1.Choose Your Generator Size
Deciding How Much Power (Watts) You Require:
Generator
create electricity that is measured in Amps, Volts and Watts. In order to select the generator that best suits your needs, you should first establish your wattage requirements. The process is really quite simple:
Step 1: Decide which equipment you want the generator to power. If you‘re looking to save money, only include the items that you absolutely need to run.
Step 2: Keep a tally of how many watts are required for each electronic device. Each device will require a certain amount of ‘running‘ watts to keep it going. Find the total amount of running watts for the devices you’ll be powering.
Step 3: Find out if any of the devices you want to run have a ‘starting wattage requirement.’ Many devices may require considerably more power to start than they do to run continuously. The increased ‘starting wattage requirement‘ is usually because of an electric motor functioning in the appliance (i.e. furnaces, air conditioners, refrigerators, and water pumps). You will need to take this into account when determining an accurate required wattage.
Step 4: Add the total amount of ‘starting’ watts for those appliances that require them and ‘running’ watts for those appliances that have constant wattage. This will determine your required wattage total. If you want a rough estimate of what wattage you may need, use the chart below. Note that these figures are based on averages. Your power needs may differ greatly from the averages below.
2.Standby Generator Buying Guide
For many people, purchasing a power generator can be an intimidating and confusing process. It is for this purpose, we have compiled a quick reference guide for consumers to understand the ins-and-outs of
Standby generator
are permanent fixtures that are designed to restore power to a home or office within a few seconds of a power outage.
Standby generator
can run on diesel fuel, natural gas, and propane. Emergency stand-by generators are connected to your home’s main electrical panel. In the event of a power outage, a stand-by unit will automatically start (with the help of an Automatic Transfer Switch) thus instantly restoring power to your home.
Standby generator
are often set up outside, much like central air units. They can produce anywhere from 7 kW to several hundred kW. Larger stand-by units can power an entire home, while smaller models will power select appliances.
If you purchase an Automatic Transfer Switch with your generator, operating a stand-by unit requires no human intervention. These models have self-diagnostic features to ensure efficiency; they automatically start themselves periodically (every week or so) to make sure they are ready when needed.
Because
Standby generator
provide 24 hour convenience and comfort by supplying safe power for everyone in your home, they are typically more expensive than portable generators, and also require professional installation. Once you’ve decided which appliances you want to power, it is very important to determine what your power requirements are. The next section will outline how this is done.
This guide is designed to provide the information necessary to find the perfect power generator for your needs, but if you have any unanswered questions or concerns, give us a call! We’re happy to help. 1