Electricity plays an integral part in our day to day life. Without electricity to power almost everything that we see and use, society as we know it will not have reached this point of efficiency and ease of life. Which is why it is always a big hassle every time the power goes out. Without electricity, we would be at a standstill.
In this day and age, power cuts are relatively rare. However, it does occur and once it does there is not much that we can do. We are left at the mercy of our power and utility providers to have it fixed. Because of this, many people resort to buying generators.
Generators are excellent sources of alternative power every time electricity is cut off. In events of incoming storms or an extended power failure, people always resort to using generators.
While generators are excellent sources of electricity, most of these devices are large, bulky and unwieldy making them quite an annoyance when portability is required. When portability and transportability are required, portable generators are very handy.
Portable generators are not as powerful as big generators. However, what sets them apart from the competition is their portability. You can easily throw them at the back of a truck and transport them to wherever you want to go. Portable generators are great when camping or going to places that are not easily accessible by generators or traditional power lines.
While all portable generators have the same functions, not all portable generators are created equal. Here are some points that you need to remember in picking the best portable generator for you.
How Generators Generate Power
Generators, in general, converts kinetic energy or motion into electricity. A generator has a stator or a stationary magnetic field. Inside this stator is an armature or an electromagnet which spins. This action creates electrical current. Generators are capable of producing both AC and DC power outputs.
Understand Your Power Requirements
Portable generators are rated based on their power outputs, which is measured in watts. A generators power output determines how many appliances or devices it can power in a particular set of time.
Here is a basic example. LED lights and bulbs usually consume around 5 to 15 watts depending on their light output, the brighter the light the more watts it consume. Electric stove burners require around 1,500 watts. Lastly, a 42-inch LED TV usually consumes around 80 watts. If you bought a 2500-watt portable generator, it can essentially power all three devices all at the same time.
The rule of the thumb here is this, add the power requirements of all the devices you want to run on your portable generator. Next, is to make sure that your portable generator have enough power output to cover all devices at once.
Size Matters
The next factor that you need to consider in purchasing a portable generator is its size. As pointed out earlier, portable generators must be easy to transport. If you intend to use the generator outside of your property and haul them in long distances, it would be a beneficial to pick one that can be easily transported in a tailgate. Picking a smaller sized generator also means that it can be easily tucked on the back of your truck for transport.
Type of Fuel
Portable generators have internal engines that run in order to produce electricity. As such the type of fuel you want to use also plays a crucial role in its overall efficiency.
Most portable generators run on gasoline. It is the most common and most efficient fuel type. There are still a handful of portable generators that use diesel as its fuel source, however they are not as efficient as those that run on gas.
The main tradeoff here is price. Portable generators that run on gasoline typically costs quite a bit when compared to their diesel counterparts. Additionally, gasoline fuel is also expensive compared to diesel.
It is important to note that portable generators, due to their small stature, have limited gas tanks. When bringing the generator to a remote area, make sure to bring with you enough fuel for your entire stay. Generators also produce gases that are harmful to the human body. Make sure that the exhaust is facing away from where you are located.
Additional Features
While the main purpose of a portable generator is to produce electricity, there are a handful of additional features that make some brands stand out against others. While not essentially crucial to the overall function of the generator, these features are usually there to help ease the operation and ensure the safety of users. The following are some of the features that make some generators stand out.
Start Feature. Some portable generators are equipped with an electric starter. This is a single button that can be pressed to jump start the generator in no time at all. While this feature comes default to many models, some older ones are usually equipped with a recoil starter where you need to pull a string or a rope in order to jump start the generator. In this particular feature, it would be very efficient to pick a model with an electric starter.
Fuel and Oil Gauge. Like all devices with engines, fuel and oil gauges are a great feature to monitor these crucial resources. The ability to tell your fuel level at a glance can help prevent sudden operation interruption.
Some portable generators are also equipped with a very useful feature called the Low-Oil Shutdown. Oil levels help maintain your generator's operation efficiency. As such it is important to keep your generator's oil at a relatively safe level. However, there are some instances that users fail to do this and it can sometimes lead to irreparable damage to the side of the engine. Low-Oil Shutoff acts like a Fail/Safe mechanism wherein the engine will automatically shut off should its oil reach minimum or dangerous level.
Outlets. Lastly, portable generators only have a limited number of outlets. While this can be easily remedied by a Multi-Outlet Extension Cord, it is quite handy to have a portable generator with multiple built-in outlets.
Conclusion
Based on the features discussed above, picking a portable generator is quite easy. However, for those who are keen in particular features, this guide will help them pick the perfect model for their use.
Electricity plays an integral part in our day to day life. Without electricity to power almost everything that we see and use, society as we know it will not have reached this point of efficiency and ease of life. Which is why it is always a big hassle every time the power goes out. Without electricity, we would be at a standstill.
In this day and age, power cuts are relatively rare. However, it does occur and once it does there is not much that we can do. We are left at the mercy of our power and utility providers to have it fixed. Because of this, many people resort to buying generators.
Generators are excellent sources of alternative power every time electricity is cut off. In events of incoming storms or an extended power failure, people always resort to using generators.
While generators are excellent sources of electricity, most of these devices are large, bulky and unwieldy making them quite an annoyance when portability is required. When portability and transportability are required, portable generators are very handy.
Portable generators are not as powerful as big generators. However, what sets them apart from the competition is their portability. You can easily throw them at the back of a truck and transport them to wherever you want to go. Portable generators are great when camping or going to places that are not easily accessible by generators or traditional power lines.
While all portable generators have the same functions, not all portable generators are created equal. Here are some points that you need to remember in picking the best portable generator for you.
How Generators Generate Power
Generators, in general, converts kinetic energy or motion into electricity. A generator has a stator or a stationary magnetic field. Inside this stator is an armature or an electromagnet which spins. This action creates electrical current. Generators are capable of producing both AC and DC power outputs.
Understand Your Power Requirements
Portable generators are rated based on their power outputs, which is measured in watts. A generators power output determines how many appliances or devices it can power in a particular set of time.
Here is a basic example. LED lights and bulbs usually consume around 5 to 15 watts depending on their light output, the brighter the light the more watts it consume. Electric stove burners require around 1,500 watts. Lastly, a 42-inch LED TV usually consumes around 80 watts. If you bought a 2500-watt portable generator, it can essentially power all three devices all at the same time.
The rule of the thumb here is this, add the power requirements of all the devices you want to run on your portable generator. Next, is to make sure that your portable generator have enough power output to cover all devices at once.
Size Matters
The next factor that you need to consider in purchasing a portable generator is its size. As pointed out earlier, portable generators must be easy to transport. If you intend to use the generator outside of your property and haul them in long distances, it would be a beneficial to pick one that can be easily transported in a tailgate. Picking a smaller sized generator also means that it can be easily tucked on the back of your truck for transport.
Type of Fuel
Portable generators have internal engines that run in order to produce electricity. As such the type of fuel you want to use also plays a crucial role in its overall efficiency.
Most portable generators run on gasoline. It is the most common and most efficient fuel type. There are still a handful of portable generators that use diesel as its fuel source, however they are not as efficient as those that run on gas.
The main tradeoff here is price. Portable generators that run on gasoline typically costs quite a bit when compared to their diesel counterparts. Additionally, gasoline fuel is also expensive compared to diesel.
It is important to note that portable generators, due to their small stature, have limited gas tanks. When bringing the generator to a remote area, make sure to bring with you enough fuel for your entire stay. Generators also produce gases that are harmful to the human body. Make sure that the exhaust is facing away from where you are located.
Additional Features
While the main purpose of a portable generator is to produce electricity, there are a handful of additional features that make some brands stand out against others. While not essentially crucial to the overall function of the generator, these features are usually there to help ease the operation and ensure the safety of users. The following are some of the features that make some generators stand out.
Start Feature. Some portable generators are equipped with an electric starter. This is a single button that can be pressed to jump start the generator in no time at all. While this feature comes default to many models, some older ones are usually equipped with a recoil starter where you need to pull a string or a rope in order to jump start the generator. In this particular feature, it would be very efficient to pick a model with an electric starter.
Fuel and Oil Gauge. Like all devices with engines, fuel and oil gauges are a great feature to monitor these crucial resources. The ability to tell your fuel level at a glance can help prevent sudden operation interruption.
Some portable generators are also equipped with a very useful feature called the Low-Oil Shutdown. Oil levels help maintain your generator's operation efficiency. As such it is important to keep your generator's oil at a relatively safe level. However, there are some instances that users fail to do this and it can sometimes lead to irreparable damage to the side of the engine. Low-Oil Shutoff acts like a Fail/Safe mechanism wherein the engine will automatically shut off should its oil reach minimum or dangerous level.
Outlets. Lastly, portable generators only have a limited number of outlets. While this can be easily remedied by a Multi-Outlet Extension Cord, it is quite handy to have a portable generator with multiple built-in outlets.
Conclusion
Based on the features discussed above, picking a portable generator is quite easy. However, for those who are keen in particular features, this guide will help them pick the perfect model for their use.
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