Lately, generators have become not only a form of luxury but a necessity as well. Normally, issues in the network occur because of various factors. Weather conditions and sudden failures cannot be predicted, so you need to be prepared. Depending on the different home, office, and site sizes, various brands are available on the market. Choosing the proper generator for your home can be quite demanding, and you will probably want to avoid tying yourself in knots. Since we cannot make this choice for you, we created a shortlist of tips you should follow when choosing a generator for your home.
What Is the Size of the Generator You Need?
Before you decide on the model of generator you want to buy, you should ask yourself what size of generator you should get. This is one of the most important questions to ask yourself before you make your final decision. Figuring this out is not as difficult as it may seem at the very beginning. Actually, all you need to do is to add up the maximum required wattage of all the appliances that the generator will power. This includes running and starting wattages. You can find this data in the user manuals and written on the ID plate. The only thing that remains is to check if the generator matches these requirements or slightly exceeds them.
Make Sure That Generator Is Suitable for Powering Required Appliances
As we have previously said, the first thing to do is to determine the size and wattage of the generator if you want all of the appliances to run smoothly. Yet, there is a catch. Different generators produce power with some different levels of “smoothness”. So, you must be wondering how to pick the most suitable generator that may provide you with enough energy to run your appliances and electronics at home or even when spending time outdoors. First things first, you should do your homework and investigate the technologies that will suit your appliances and not damage them. The thing is that most generators have unstable power that is exposed to spikes and drops, which may result in flickering lights. Normally, this is not dangerous for the lightbulbs but may terminally damage high-tech tools, electronics, and appliances, such as computers.
Choose the Most Appropriate Fuel Type
Typically, generators run on three main fuel types: diesel, petrol, or LPG. Besides power, fuel type is the second main criterion when choosing the best generator for your needs.
Petrol is the most commonly used fuel for generators and is the most readily available. Besides, this is the best-known generator fuel, so people, when choosing the type of fuel they want for their generator, usually choose petrol-powered generators. On the other hand, there are some downsides to this fuel type. Petrol is the least-ideal fuel type for use in very cold weather conditions. Certain dangers are associated with storing it, and there may be noticeable inefficiency.
Diesel is typically used for powering larger generators above 5 kW, so it is rare to find this fuel in some smaller versions. When it comes to this fuel, it usually has the lowest operating costs and the longest storage time. In addition, diesel may be used at very low temperatures when mixed with some additives. However, there are some downsides to these generators as well. The main flaw of diesel generators is their noisiness. Also, these may have a negative influence on nature and are efficient only if they are run constantly under heavy loads.
LPG-powered generators or propane generators are much cleaner than the previously mentioned types. Also, these generators are much safer to refuel. You should only connect the new cylinder instead of loading the hot generator with liquid fuel. Moreover, by simply using slightly bigger LPG cylinders, you will be able to achieve significantly longer power runs. Speaking of shelf-life, LPG-powered generators have an almost limitless shelf-life, which makes this type an ideal fuel if your generator is infrequently used. However, you should know that LPG generators are usually transformed from some other generator types, making them more expensive to buy.
Choosing the best generator for your needs may be quite demanding unless you have some information to serve you as a guideline. The previously mentioned tips are just some directions on your path to choosing the right generator. However, the most important thing to remember is to choose the generators that will suit your needs the most and avoid any damage.