GUARD AGAINST A DISASTER WITH EMERGENCY GENERATORS



WHY DO YOU NEED AN EMERGENCY GENERATOR,
AND HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT ONE FOR YOUR HOME



While many people believe a backup generator is reserved only for hospitals and construction sites, more and more people are beginning to turn to electric generators for power in the case of an environmental emergency. As Mother Nature continues to pummel different regions throughout the United States, generators are becoming an increasingly popular method of insuring that your home is powered during an outage.
This article is contributed by Everygenerator.com
In January 2009 alone over 1 million Americans were left without power for upwards of 7 days during what has been dubbed the “Worst Ice Storm in a Decade”. Parts of Arkansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Indiana, Oklahoma, Illinois, and Ohio were among many of the states affected by this devastating ice storm. Portable and standby generators have been used throughout this region in an effort to stay warm during the sub zero temperatures.



Everyone recalls the tragic events of Hurricane Katrina. People in New Orleans were devastated by this category 5 hurricane and left without food, water, and power for weeks on end. Portable generators were used throughout the Louisiana in order to battle the outages, and now more than ever, residents have purchased emergency generators in preparation for the next big storm.

The problem is, in the wake of these disasters homeowners are scrambling to buy generators at the first hint of a storm. While this is a well advised precautionary measure, unfortunately many people are buying the first generator they find, without researching or determining which generator is right for their specific situation. There are many key points to address when in the market for a generator such as the wattage, size, and even the type of generator you need. Since there are so many options and styles available, people tend to become overwhelmed and purchase the least expensive generator that they can find. While this may be wise from an economical standpoint, there is little use in spending the money of a generator if it was not designed with your specific needs in mind.

The first aspect to consider when choosing a generator is the type of generator that you need. For most people, a portable generator would be a more practical option over a standby generator. Standby generators are installed professionally and are not portable. They need to be installed by a licensed electrician and are linked to circuits of a building. This type of generator is more suitable to a business or hospital where power must be restored quickly and for longer periods of time. These fixtures are permanent and can switch on automatically in the event of an outage. If you are looking for a solution against short-term outages, this type of generator may be an overkill for an average home and it is also considerably more expensive.

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For most homeowners, a portable generator would be a more cost effective and practical choice for backup power. Portable generators are indeed portable, as their name would suggest. They can be stored in a garage or shed until needed. Upon a power outage you can wheel out your generator and plug in appliances such as heaters, refrigerators, and other such household items. If you want, you can also have a portable generator installed with a transfer switch, which allows the generator to power specific circuits in your home. This would require the help of an electrician, but can be a wise investment if you live in a region known for frequent power loss. It should be noted however, that most portable generators are not powerful enough to provide electricity for an entire home. You will need to decide which areas of your home need power the most during an emergency.

The sizing of your home generator is a slightly more complicated process. Since there are many different factors to consider, it is difficult to say what the best wattage amount is for a portable generator. A simple way to determine the wattage you need is to add up the combined wattage of all the appliances that you plan to run simultaneously during an outage. This information should be included in the owner's manual of any piece of electronic equipment. Once you add up the total amount of wattage needed, find a generator that has the capacity to power 20-30% more than the number you tallied. This will insure that your generator will safely power everything you need during an outage.

A quality generator is an investment and you should take the time to research and compare brands before making a purchase. Don't wait until a storm warning is issued before you decide it's the right time to buy. Take the initiative and prepare in advance for the next big storm; it could end up saving your life.

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