Get FinancingHow To Choose The Right Portable Generator
A portable generator lets you power electrical devices where there’s no electricity, such as an RV’s appliances in the woods or work lights out in the field. These useful energy sources can also supply emergency power, keeping a sump pump running and the lights on when a storm causes a temporary power outage.
Portable gensets range from about 700 watts (also called kilovolt-amperes or kVA) to 12,000 watts or more. Here’s a quick guide to finding the right unit for your needs.
Usage Scenario
Manufacturers sell generators optimized for recreational, residential, or commercial applications. For instance, a recreational model for tailgating, camping, or outdoor parties might be quieter during operation as indicated by a lower decibel (dB) rating. A residential generator for backup power might be heavier and have a higher wattage rating to support demanding home appliances.
Finally, an industrial, jobsite, or commercial portable generator will have ground fault circuit indicator (GFCI) protection to meet safety standards from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. A contractor working on an unfinished building might use a portable industrial genset for power tools and work lights, for instance. The product warranty may also vary depending upon whether a generator is used for commercial purposes.
Wattage Ratings
A trickier question is “How much power do I need?” Honda has a good primer and a wattage calculator to help you determine how powerful a generator you require. In a nutshell, you’ll need to check the labels on each appliance and light source you plan to use, and write down their wattage ratings. This tells you the amount of power they require to run. Note that some appliances, such as refrigerators and furnaces, may have much higher wattage demands at startup than they do while running.
Next, determine how many devices you plan to run at the same time. For example, in an RV, you might typically need the air conditioner, refrigerator, TV, and a few lights running simultaneously on a summer evening. Add up their combined wattage. You’ll need a generator with a power output rating higher than that, preferably with a good additional margin in case you occasionally need to run extra devices. Note that manufacturers rate their gensets’ power outputs by various methods according to their design and intended duty cycle. The type of power rating you’ll need to pay most attention to are the standby output for a backup generator, the prime output for temporary work or camp sites, or the continuous output rating for more long-term use.
Note that you can sometimes get by with a lower-wattage generator if you plan to turn off demanding appliances before turning on another power-hungry one. In our RV example, you might decide to always shut off the AC unit before using the microwave. A generator with a lower power rating may be quieter and use less fuel, so consider your present and future needs carefully.
Outlets
In the United States, you’ll find 60-Hertz portable generators with one or more 120-volt and often 240-volt outlets. You’ll need the latter if you plan to run an electric range, an electric dryer, certain welders, and so on. While a generator for an RV or home backup only needs one or two outlets, a worksite model is more convenient if it has enough outlets to run all your tools. If you’ll be powering a computer or other sensitive electronics, which require clean, stable electricity, opt for a genset with a power inverter feature.
Fuel
The engines in portable generators run on fuels such as gasoline, diesel, natural gas, or propane, so you can choose a model that makes sense for your application. A tank of fuel may last 5 to 16 hours, but this can vary based on the amount of load your appliances or tools place on the genset. Running the generator at full load, for example, will use more fuel than running it at half capacity. Some generators automatically adjust their rpm speed to the load in order to conserve fuel. A model with an electric starter is easiest to start, but make sure that it comes with a pull-type (recoil) backup starter just in case. A prudent feature to have is an automatic shutdown for the engine should its oil run too low.
Physical Concerns
Because a portable generator can weigh anywhere from 30 to 350 pounds (13.5 to 160 kilograms), give some thought to how heavy a unit you’ll be able to physically move from place to place. Wheels are included on many heftier gensets and may be available as add-ons for a smaller unit. Note that certain portable generators can be connected in pairs to run in parallel for double the power output. This gives you the wattage of a bigger, heavier unit in two smaller, lighter packages.
Finally, be aware that there are some specialty generators that can do double duty as a welder or an air compressor.
Find The Right Portable Generator
PowerSystemsToday.com offers portable generators for sale from popular brands such as Honda, Kubota, MultiQuip, and Wacker Neuson.