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After getting caught in a power outage on the west coast (especially in winter) a person is motivated to find a solution by way of a generator. Most of us get sticker shock when we first look at the price but that is why you are here. Let me try to explain the differences that you need to look for so that you do not get caught in the trap of unrealistic expectations.
First you need to make a few decisions to get you pointed in the right direction.
- How big do I need? This is a range from just a few circuits to the whole house or business. You may accomplish this by identifying the circuits and adding up the load that would be represented expressed in Watts.
- Next decide how long the generator needs to run. I personally have been caught for a periods of just a few hours up to a month! This will tell you what type of a machine is required, air cooled or liquid cooled. It is unreasonable to expect a lawnmower engine to run full throttle for a month strait as well as it is unreasonable to pay a premium price if the power is only ever down for a few hours at a time.
- What fuel do you want to run the generator on? The usual choices are Gasoline, Diesel, LPG or Natural Gas if that is an option. Considering the hassle of refueling a hot generator in the middle of a cold snowy night and the fuel additives and stabilizers needed I usually recommend LPG.
You will also need a transfer switch (it really looks like another electrical panel instead of a switch but that is what the industry calls them). This can be manual or automatic with the price and complexity reflecting the difference.
Generac —> This page is under construction, please try again later. Thank You
Kohler —> This page is under construction, please try again later. Thank You
Cummings —> This page is under construction, please try again later. Thank You