About Emergency Generators

Emergency generators can save you a lot of problems during power outages. They are also good for remote locations. You can obtain emergency generators in numerous price ranges and styles. They can be moved around to different places or permanently connected to a house or business.

Function

• Emergency generators provide power in emergencies. They can be used in homes or businesses during power outages. A device that requires electricity to operate can be plugged into a generator and draw power from it.

Types

• Emergency generators come in two types. Standby generators are permanently connected to electrical systems. They generally have large fuel tanks, produce substantial kilowatts (kw) and are able to run for long periods. Portable generators can be used in remote areas and are normally smaller in size and therefore produce fewer kilowatts, have smaller fuel capacity and run for shorter periods.

Features

• Emergency generators can run off of three different fuels. Gasoline generators are the cheapest; portable generators are most often powered by gas. A common setback with these is not being able to store fuel in them for extended periods. Diesel generators are popular for commercial use. They are less expensive to run than propane or natural gas models. Diesel fuel can be stored longer and in a safer manner than gasoline. Natural gas and propane generators often require more maintenance than other types.

Considerations

• The power produced by generators is calculated in watts and voltages. Wattage is the volume of electricity required for all components you want to power with the generator. Generators can supply anywhere from 800 watts in the smaller portable ones and up to 500,000 for large commercial standby emergency generators. You have to add up all of the watts for every device you need to power. The voltage is the pressure of the electrical current. It is most commonly a combination of 120 volts and 240 volts for homes and small businesses. The 240 volts is used for devices such as air conditioners, stoves, water pumps, dryers and other small-motored items. Large businesses may need additional power for big machines. There is helpful information in Resources section below about various generators.

Warning

• It is extremely important not to run a generator in an enclosed area -- the fumes generated can cause sickness and even death. Do not run a generator inside your home. Run the generator only outdoors, away from windows and doors. Also: on a licensed electrician should connect a generator to an electrical panel.