When there is ice storms, hurricanes, windstorms, and other natural calamities, blackout becomes the obvious occurrence. Having a ready home or business premise generator such times will give you a guaranteed source of power that will get your home through these stressful times.
There Are Two Types of Generators:
Portable and Standby generators:
While standby generators are installed permanently outside the house and automatically switches on when the power goes off, portable generators work both as a backup power reservoir for your home when there are outages and as an outdoor source of power for events or while camping and even at the job site to power devices. In this guide, we shall focus on portable generators.
Portable generators are further categorized into two:
The Inverter generator and the conventional alternator generator:
Inverter alternator generators have a noise reduction casing. These generators are also lighter, more fuel economical, quieter and much smaller than conventional generators. On the other hand, conventional alternator generators have an open frame and they are certainly the type of portable generators you can think of when you build a mental image in your head. Conventional alternator generators are less costly, normally give more power and tend to be louder than the inverter generators. Well, in this portable Generator buying guide, we shall discuss things you need to know in regard to all portable generators.
Defining Your Power Needs Before Buying A Portable Generator:
Every portable generator gives a determined maximum continuous energy output as well as the lower surge power output. Your responsibility here will be to determine the maximum outputs for you considering your personal needs. Here, the surge output is defined as the output that you require to start a device or a piece of machinery using electricity, while the continuous output in this regard is the output which you require to run the particular item. Normally, the former is greater than the latter.
In order to find out the continuous output which you will require, you have to go around your home and sum the running wattage of all the devices you intend to power when there is a power outage. Use the computed total running wattage to find a portable generator with comparable continuous output. To compute the surge output that you will require, you should sum the highest starting wattage to the cumulative running wattage you calculated earlier. That is how you obtain the two important numbers to look for.
With the idea that you now have about your power requirements, you can visit any shop and simply compare the generator wattage with what you have. Note that it is not a good idea to connect your generator directly to your home’s wiring. In case you are planning to connect the generator to your already existing home’s electrical system, get a certified electrician to install a transfer switch.
Features To Consider When Buying A Portable Generator:
- Consider the ease of moving your generator: Some generators come with wheels. Others are sheer enough to carry. Try to look at these two features while shopping because it will help you when it comes to portability.
- Find a generator with a run time of at least 10 hours: This is essential because it will enable you as a homeowner to get a whole night sleep without the bustle of refueling. Again, it will enable contractors to work the whole day without experiencing a power shortage.
- Calculate the number of outlets you will need on the generator to buy: This will depend on the number of devices you will require to power at once.
Important Terms You May Come Across:
- The weather shielded control Panel- This is a very important feature since it saves your control panel from dirt, rain, debris, and dust. While buying a portable generator, try to check whether it has this feature as it will be an added advantage.
- Outlets- Remember outlets are circuit breaker secured. Pick the generator having the types of outlets you desire.
- Fuel tank size- Although the uninterrupted run time will largely depend on other factors, portable generators with larger fuel tanks tend to generally give an extended uninterrupted run time.
- Alternator- This provides electricity. The Power surge alternators produce higher surge wattage for additional starting power.
- The engine- Usually, the Over Head Valve (OHV) engines delivers longer run times, longer life, quieter running as well as greater fuel efficiency.
- Muffler- This aids in reducing engine noise. If you need to use your generator in a place where noise is not wanted, you should consider this for extra noise minimization.
- The low oil protection system- This particular is meant to stop the engine from working when there is inadequate oil. Its primary purpose is to save the motor from severe damage. Make sure that the model that you choose has a dependable system of this type.
- Voltmeter- You need to be monitoring and controlling the voltage of your portable generator to deter accidents which may lead to injuries and damages.
- Fuel Gauge- Quite a number of people disregard this factor. However, it is truly notably valuable. By keeping an eye on the amount of fuel that is available, you will not have to bother about the tank becoming depleted and the machines in your office or home going off.
- The Start- Many portable generators have a standard recoil start while others come with an electric start. Those with electric start are typically faster to work and easier to use. Still, they require a battery that is fully loaded for it to function. While shopping, you need to look for a generator that has both a recoil start and an electric start as a backup
Certainly, while buying a portable generator, your personal preference and budget come first. Nevertheless, you will realize that this guide gives you the best things that both the experienced and new users of portable generators need to understand. Follow them closely and you will never make a mistake when purchasing your ideal portable generator. Remember to observe the warrant of your product too.