If you want to secure your home from an unexpected power outage, it is best for you to have your very own residential generator. A residential generator supply electricity to important electric appliances and devices like your heater, air-conditioner, lights, computer and refrigerator, during a blackout. This is because it uses mechanical energy to convert 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.
If you want continuous supply of power, buy a standby generator. This type of generator is attached to an external fuel source, and because of this, it produces nonstop supply of power. You can still use your portable generator and hook it up to an external source if you want to lengthen its running time.
In addition, portable generators, despite its affordability, come with disadvantages. You need to transport it from the storage, hook it up to the loads, fill it with fuel, and manually operate it just to get it to start functioning. A standby residential generator on the other hand functions with just a push of the button, or even with no manual operation at all, if it has an automatic transfer switch. This is because it is connected to the house wiring and fuel source. The average transfer time of an automated system is about 10-30 seconds. Furthermore, a standby generator provides higher levels of power compared to portables. Although it might be expensive, standby generators guarantee total protection from long-term power outage since it can supply electricity even to the whole house.
In buying a residential generator, make sure that you not only consider price and wattage. Consider safety, fuel availability, convenience of use, and the duration of time you might need emergency power. Also identify whether you want the whole house to be powered or just select mission-critical circuits. If you have the financial resources, buy a generator that can supply electricity to the whole house. If not, get one that supplies just selected circuits.
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.
In general, a residential generator should be bought according to your needs. Determine if you plan to use it for short-term/long-term blackouts and if you want it to power the whole house or just select circuits. Of course, you shouldn't forget to calculate the wattage requirements of the electrical devices you need to power at the same time, so you can look for a generator that can provide the sufficient 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.
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