Cheaper ones demand power and elbow grease to get going, and they also can be less consistent with their power supply, said Gabriel Erde-Cohen, technical supervisor at We Clean Heat Pumps heating, ventilating and air conditioning services in Westminster West, Vermont.
“A more inexpensive, accessible model is hard to start, run and maintain, [and] there are also usually power fluctuations that come from a cheaper generator that can mess with electronics and appliances in the home.”
Erde-Cohen also said that while more expensive generators may have automatic starts and stops and smoother power flow, they need to be run regularly for maintenance, demanding extra gas or propane just to stay working well.
How to choose a generator for your home
Before scrolling through different home generators, De Loach says the first step is to calculate your usage.
“You actually have to reverse engineer the process,” he said. “Figure out what your critical moves [are] in the event of a storm, what is a necessity. If you have a four-bedroom house and two freezers and grandma on a breathing machine, then you need something that can handle a heavy load or something that’s going to run almost indefinitely.”
To help with your calculations, Willeford said a home air conditioner requires 1,000 watts of energy for every 600 square feet of home. “A gas heater uses around 1,000 watts and electric portable heaters use around 2,000 watts,” Willeford added. “A refrigerator uses between 350-750 watts.” Add up everything you plan to use, and you’ll need at least that much running power.
Beyond wattage, Willeford encourages you to think about your living needs and demands. “Next is noise. If you live in the country, a loud generator may not be an issue. But if you live in a neighborhood, there are many quiet generator models,” Willeford says. “Then, you will need to decide which fuel source: gas, diesel or propane.”
To help you find your backup power source, the experts shared their favorite home generators and a couple of power banks for good measure.
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