Home Generators – How to choose wisely and things you should know

25Feb
by Saalik Ahamed  
0

Home Generators- What does it mean to you? When you say the word generator, your mind directly goes through the words such as emergency, backup, power outages, blackouts, and whatnot. But did you know that generators are not just limited to those tasks?

Generators can be your secondary power source for your homes, offices, events or camping.

There are different types of generators that you can invest in, but before you start investing in home generators you need to know everything about it. Let us guide you to choose wisely. 

There are many reasons to buy a generator, 

  • You cannot control the weather, sudden severity in the weather condition will leave you with more than 24 hours of blackouts. 
  • If your property uses well water and needs a pump and filtration system. 
  • If your basement has a sump pump. 
  • When you run your business from home, every power cut or power issue will cost you money. 
  • If you live in high weather severity locations. 
  • If you own seasonal homes and you travel a lot. 
  • If there is someone in your home who uses electrically powered medical equipment. 
  • If you have an electric or hybrid car. 
  • If you host many parties or events at your home, then having a backup home generator will be a great investment for you.

Things you should know before buying home generators.

The best way to decide which type of home generator you need is to determine the factors. Here are some of the most important things to know about before you invest in one. 

  • What type of home generators you should get. 

There are two basic types of generators in the market, Standby Generators and Portable Generators: Inverter and conventional. As the name defines it, standby generators are permanently installed outdoors in your home. Whereas, portable generators are mounted on wheels and are easily pushed outside your home or anywhere you need them to be hooked. 

Each type of home generator has its advantages and disadvantages

Standby Generators also known as Whole House Generators, are best for home use due to their supply of ample power for your home appliances and HVAC systems.

Portable Generators on the other hand are mostly used in job sites or seasonal homes. The portable inverter generators are most suited for camping, boating or other activities. While portable conventional generators are used for events and such.

  • Wattage 

Did you know that standby generators take a lot more power than portable generators? Yes, they do.

Standby generators can produce from 5,000 to 20,000 watts, this is more than enough to power up every system in your home-both indoor and outdoors.

While portable generators are used to power certain systems (For example fridge, lights, AC unit, fan, etc). 

  • Fuel type 

When choosing home generators you must consider which type of fuel you require to keep your generator running. Depending on your budget, convenience and choice you can choose between many different types to ensure there will be fuel availability throughout its lifecycle.   

Here are the common types of fuels for home generators:

Common types of fuels for home generators - Mr Electric
  • Gasoline 
  • Diesel 
  • Natural Gas 
  • Propane 
  • Bi-Fuel 
  • Solar 
  • Battery 

Tip: Each fuel type has its benefits that can suit your purpose. Before you purchase the fuels make sure that they can power up the necessary systems in your home, the availability of the fuels and how you can store them for longer use. 

  • Price 

Depending on the brand, watts, market price and demand the prices can vary, however, typically the price of the generator is expensive if the power output is higher. 

Standby Home Generators usually cost around $7000-$14,000 and Portable Generators cost between $1000-$21000. 

Apart from these you also need to keep an eye out for things such as: 

  • The size of the generator and storage space. 

When you choose to buy a generator you need to make sure that you have enough space to store it on your property. 

  • Noise 

Some home generators sometimes  run loudly, especially diesel-fueled generators, this can be disruptive for many homeowners and neighbours, so it is best that you choose a generator that fulfils your purpose and runs quietly. 

  • Performance 

Checking the performance of the generator before purchasing it will save you a lot of money and give you more. Check the models capabilities and how long it will run on a full tank or battery. 

  • Available extra features 

Some home generators come with extra features that will be a plus for your property, look out for features such as automatic start, mobility features such as wheels, multiple outlets, cooling systems and more. You can also keep an eye on generator accessories such as waterproof storage covers or adapters that will be suitable for the product. 

When you start shopping for home generators you will have many questions and doubts, to help you out we have answered some common questions that homeowners ask from experts.

What kind of generator is best for home use?

Depending on how you want to use your generator at home, you can choose from the type, fuel and watts. However, Whole home generators are the best for home use since they can power your entire house. It is a reliable and long term investment for your home. In contrast, portable home generators will be more suitable for you to short power outages.

How much does it cost to have a whole house generator installed?

Once you purchase your home generators you will have to decide whether to hire a licensed professional to install them for you. Standby generators are set up outside your house, and it requires an installation process, by hiring a professional electrician you can easily get it installed and connected to your home. The electrician costs for installing a whole house generator will vary between $200-$700 or more. 

If you purchase a portable generator then there are no installation costs. However, many experts recommend buying a portable generator with at least 5,000 watts, this means you need to hire an electrician to install a transfer switch to hook up the generator to the circuit panel. Transfer switches usually cost between $500-$900 to install.

How big of a generator do I need to run a house?

If you plan on powering up your whole house with a generator then you will need about 12,000 watts to start with. These types of generators can keep the entire house powered without any interruption. From burning lights, TV, fridges, computers, heaters and more, you can plug anything into an outlet and use it without restrictions. 

Home generators come in 3 sizes:

How Big of a generator do you need to run a house - Mr Electric

Small – provides 4000 watts 

Medium – provides 5000-8000 watts 

Large – provides 10,000 watts and more. 

The size of the generator matters to meet the requirements of the house.

How to start home generators?

If your house has a standby home generator then it will automatically switch on when there is a power outage or blackout. However, for a portable home generator, it needs to be started manually. 

Here is what you must do to start portable home generators.

  • Wheel the generator outdoors 
  • Check for the fuel levels, if it is gas-powered then fill the tank. 
  • Check if any cords are connected to the portable generator. 
  • Turn on the fuel valve, choke and then ignition switch. 
  • Start the generator manually. If the generator is electrical then simply use the start button. 
  • Once the generator has started let it run for a few mins. 
  • Then finally connect the generator into outlets or transfer switches.

Safety tips while using home generators

With a perfectly installed standby generator, you have fewer safety precautions to consider, the hired electrician will make sure that all safety measures are taken when installing it in your home. However, in the case of a portable home generator, you must make sure that you take precautions when using them. 

    • Do not run the generator indoors. 
    • Use a carbon monoxide detector 
    • Always keep the portable generator dry 
    • Use transfer switches when necessary, if you do not have one then make sure that you plug the appliances safely in the generator. 
    • Avoid back feed. Back feed is when you directly plug in the generator to your home outlets. Back feeding is dangerous and it could cause electrocution or severe damage to electrical devices. In the worst-case scenario, it can also start an electrical fire. 
    • Do not overload the home generator. 
    • Always cool the generator before refuelling. Do not refuel when it is running. 
    • If you are using different types of fuels, make sure to store them away safely in your home.

Home generators gives you access to power when nobody else has it. Investing in a home generator is a wise decision for many homeowners.

By doing the right research and asking the right questions from an expert you can get the perfect sized generator for your home.