and determine how much max current it draws. 

These days, many electrical items are specified as power loads (in watts), but there are formulas to convert one electrical unit to another, so this is no big deal. If you can post a list of the items you'll be using and, more importantly, the amount of current they draw in Amps (or power they burn in Watts), perhaps one of us can point you in the right direction.

I am a bit concerned, however, about your freezer. _Will you be plugging it into a regular AC outlet when you're not working?_


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