Portable Generator Reviews

1. Portable Generator Reviews The most important criteria you should consider is how much power you'll need. Most portable generator manufacturers provide calculators on their websites so that you can easily estimate how much power your household needs. The 5,000-watt generator is the most common range for families because it can power all of your necessary appliances. As such, we reviewed and compared generators within this range. After you know how much power you need, you'll want to consider the criteria below.

2. Portable Generator

3. Power & Fuel Performance Every power generator has two power ratings – running wattage and surge wattage. The running wattage is the amount of power that the generator can handle on a continuous basis. The surge wattage is the amount of power it can handle for short bursts, usually about 10 seconds. The surge wattage accounts for the surge created when appliances with electric motors start. Their starting power can be two to four times the amount needed to operate.

4. Additional Performance Most portable generators use gas engines. Some use propane. And some can use both. Propane generators have many advantages over gas generators – propane is cheaper, less toxic, cleaner burning and easily accessible during a power outage, and you can store it indefinitely because it doesn't degrade like gasoline. Fuel efficiency is critical, especially when fuel becomes difficult to acquire during a natural disaster. The best generators burn less than half a gallon of fuel an hour and have a running time of up to 14 hours with a 50 percent load.

5. Safety Features Any time you're dealing with electricity, you must pay close attention to safety features. This includes circuit breakers, grounding methods, never-flat tires and spark arrestors. The most important safety feature is the ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) protection – a sensor that measures the alternating current going back and forth from the generator. If the returning current diminishes, then this could mean that the electrical current has found an alternate path to the earth. The GFCI cuts the power if this happens, protecting you from electrocution. You should also consider the operating noise. Gas generators are combustion engines similar to your car. They're going to make noise. A loud generator can cause your neighbors to complain or make it difficult for you to communicate with others while you use the generator

6. Control Panel Features The control panel is where the business occurs. Most generators have four standard. To know more please visit Portable Generator Review .