Most people are not that prepared for a big emergency. In fact, most people are not even prepared for a temporary power outage. Buying a portable generator and keeping it handy can prove vital when the electricity goes out. Important machines like respirators and more could be kept on for hours. For the average person, the lights and even the television could stay on too. It can not be overstated how useful a generator can be. Here are some tips for buying one!
1. Calculate your wattage needs and then buy something that can handle more than that.
A portable generator can only handle so many watts before bad things can happen like fires and whatnot. Therefore, a person needs to figure out how much wattage is necessary to power items in his or her household. Appliances require a lot of power at startup and then significantly less thereafter, so it is important to take that into account. Choosing a machine that can take a good amount of wattage above what is necessary is a smart idea to stay on the safe side.
2. Buy all of the necessary extension plugs and other items at the same time.
Using an indoor extension plug with one of these machines is a horrible idea and can lead to a fire. On that note, it is always best to use heavy duty extension cables and power transfer switches. Otherwise, a homeowner is putting everyone in the household at risk for injury or even death. Acquiring all of these things while purchasing the generator is a fairly good idea.
3. Buy some fuel for the generator to avoid forgetting about it later.
What use is a gasoline-powered generator if there is no fuel readily available during the emergency? Without a doubt, a person should buy a few gas canisters and fill them up with fuel right away. It should be stored with an additive that keeps the gas from deteriorating though. A person should not be caught with a generator and no fuel during a power outage. In that situation, gasoline from a station will not always be available.
4. Keep it small and mobile to avoid any issues during an emergency.
In most cases, a person will need to move the generator from a garage or storage shed to somewhere outside the house to avoid any carbon monoxide issues. It is pointless to have a bulky generator that cannot easily be moved during an emergency. Buying a portable machine on the smaller side that is easy to wheel around or carry is the best option. Typically, a smaller generator will still suit any household’s needs.
5. Do not think that you need to spend a fortune to get the best option available.
A portable generator can range in price from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars. Unfortunately, many people buy an overpriced option because they think it is the best thing out there. That is not the case at all though. It is important to find a good combination of price, features, and reliability when looking for a machine to power things in an emergency. For this machine, spending a fortune is unnecessary to say the least.
Are you prepared for an emergency?
If not, then you may want to go buy a portable generator soon. Electrical outages can occur at any time and may last for days in some cases. Of course, being without power for that long can be dangerous for some and simply an inconvenience for others. Luckily, these machines can power almost an entire home with the proper amount of fuel for quite some time. So what are you waiting for?
For more information, visit How to Buy the Right Backup Generator.