Quick-start guide
How to use your power station
Everything you need to get going, in the order you’ll need it. Your power station arrives fully charged, with the leads for your list. If anything isn’t clear, get in touch: we’re happy to help.
1. Set up
Find it a good spot
- Indoors, or under cover, on a flat, firm surface such as the floor or a sturdy table.
- Somewhere dry, away from rain, sinks, kettles and anywhere drinks could spill.
- With space around it so air can flow. Don’t cover it or block the vents: it has a fan that comes on when it’s working hard.
- Out of direct sun and away from heat, such as radiators, stoves and log burners.
- Out of reach of small children and pets, with the leads run where nobody will trip on them.
2. Switch on
Two buttons: power, then sockets
- Press the main power button to wake it up. The screen lights up and shows how much battery is left.
- Press the AC button to turn on the three-pin sockets. Its light comes on when the sockets are live. (The DC button turns on the USB and 12V outputs, if you’re using them.)
- Read the screen. It shows the battery level, how much power is going out, and roughly how long it will last at that rate. The estimate changes as things switch on and off, so it’s a guide, not a promise.
The screen goes dark after a while to save power. Press any button to wake it.
3. Plug in
One extension lead in each socket
We bring the leads for your list and tell you what goes where. The rules are simple:
- Fridges, freezers and medical equipment get a lead of their own, so they can’t be unplugged by mistake.
- Kettles, microwaves, hairdryers and other high-power things: use one at a time. Switch one off before you switch the next one on.
- Phones, tablets and card machines can charge from the power station’s USB ports, with your own cable. Laptops and other chargers share the 4-way lead.
- Keep the leads in the room the power station is in. Never run them under doors, across doorways or up stairs, and keep them along the walls, away from where people walk.
- Never plug one extension lead into another, and unwind cable reels fully before you use them.
- Nothing gets wired into your home. Never connect it to your house wiring or fuse box.
4. In a power cut
Leave it plugged into the wall
- Plug the power station into a wall socket with its mains cable, and switch the socket on.
- Plug your fridge, router and lamps into the power station, not the wall, and switch its sockets on.
- Carry on as normal. While the mains is on, your things run from the wall and the battery stays full. When the power cuts, the power station takes over in a split second, so the fridge keeps going and the Wi-Fi stays up.
- When the power comes back, it switches back and recharges itself.
Already in a power cut? Just plug your things into the power station and switch it on. See what to do in a power cut for the rest.
5. Charging
Ways to top it up
You can use it while it charges. The quickest way is a wall socket. A swap is the easiest: we bring a charged one.
Swap it (easiest)
When the battery gets to about 20%, get in touch. We bring a fully charged power station and take the flat one away, and you don’t need to do anything else. For a power cut at home, swaps are included in the price. For Storm Season and other hire, a swap costs from £20, depending on how far you are from our base near Truro, including the trip.
Solar panel
Hire a folding panel with your power station and stand it outside facing south in daylight. The power station charges and runs your things at the same time. In winter a 200W panel adds about 150 Wh on an average day, enough to charge phones and run LED lights. In summer it adds about 660 Wh.
Your car
Every power station comes with a car charging cable for the 12V socket. It’s slow, about 100W, so an hour’s drive tops up a small unit well but a big one only a little. Keep the engine running so the car battery doesn’t go flat, and never run it in a garage or anywhere enclosed.
A socket that still works
Power cuts are often local. If a friend, family member or workplace nearby still has power, plug the power station in there. From a wall socket most of ours charge in a couple of hours or less. The bigger ones are heavy, so this suits the smaller units best.
| Power station | 1 hour in the car | Winter day of sun | Summer day of sun |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elite 30 V2290 Wh | ~35% | ~50% | full |
| Elite 100 V21 kWh | ~10% | ~15% | ~65% |
| Elite 200 V22.1 kWh | ~5% | ~7% | ~30% |
| Elite 3003 kWh | ~3% | ~5% | ~20% |
| Elite 4003.8 kWh | ~3% | ~4% | ~15% |
| Apex 3002.8 kWh | ~4% | ~5% | ~25% |
| Apex 300 + B300K5.5 kWh | ~2% | ~3% | ~10% |
Make the charge last
- When the Met Office issues a warning, keep the power station plugged in so it’s full when the power goes.
- Turn off anything you don’t need, and unplug chargers once phones are full.
- Open the fridge and freezer as little as you can. A full freezer stays cold for hours without power.
- Check the battery level on the screen, and call us for a swap before it runs out.
6. Make it last
Get the most from each charge
- Turn the sockets off when you don’t need them. The power station uses a little power just keeping them on, even with nothing plugged in.
- Don’t use any power-saving or “eco” setting with a fridge, freezer or medical equipment. It can switch the sockets off when it thinks nothing is using them.
- Unplug chargers once phones and laptops are full.
- Keep the fridge and freezer shut as much as you can.
- Use LED bulbs, and only the lights you need.
- Watch the battery level. Call us for a swap when it gets to about 20%, before it runs out.
Your power station
The key facts
| Power station | Sockets | Most power at once | Battery | Charging from a wall socket | Takes over in a power cut |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elite 30 V24.3 kg | 1 | 600W | 288Wh | 0 to 100% from the mains in about 70 minutes | In under 10ms |
| Elite 100 V211.5 kg | 2 | 1,800W | 1.02kWh | 0 to 80% from the mains in about 45 minutes | In 10ms |
| Elite 200 V224.2 kg | 2 | 2,600W | 2.07kWh | 0 to 100% from the mains in about 84 minutes | In 15ms |
| Elite 30026.3 kg, delivery only | 2 | 2,400W | 3.01kWh | 0 to 100% from the mains in about 96 minutes | In 10ms |
| Elite 40039 kg, delivery only | 2 | 2,600W | 3.84kWh | Recharges from the mains, solar or a car | In about 15ms |
“Most power at once” is the total for everything switched on together. See how much power appliances use.
7. Safety
Safe to use indoors, with a little care
There’s no engine, no fuel and no fumes, and the batteries are LiFePO4 (lithium iron phosphate), one of the most stable kinds. Even so:
Keep it dry
Don’t use it in the rain, near water or with wet hands. If it gets wet, switch it off, unplug everything and call us.
Don’t open it
There’s nothing inside you can fix. Never take the case off or try to repair it or the leads.
If it’s damaged, hot or smells
Stop using it. Switch it off, unplug everything, keep people away from it and call us. If there’s smoke or fire, get everyone out and call 999.
Never connect it to your house wiring
Plug-in only. Connecting it to the fuse box or house wiring is dangerous, for you and for engineers working on the power lines.
Lift it safely
The bigger ones are heavy. Bend your knees, keep it close, and get help if you need it. Don’t move it while it’s running.
Medical equipment
A power station is a good backup, but should never be the only plan for life-critical equipment. Keep your supplier’s own backup ready too.
8. If something stops
Quick fixes
The sockets have stopped working
Press the AC button. If it went off because too much was on at once, switch something off first. If the battery is empty, charge it or call us for a swap.
It switched itself off
Check the battery level. Low battery, too much plugged in, or a power-saving setting can all switch it off. Switch it back on, then press the AC button.
It isn’t charging
Check the cable is pushed in at both ends and the wall socket is switched on. In a car, the engine needs to be running. A solar panel needs daylight and charges slowly in shade or dull weather.
The fan is loud
That’s normal when it’s working hard or charging quickly. Make sure the vents aren’t blocked.
It’s beeping or showing a warning
Switch off whatever you last plugged in. If the warning stays, switch the power station off, unplug everything and call us.
9. Giving it back
When your hire ends
- Switch everything off and unplug it all.
- Coil the leads loosely and put everything back together: the power station, both charging cables, the leads and any solar panel.
- If you’re collecting and returning it yourself, bring it back within the time you booked: 24 hours for each day.
- Need it for longer? Get in touch before your hire ends and we’ll extend it if we can.
Questions at any point? Email hello@kernowpowerstations.co.uk, or see our contact details.
Ready when you are.
Get a price online in a couple of minutes, or call us for friendly advice from someone local.