Hundreds of generators are starting to rattle and hum in the suburbs as load-shedding changes lives.
But they are also jangling nerves and raising tensions.
A Stirling woman said the noise caused her psychological distress. She wrote a letter of outrage to the Daily Dispatch about the noise of her neighbour’s generator.
In an interview, it emerged she was born with hypersensitivity to “unnecessary noise”, which caused her to suffer from uncontrollable irritability and anxiety.
Her neighbour, Duane Genders, 49, denied her claims of insensitivity and noise pollution.
Genders, of the band Misstree, composed a satirical song which he sent to the Dispatch.
He sang that his “perfect place” was under scrutiny from a “dragon” from whom they had to “run for cover”.
“I know that I shouldn’t be unkind, but what am I to do? She moans about everything under the sun,” he strummed.
The neighbour declined to hear his response.
Buffalo City Metro spokesman Thandy Mathebese advised her to call the police.
Meanwhile, suppliers say demand for “gennies” is spiking.
Milton Thesen, owner of Thesen’s Generators, said supplies for the entry level R6000 5kVA generator were low.
However, Thesen said 300 Chinese-made Zongshen generators, comprising 120 2.5kVA generators (R6000) and 180 electric start 6.5kVA machines (R11500) were in transit and would arrive early next month.
He cautioned against welding on bigger exhausts to reduce the noise: “Generators shake and you will break the manifold.”
Sound-attenuated (quieter) generators with electric starters were available for homes.
“They have all the sound-deadening material built into the canopy.”
His firm sold two 50kVA sound-attenuated generators costing R200000 each to two homes near Nahoon River.
His sales manager, Lauren Thesen, said half of their orders were paid “before they get here”.
Thesens has sold 500 6.5kVA generators since December.
A silent Chinese-made 12kVA Kipor generator costs R100000, but her personal 2.5kVA generator fired up three fridges, 10 lights, two TVs and a dish.
Electrical engineer and Daygra director Bertie le Roux said an entry-level ultra-silent generator would cost R30000.
“You can put your generator in the garage, but the exhaust must be extended to outside.
“You will have to drill a hole through the wall.”
This would add about R5000 to the costs.
“You can also insulate your garage with egg boxes, but you are going to have to eat a lot of eggs.” — mikel@dispatch.co.za