Selecting Your Home’s Backup Power Source
Choosing a power generator for home use is a MUST when you are preparing for emergency situations and there is an ENDLESS list of generators to choose from.
If you are in the market for a power generator, choosing the wrong one can mean you will either be wasting your money on something way to big for what you need or you will not have the right amount of backup power.
Many generators are actually quite noisy so finding one that is big enough and quiet enough is a challenge.
The Yamaha generator pictured here is a popular choice because it is so quiet. If you click on the picture it will take you to more specs on it.
Hunters, boaters and campers LOVE this small portable generator because it is so efficient and quiet.
Portable Generators
A Power Generator for home use can be categorized into two basic groups:portable and non-portable.
A portable generator typically offers less power than non-portable ones. However, they offer the convenience of the ability to be transferred from place to place. It should be noted, though, that not all portable generators are easy to move.
When looking at purchasing a home generator, you will need to determine how much power you are going to need. It is recommended that you consider at least five kilowatts (5,000 watts), which is enough power to supply a few appliances.
Which KIND of Power Generator for Home Do I Need?
Next, you will have to decide on how you want your portable generator to be powered.
Overall, the two choices you have are oil-based generators and alternative energy-based generators. Each type has specific advantages and disadvantages.
Gas or Diesel Generators
Oil-based generators run on either gasoline or diesel. These generators are dependable and work in all weather conditions. You can rely on them to provide power whenever it is demanded.
However, they are usually loud which could attract unwanted attention during a disaster. They also require gasoline or diesel, a finite resource with limited availability during a catastrophe. Once you run out of oil, you run out of power.
Wind or Solar Power Generators
On the other hand, alternative energy generators use clean power sources.
Turbine wind generators rely on wind power to turn suspended wings (turbines) to produce electricity. For green power, this is usually the more economical route.
But as you probably have guessed, if there is no wind, you will not have power unless you have power stored in a battery.
Another alternative power source for generators is the solar power generator. Utilizing power from the sun, they have minimal moving parts and require the least amount of maintenance after installation.
Solar power collectors are generally the most expensive of all the types of generators. Like no wind power being available to turbines, no sunshine means no electricity production with solar power generators.
If you have the money, you may want to consider a combination of oil and solar as alternative power generator for home use.
When nature is cooperative, you can run electricity from solar or wind turbine generators. But when the clouds roll in and the wind dies down, switch to fossil fuel power.
There are many different generators for home use to choose from, but they can basically be summarized into a few broad categories.
Be sure to do your research to ensure you get the right generator for what you want it for.
If you get one that is too big, you waste money; if you get one that’s too small, you will not get enough power.
