Home electric generators
Power failures not only cause discomfort and interruption of everyday activities. A lot of valuable food is wasted causing a significant loss of money . If you happen to abandon your house during power outage, it may even be open to looting . Sometimes you may not be able to draw water from the well bringing life to a halt . These circumstances can happen to anyone anytime and that is the reason why most home owners invest in home electric generators . It will be a matter of life and death for some who need electricity to operate life saving devices like oxygen machines and elevators or need their medicines to be refrigerated .
Electric generators are vital when there is no other source of power supply . For example construction sites and camping sites use a lot of electricity and electric generators are the reliable source of electricity . Starting from 800 watts from the smallest of generators, more than 500 kilowatts of electricity can be produced by large industrial generators .
Home generators come in different sizes and specifications to suit many situations. The home generators normally produce an average of 10 to 40 kilowatt of electricity . There are two types of generators namely, Standby generators and Portable generators .
Standby generators
The standby generators are useful to overcome the hardships and harmful effects of power failure . They are alternative sources of power supply and are installed permanently in homes by being connected the home ?s power supply system. They mostly get their fuel supply from the gasoline or propane supply lines of the city .
Portable generators
The portable generators are suitable for use in places where there is no electricity. Places like construction sites and remote locations where people go for trekking or for picnic . They can also be used like standby generators during times of power outage. But they can be used only for a short while, a few hours continuously . They are less expensive and small in size. The smallest generator powered by gasoline has a 1 kilowatt capacity and the biggest generators can produce about 15 kilowatts . They have built in fuel tanks making them suitable for moving anywhere. Their power outlets can go with any ordinary power extension cords . The generators fitted with wheel kits make it easy to shift it to any place.
Basic Home generator
The basic home electric generators are fuelled by propane, gasoline, natural gas or diesel . The power generated by it is converted into electricity . A standard generator comprises of a motor and a generator head . To choose the home generator you need to know the exact voltage needed for the circumstances in your home. This will help you decide the model that can supply the sufficient wattage to run the appliances during power failure . In the Most houses have single phase 120 volts current . Most of them have a 120/240 volt service as the two are combined to supply the necessary voltage for certain appliances that need heavy voltage . Water pumps, air-conditioning and electric ranges usually consume need voltage. The voltage is determined by the existing circuit supplied by the electricity service in your area . But every additional appliance that you may want to use during power outage increases the wattage that expected to the drawn from the generator .
So the normal practice is to buy a generator that can produce 20 percent more wattage . While using the generator, care should be taken to use the minimum number of appliances at a time . This is because any mistake can result in explosion or fire or permanent damage to the appliance or severe injury to those operating it. Operating the minimum number of appliances can also help keep the generator in good working condition for a long time. Home generators that can keep track of operating time and with the diagnostics to make sure that it is serviced and maintained as per the instructions of the manufacturers.
Installation
Usually dealers may offer to deliver, install and maintain your home generator depending upon the location where you live. They come and evaluate the logistics of installing the home generator in your home. Or they can refer you to a competent and qualified electrician who can carry out the installation . Proper installation of the home electric generator is very critical as it is wired into your electricity supply system . Any negligence in this can cause damage to your appliances or the electrical wiring of the home . If the position of the generator is near the electric panel it will be easy for installation. Mostly they are installed on a concrete surface outside of your home or sometimes on hard rubber . Some dealers even offer to make the concrete pad but before the purchase it should ascertained what is included in the installation charge . A plumber may be needed to connect the gas or propane line . The connections must be of high quality as they are both sensitive to fuel pressure and its volume.
Transfer switch
An automatic transfer switch is a device that connects the home electric generator to the existing electrical system . It is a crucial safety measure that prevents feedback of the power from the generator back to the power grid of the neighborhood that could spell disaster . The transfer switch model depends on the size of your home electric generator . When there is a power failure, the generator will start and after stabilizing in a few seconds, the transfer switch will connect the generator to your home power supply system . When the power supply is back, the transfer switch disconnects the generator from your home power supply and the normal power supply will be restored . The installation of transfer switch may require permission from the local governments . So it must be installed by a licensed professional.
Devices or equipment to be run
During power outage you may want to run at least a few devices that are essential . Before buying the home generator, it is to be decided what the equipments are that you would run. Mostly the refrigerators, essential lights, freezers, security systems, well pumps or sump pumps etc . are powered by the home generators. With the addition of any electronic device, the wattage required will go up . Keeping the choice of devices to the minimum you can save on cost of running the home generator . It also makes sense to install a sub panel that will connect only a few essential appliances to the home generator . This way only the critical devices will work drawing power from the generator without putting heavy load on the generator. This also prevents the unplugging of any other equipment or overworking the generator. The setting up of the power panel may or may not be charged separately .
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