Electrical Advice Needed Mobile Catering Equipment

by aaron
(melksham)

Equipment Overload Mobile Catering

Equipment Overload Mobile Catering

Morning all,

i bought a burger van last month and been working on the inside daily to get it up and running before December but i have a massive issue i cant think of how to sort. i have far to much power inside the van to be able to run from a house hold plug or my generator.

i have a honda genny 8kw but here is a list of my appliances with kw
fryers 5000
water heater 3000
fridge/freezers 1000
lights 500
water motor/pump 1000
bain marie 1200
urn 1650
and that wont include anything else plugged into socket, phone charger, radio, card reader etc.

my griddle is lpg so thats ok, but what could my options be? i have a grey and blue 3 pin plug coming from the fuse box to connect, but it will just blow my house socket and imagine do the same to my generator? im to worried to even try in case it does damage to either my house or the new generator.

i cant see a way forward with out having to spend alot of money converting several things to lpg?

any help is much appreciated.

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Mar 14, 2025
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by: MobCater

You’ve got quite a power-hungry setup there, and you're right to be cautious before plugging anything in. Let’s go through your options logically.

Your Power Needs vs. Your Generator

Your Honda 8kW generator (likely rated at 8,000W peak and around 7,500W running) won’t be able to handle everything at once. Your total power draw is around 14,350W (14.35kW), not including small items like phone chargers.

Key Issues:

Overloading Your Generator: If you try to run everything together, the generator will trip or struggle.

Household Socket Limitations: A standard UK 13A socket only provides around 3kW (3000W) max, so plugging into your home is not an option.

Need for Power Management: You must prioritize what runs at the same time or convert appliances to LPG.

Your Options:

1. Staggering Power Usage (Load Management)

Cycle Appliances instead of running them all at once.

Example:

Heat up the bain-marie and urn first, then switch them off once hot.
Use fridge/freezers overnight on mains power at home so they start cold and require less power during service.
Turn off fryers when griddle is in use to reduce peak load.

2. Upgrading to a More Powerful Generator

Your 8kW generator isn’t enough for everything.
A 12kW–15kW diesel generator would be a better long-term solution.
Downside: Expensive and heavier to transport.

3. Switching Some Equipment to LPG.Best Choice Really

Best for high-draw appliances like fryers and urns.
LPG fryers & urns are widely available and cost-effective.
Consider an LPG water heater instead of electric.

4. Installing a Split Load System (Two Generators)

Some traders run two generators to split the load.
Example: One small generator for lights, fridge, pump and another for fryers/bain-marie.
Downside: More fuel usage & maintenance.

5. External Power Supply (Event Hookups)
If working at markets or events, see if 32A+ electrical hookups are available.

You’d need the correct hookup lead & adapter for your fuse box.

Recommended Next Steps:

- Decide what must stay electric vs. what can go LPG.
- Test running key appliances on your generator (one at a time) to gauge real-world power draw.
- Consider upgrading to a larger generator if needed.
- Look into LPG conversions for fryers, urns, or water heaters.
- If using event power, make sure your van's electrical setup is compatible.

If you have any further questions let us know

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