Almost everyone knows an appliance or device that requires power. The average person has more than one. The coffee maker, the coffee pot, the blender, and even the washer and dryer all lose power at some point. But when frequent outages become usual, leaving you without power for days at a time, it’s time to take steps by having a backup power generator installed. Smaller, hand-held generators for home are ideal for powering just the basics, such as the microwave and refrigerator, while large, standby power generators are capable of powering everything in the home.
Have you ever lost electricity in a big way? You know the feeling, the pins falling off the wall, or the whole system coming to a complete standstill. It can be scary if you don’t have any back up power, but what can you do when you lose electricity in other, smaller ways? There are times when you simply must have a power system that can help you get through the day. Having a backup generator installed can mean the difference between life and death!
Home generators are classified according to how they use the power source to produce electrical energy. There are basically three types of generators – direct current generators (DC), alternating current generators (AC), and renewable or non-renewable energy generators (REngan). DC is the most common type and is usually the standard in residential homes as well as small businesses. These systems are usually powered by one of the following: gasoline, natural gas, diesel, electricity, or propane gas. Depending on your location, you may also be required to have a separately purchased natural gas supply or coal supply.
If your power goes out, you need to have an emergency generator, so it’s important to be familiar with all three types. Most of the time, you will want a standby generator for normal events, while AC will be needed for larger emergencies. Standby generators are ready to go when the electricity goes out. They will either automatically kick in when the power goes out, or you can manually initiate the start up process by pressing the switch on the back of the unit.
AC portable generators are the largest and most powerful of all. If you are looking for a large enough unit to provide electricity to your entire home, you can purchase a commercial grade unit that has the capacity to provide more than ten thousand watts of power. A commercial generator like this should have a warranty on the materials used and should come with several extension cords so that you can hook it up into the various parts of your home. In addition to the warranty, you can also purchase an extension cord that has a transfer switch, allowing you to connect multiple devices to the unit at the same time. However, this can increase the wattage of the unit and may make it less portable if you aren’t planning to use it for a long time.
The next type of generator you should look at are the magnetic types. These units produce their own power using magnets. Although they will produce much less wattage than the other models, they are very safe and are often times much more durable than either the oil filled or the air filled generators. The only problem is that they will not be able to store a massive amount of power, but the extra output voltage that they produce is much more than enough to meet your needs.
Another consideration is how you intend to use the emergency backup power that you receive from your generator. If you just want to supply enough electricity to operate your home and prevent a power outage, you will not need more than a couple hundred watts of power. If you need to use the generator to provide you with power during a prolonged period of blackouts or severe weather, you may need more than a thousand watts to provide you with enough electricity to get you through.
A good generator will give you the amount of electricity you require to run your household without having to depend on the electrical company. In order to do this, the generator must be able to generate the correct amount of electrical energy. To determine the electrical energy output, you need to know how many volts you want your generator to provide. The output voltage of a mechanical energy generator will vary depending on the manufacturer as well as the model number. So, be sure to check the specifications carefully when buying your generator.