For a family,
generators for home use will give vital peace of mind. Electricity is one of the most important basics in our home today, and being without it causes a great deal of discomfort in the home.
Home Generators are a great way to keep your lights on, keep your computer running, and protect any food you might have in the refrigerator and/or freezer. The loss of food during a power cut can sometimes cost a home owner thousands of pounds, and is often not taken into account in the decision to invest in a home generator.
Remember that generators for home use will not only keep the lights on but will provide you with a valuable communication line to the outside world.
Generators For Home Use – Which One Should You Choose?
How do you choose the right home generator for you? Don’t let this daunt you. Millions of people worldwide use generators as a backup power supply. The investment will last you for years, as long as you just do basic simple maintenance on your home generator.
Before you get your wallet out and go shopping you seriously must consider what you need, what you would like and what your budget is.
There is a lot of choice and availability out there, and a few tips below to assist.
So What Do You Want Your Home Generator To Run?
If you lose power in your home do you want to be able to run some emergency vital appliances until your mains power returns, or do you want the whole house to run smoothly, without a glitch for the duration?
This is the first question you should ask yourself. So if you live in an area that does not suffer from regular problems with power and you just want some peace of mind knowing that you can run emergency appliances and keep in contact with the rest of the world via your computer during one, then you should start your search by looking at portable generators for home use.
Anything up to about 5000 watts will suit very well indeed, and 2-4000 watts are most commonly purchased for the smaller portable home generators. But here below is a rough guide.
1,000 watts TV, lights, electric fans, small electric power tools, computers, laptops, etc.
2,000 watts TV, DVD players, satellite dishes, refrigerators, coffee-makers, etc.
3,000 watts refrigerators, furnaces, microwave ovens, mobile home aircon, etc.
6,500 watts home backup power, outdoor events, RVs, construction job sites, concerts, etc.
Portable Or Fixed Generators For Home Use?
With portable generators for home use you have the flexibility of being able to take it away with you on camping trips, use it in the garden and they are great for tailgating.
Portable generators for home use are also not too hard on the budget, so if this is a constraint then start looking here. But before you do, decide on the fuel that is easiest for you to access. The most popular is gasoline, but there are also diesel and propane generators available too.
Do remember this type of generator is not suitable for frequent, heavy use. Diesel and propane can be more cost effective to run but this really will not affect you if you don’t plan on heavy use.
A fixed Generator for your home will most probably be more expensive. However, in the long term they will be a good investment. Not only will they give you peace of mind but you do not have to be in your home for them to work. This means that if you are away and there is a power cut, your fixed generator will automatically cut in and start powering your home. This is a huge benefit especially if you live in an area that is prone to power cuts due to climatic conditions.
Another benefit of a fixed standby generator for home use is the fact that you will not have to store a fuel supply. This is because your fixed generator will store its own supply from the mains, and keep it for when it is needed.
Top Tips For Buying Generators For Home Use
Stick to your standard well known household names and you can’t go wrong.
If you start to get confused just ask a certified electrician to tell you what wattage you will need. He or she will just ask a couple of simple questions and then advise on which of the many generators for home use is perfect for you. This is free, you do not need to pay for this information.
Most generators for home use will have all the advice you need in their spec anyway, and we always advocate ringing the supplier or manufacturer if you are unsure of anything. They have great advice and assistance support desks, and that’s what they are there for so do use them.
Home Generators And Sizing
Many people get very confused when it comes to the sizing of home generators. However, whilst this is very important it is also very easy to work out. Your home standby power needs to be big enough for your current needs but must also have room for you to grow into. Families are always adding to their electrical appliances and you will not want to have to upgrade your home generator each time you buy something new that you want to run during a power loss.
You will save yourself money in the long run if you build in enough spare capacity for growth in the beginning.
One of the easiest ways of choosing which size suits you and your family is to contact several of the manufacturers and tell them how many rooms are in your house and how many people live there. It is as simple as that.
They will then guide you through the sizing guide and come up with a solution size generator. This is the same whether you are looking at diesel, electric or at portable home generators, online generators or home depot generators for home use.
However if you want to undertake this project yourself then by all means do. Most home generator websites have sizing guides on them which are very helpful, all you have to do is fill one of them in and you will get to the right size for you.
