Do You Need A Portable Generator?

August 21st, 2009 at 4:39am

Whether you live in a hurricane prone area, tornado alley or in the ice storm areas up north, it is a good idea to have some type of backup plan in place in the event you lose electricity. A portable generator can be a very useful piece of equipment. However, as with anything else, there are certain things that you need to be aware of before you make a decision about which one to get.

There are a few things to consider before purchasing home or business backup generators. Should you get a gas portable generator or perhaps one of the diesel generators? The different types of fuel that a generator normally uses are gasoline, diesel, natural gas or propane. The least expensive is gas but they also last the least amount of time and require the most maintenance. Also, gasoline can’t be stored for long periods of time unless it has been treated with stabilizers. Diesel is thought to be one of the best fuels for a generator as it is more efficient. However, natural gas and propane burn cleaner yet are not always easily available in some areas.

Considering the amount of power that you may need plays a major part in your decision about what type of portable generator would be the best choice. If you want to have enough power to run your lights, a television and a refrigerator, then you would probably want one between 5 and 7KW. However, you should check a few different places to be sure that you are getting one sufficient for your needs.

One other consideration is how easy it will be to operate, as some have an electrical start while others may be a pull start. Gas generators can be hard to start if it has a pull start, and portable generators diesel are quite difficult to start when the weather is cold.

If you are not able to afford to purchase a small portable generator, then you may want to consider renting one if there is a location near you that will do that. This can be especially helpful if you will not need one on a 24/7 basis. However, before you go to rent one it is a good idea to know what type of wattage you will need. Figure out everything that you will want to run with a portable generator and the rental store staff can help you figure out what wattage you are going to need.