Choosing The Best Portable Generator
A portable generator is an essential tool for anyone living in or around an emergency or disaster area. If you plan on living in an area that has power outages on a regular basis or if your home and business suffer from regular blackouts, a portable generator will help you keep your electricity running and your appliances going. While a stand-by generator is fine, it does not offer the same level of flexibility and unlike a portable generator this type of generator cannot be used for much more than providing back-up power for the structure to which it is connected. If there is a blackout it can save you a lot of time and effort but at the expense of power.
A number of different types of portable generators are available to consumers. For people who have to rely on their electricity for work or other purposes, these appliances provide a great deal of convenience. With portable generators, you can start up the device and go about your business without the worry that your lights or appliances might go out. You can even start the engine and run it without having to worry about losing power and not being able to get around the house. While these appliances are great for individuals who have to use power for everything, they can also pose a risk to those living in disaster areas.
When it comes to using a portable generator for the safety and protection of those in an emergency or disaster situation, there are some precautions that need to be taken. When you are planning on using a generator of any kind for power, water and electrical purposes, you should ensure that it is kept away from flammable material. You should also ensure that it is not overloaded in any way and that it can cope with the load that it will be required to handle. If an electrical overload is experienced, you could cause an explosion or fire. It is extremely important to ensure that all portable generators that you purchase have a built in safety shut off.
Portable generators are designed to provide an alternate power source in case of an outage. This can prove very helpful to those living in areas where there is no electricity for one reason or another. Many people choose to use these types of generators when they are storing water or oil. However, the main reason why these items are used most often lies in providing a source of power for both the water heater and the appliances that we use in our homes. The following tips will help you to safely operate your portable generator.
Before you decide to purchase any type of portable residential generator, you should consider whether the item will be needed on a regular basis. For instance, if you are living in an area where you will most likely be using power tools on a regular basis, you will most likely want to purchase a portable residential model. However, if you do not use power tools on a regular basis, you may not need a residential model. In this case, you should opt for a model that is specifically designed for outdoor use.
Safety is always the number one priority when you are operating any type of electrical equipment. This is even more true when it comes to using a portable generator. For this reason, you should purchase a model that includes a safety switch. While this switch will prevent the connection of the device to the electrician as well pump, this feature should be considered optional. Unless you have a very well insulated home, you will probably find the electric shock extremely painful.
Even though you should purchase a generator that comes with a safety switch, the remote control should also be included. If there ever comes a time when the electrical equipment is turned on and there is no power source, the remote control will allow you to manually turn off the generator. This is especially important if you live in an area that experiences severe weather. You do not want to risk a trip to the emergency room in order to manually turn off your portable generator in the middle of a storm.
While the standby generators listed here are excellent choices, you should definitely consider additional options. The standby units allow you to take power from an existing power source to provide backup power during times when the utilities are experiencing a problem. These units should only be used on occasions where you will have access to power. In most cases, the standby generators are much cheaper than the portable generator models. Therefore, if you are going to be taking advantage of the standby option, you should seriously consider purchasing one of these backup power units.