by Ann Triune

A few years back, people would be making fun of you if you owned a personal stand by generator at your house. A stand by generator was fit only for hospitals, businesses, and other establishments. Otherwise, it would be ridiculous. What people don’t know then is that the stand by generator was going to evolve into one of the most vital gadgets in the household.

Nowadays, it is all too common to own a standby generator. Families just couldn’t afford to go through yet another power outage. Important tasks might be delayed, their safety might be compromised and valuable information might get lost. If you do not want to risk this happening to you, the only answer would be for you to get a stand by generator.

What is a Stand-by Generator?

A stand by generator is a variation of the electric generator, and it is permanently installed. Just as with any electric generator, it is used to supply electricity in case of a power outage. A stand by generator basically functions like your average appliance, like your air-conditioning unit, but maybe with a few differences.

A stand by generator has an engine, rather than the electric motors of an AC unit. Obviously, when a power outage occurs, the electric motors of your AC cannot function, while the stand by generator can.

The stand by generator also uses an automatic transfer switch as opposed to the thermostat in your AC units in monitoring utility power. When a power outage occurs, the switch automatically turns the generator on, without any manual supervision. When power is restored, the automatic transfer switch turns the generator off.

What makes stand by generators better than portable generators?

Of course, everything depends on how you plan to use your generator. If you want it light and easy to carry around anywhere, you can go for a portable generator. But if you want a generator that operates by itself and with no human intervention (no need for you to turn it on every time a power outage occurs), the stand by generator is for you. You don’t need to carry a generator with you anywhere, don’t need to fill up a gas tank, and don’t need power cords to connect it.

OK. Now I know what a stand by generator is. What’s the first step in choosing the right one?

A stand by generator can either power the whole house or select circuits only. The first step in choosing one is to specify whether you want the whole house to be powered or only a few mission-critical circuits.

You can choose a stand by generator that powers the whole house if you really want to be protected from a power outage. Just be forewarned that these generators are very expensive. A 20-kilowatt liquid-cooled generator can cost anywhere from $6,275 to $12,500, and this still does not include installation costs and the automatic transfer switch.

For those who cannot afford a stand by generator that powers the whole house, you can use a select circuit stand by generator instead. It can power 8-16 circuits and costs just $1,999 to $3,850, inclusive of the automatic transfer switch.

Consider buying a stand by generator a wise investment. For those fortunate enough to have the financial resources, it is recommended you get one that powers the whole house. But for those who can’t, there are many tricks and tips available to make the most of your investment by restoring as many parts of the house as possible.

About the Author:

Get the top offers on stand by generator. Get online sources for your home power generator needs.

Buying a home power generator is never easy. There are just too many home power generators nowadays that come in different shapes, sizes, models and prices coming from various manufacturers and retailers. With all that, it is hard not to get confused. Hence, one who is planning on buying a home power generator tends to just go home with nothing in his hands other than more confusion.

In order for this not to happen to you, be sure to consider the factors discussed in this article that will help you in buying your next home power generator.

What is the first thing that I should take into account?

Since you will want to buy a home power generator for the purpose of supplying you electricity for emergency home power backup, the first thing you should bear in mind is the amount of electricity you usually need at home. Average-sized homes sized 1000-3000 square feet would need a generator that can produce 3000-5000 watts.

However, what really matters is not the size of your home, but the number of electrical devices you have at home. To get a more precise calculation of your energy consumption, you can sum up the number and type of electrical devices that will need to be powered at the same time. Watt ratings are usually printed on the electrical device itself, or it can be found at manuals and boxes. Add all the wattage requirements of all your electrical devices in order for you to get the overall wattage you’ll need from your generator.

Other than wattage capacity, here are some more features you must consider when looking for a home power generator.

Sound

Since you will be using the electric generator at home, you wouldn’t want it to be loud and noisy. Ask yourself how loud the unit is before buying one. As much as possible, buy one that produces minimal noise or no noise at all. This is so you can enjoy the comforts of your home without getting bothered by your generator.

Fuel Supply

Determine what type of fuel your generator will be running on. Today, gas, diesel, propane and natural gas can be used as a fuel. Also, check out the size of the tank so you can assess the number of hours operating time a generator can give you.

Portability

If you are the type that constantly rearranges the interiors of your home, you should choose a home power generator that is light enough to be carried by hand. If that cannot be avoided, get one that comes with wheels, or a transport trailer.

Weather Protection

If you plan to position your home power generator near your windows, consider getting one with a protected control panel. The control panel of your generator must be protected from rain, dust, and other debris.

Outlets

As a safety precaution, make sure you have enough outlets available to handle everything you need. Also bear in mind that they must be protected by a circuit breaker in order to avoid accidents that may lead to a fire.

As a whole, buying a home power generator is not as puzzling as you think it is if you only know what to look for in one.

Whether you’re moving, downsizing your home or going on an extended trip, you may find yourself in a position where you need to put some or all of your things into a self storage unit. If you have to put your things in storage, you should know that they will be exactly as you left them when you come to pick them up again. The things that you put into a storage unit are going to be things that you love and want to keep safe; otherwise they would have gone into the garbage instead of storage. There are a few things that you should keep in mind however, when you are putting your belongings into self storage in order to keep them in good condition, especially the special items such as paintings and family heirlooms.

Before you put your possessions into storage, you will need to categorize them and organize them so that you know the best kind of storage to put them in. A box of photo albums, a sailboat and a box of clothes may not all be stored in the same type of storage facility. You will want to look at all of your things carefully and decide which things go where.

Large items such as cars, boats and recreational vehicles can many times be stored in an outdoor shed or even just in a storage unit parking lot with a tarp pulled over them. You wouldn’t want to do that with a brand new convertible sports car however, so you may want to look into storage in a closed in unit such as a garage. This entirely depends on how you feel about your property. If you think that it will be ok in an open shed, then the decision is yours.

Other special items such as paintings, photo albums, special documents and antiques, may need to be stored in a heated and sealed indoor unit. Many self storage units are fairly open and although they have fans to keep the air circulating, there is still a lot of moisture that gets into your things. There is usually not enough to cause mildew or molding but definitely enough to make pages stick together and curl. If the items are important to you, you will want to inquire about a heated unit and preferably one that is sealed and the door leads into a hallway rather that to the outdoors.

When you are packing special items, it is always better to be cautious than to find that they have broken in the storage process when you open it up again. Anything breakable should be either wrapped in bubble wrap or packed in Styrofoam and kept in boxes. The more breakable things are, the higher up in the pile they should be. Always keep your china and glass figurines at the top of the pile of goodies just in case. With paintings, framed items and mirrors, you should pack them in special picture boxes that keep them safe or if you don’t have any of them, wrap them in blankets and tuck them somewhere safe where they won’t fall or have things fall on them.

If you are prepared and plan out your self storage strategies before you begin your move, you are sure to find your things exactly as you left them when you are able to get them back out of storage. All it takes is a little planning ahead and extra time when you’re packing. If you are unsure of how something should be packed, ask the people who run the self storage unit. They are experts in their field.