
Can other family members move it without your help? Can you move it even with everyone helping? How much fuel can you store, and where?
#Encased emergency generator portable#
(That’s why most portable generators come with wheels.) This is one hefty piece of machinery to move around.
#Encased emergency generator generator#
Can you handle the weight?įirst off, how much does the generator weigh? As mentioned, even the “small” generators are heavy, often over 100 pounds. Still interested? Here are a few other issues to consider. This makes them a favorite for week-end camping and tail-gating! Prices for inverter-generators start at below $400 and go up.

If your major concern is keeping your computers and telephones running, you’ll want an inverter style in order to be sure the power going into your devices is “clean.” Inverter-generators are generally smaller in size, weigh less, and are a lot quieter. Every year, people die from carbon monoxide poisoning because they run a generator in the garage!Ī third type of emergency power supply is the inverter-generator. Portable models are just as loud as the stand-by generators, too - so you’ll be bothering the neighbors if they are at all close to you! Even if you could stand the noise, you can’t run these inside the building due to emissions and perhaps fire danger. Costs range from around $500 (which would be a real bargain) to as much as $2,500. Most run on gasoline some are dual-fuel, which adds a propane option. You plug your appliances or equipment into the portable generator using extension cords. (Like your A/C.) As you can imagine, a whole-house stand-by generator is also a big investment – typically in the thousands of dollars.Įven the more efficient portable emergency generators for sale today - meant to power a few essential appliances - are about as big as a filing cabinet, and weigh close to 100 pounds. These are big, heavy (like 600 lbs.), and are relatively noisy. Depending on the size of your home, you are looking at at least a 10,000 Watt generator, and more likely 20,000 to run nearly every appliance and system.

It’s hooked up to a permanent source of fuel (probably natural gas) and switches on automatically when power goes off. It will be permanently installed outside, probably on its own pad. Second question: What different kinds of generators are there to choose from?Ī home stand-by generator is about as big as a stove, and weighs twice as much. Why not? Mostly, it has to do with logistics. If you live in a multi-family unit (an apartment, for example, or in a mobile home park), it’s unlikely that a generator will work for you. If you live in a single family home with a lot of space around it, having a generator may make sense for emergency power. First question: what’s your neighborhood like? But is a generator the solution? If so, what’s the best generator for emergencies? Let’s take a closer look.

And the news about power outages is ominous.

We depend so much on electricity for just about everything we do that it becomes a major concern in an emergency. What should I be looking for? More on electricity?Įmphatically, Yes! Why do we dwell so much on electrical power? It’s simple.
