How To Choose a Residential Generator
Having your very own residential generator is very important if you want to secure your home from a power outage. During a blackout, a residential generator allows you to continue usage of important electric appliances and devices like your air-conditioner, heater, lights, refrigerator, and computer. It works by converting mechanical energy into electrical energy.
A residential generator can either be portable or stationary (stand by), depending on what suits you best. These generators can run on natural gas, diesel, gasoline and LPG (liquefied petroleum gas). Portable generators that run on gasoline are the cheapest models. However, they have a short running time and you would have to refill their gas tanks time and time again. This is also not reliable as a long-term power backup since gas pumps might not work during blackouts.
On the other hand, a generator that is stationary can supply continuous power since they are directly attached or hooked up to an external fuel source, such as an external gas line. A portable generator can also be attached to an external source, thereby extending running hours.
Aside from this, portable generators have to be transported from the storage, connected into loads, filled with fuel or hooked to a fuel line, and manually operated for it to function. Meanwhile, a permanent standby residential generator can start with just a push of the button or automatically (without manual operation), if it comes with an automatic transfer switch. This is because it is already attached to the house wiring or fuel source. Usually, the transfer time of an automatic system is around 10-30 seconds. A standby generator is also very efficient in terms of the higher power levels it produces, when compared to portables. Although these generators are indeed costly, it would be worth every cent in protecting your home from a long-term power outage, as it can be used to supply electricity to the whole house.
In choosing your own residential generator, make sure you not only consider wattage and price, but also take into consideration how long you might need emergency power, fuel availability, convenience of use, and safety. You should also consider whether you want to power the whole house or just a few mission-critical select circuits. If you have the financial resources to power the whole house, go for it. If not, you can just choose select circuits that are most important to you, like those leading to lights, refrigerator, heater, air-conditioner, and such.
Just be forewarned that having a residential generator might be potentially hazardous. It can cause unwanted fires, electrocution, and a high emission of a poisonous gas, carbon monoxide.
Overall, you should choose a residential generator that suits your needs. Assess whether you need it for short-term/long-term blackouts and for whole house/select circuits. Of course, you should determine the wattage requirements of the electrical devices you need to power at the same time, so you can look for a generator that supplies the right amount of power.
Remember that there is more to buying a residential generator than its cost. It protects and adds value to your home, so consider it as a very important investment you have to make.
A residential generator can either be portable or stationary (stand by), depending on what suits you best. These generators can run on natural gas, diesel, gasoline and LPG (liquefied petroleum gas). Portable generators that run on gasoline are the cheapest models. However, they have a short running time and you would have to refill their gas tanks time and time again. This is also not reliable as a long-term power backup since gas pumps might not work during blackouts.
On the other hand, a generator that is stationary can supply continuous power since they are directly attached or hooked up to an external fuel source, such as an external gas line. A portable generator can also be attached to an external source, thereby extending running hours.
Aside from this, portable generators have to be transported from the storage, connected into loads, filled with fuel or hooked to a fuel line, and manually operated for it to function. Meanwhile, a permanent standby residential generator can start with just a push of the button or automatically (without manual operation), if it comes with an automatic transfer switch. This is because it is already attached to the house wiring or fuel source. Usually, the transfer time of an automatic system is around 10-30 seconds. A standby generator is also very efficient in terms of the higher power levels it produces, when compared to portables. Although these generators are indeed costly, it would be worth every cent in protecting your home from a long-term power outage, as it can be used to supply electricity to the whole house.
In choosing your own residential generator, make sure you not only consider wattage and price, but also take into consideration how long you might need emergency power, fuel availability, convenience of use, and safety. You should also consider whether you want to power the whole house or just a few mission-critical select circuits. If you have the financial resources to power the whole house, go for it. If not, you can just choose select circuits that are most important to you, like those leading to lights, refrigerator, heater, air-conditioner, and such.
Just be forewarned that having a residential generator might be potentially hazardous. It can cause unwanted fires, electrocution, and a high emission of a poisonous gas, carbon monoxide.
Overall, you should choose a residential generator that suits your needs. Assess whether you need it for short-term/long-term blackouts and for whole house/select circuits. Of course, you should determine the wattage requirements of the electrical devices you need to power at the same time, so you can look for a generator that supplies the right amount of power.
Remember that there is more to buying a residential generator than its cost. It protects and adds value to your home, so consider it as a very important investment you have to make.
