How to Choose the Right Generator for your Needs

What is the purpose of getting a generator?

When you decide you need a generator it is usually because you have a specific use in mind. This is the precurser to actually picking up the proper generator. You will need to take into account whether the purpose is for recreational use or homes use.

For recreational use noise levels will be a definite consideration. You would not want to be at your favorite campsite and have the family in the next space running a loud generator. They in turn would not like it if you operated a noisy generator as well.

For home use the noise levels may not be as important. What is more important is the wattage requirements as well as tank capacity. Homes with lights, refrigerators, water heaters, stoves and ovens offer a challenge to a smaller generator. Purchasing a more capable generator is prudent. Another consideration is the type of appliance you will be running. A home computer as well as other sensitive electrical equipment requires clean power. That is power that does not have surges in it. Your generator will need to have an Automatic Voltage Regulator in it and you will need to plug your computer into a surge protector. This will protect your computer from "dirty power".

Construction or industrial use is another consideration. However AMP Generators is mainly focused on portable generators and home generators. click here for more information on choosing a commercial grade or industrial grade generator.

Power Required from your Generator

The power output of a generator is directly related to the Horse Power of the motor running the generator. A Generator produces AC power also called Alternating Current. This is the same kind of power that is supplied to your home by the local electric company. So, anything that you have connected to your home is powered by AC power and can also be powered by an electric generator.

When making your choice you will be confronted with a number. 5000 watts for example. What does this mean? The 5000 watts is the maximum power the generator will provide. This means the generator will be running at full power to output this many watts. You will want to consider this before deciding. You will want to choose a generator for its "rated" power and not its max power. Rated power is the output at 90% of Maximum power. A 5000 watt generator will output 4500 watts at rated power. This is the power provided over a long period of time. Generators should not run at maximum power for more than 30 minutes. You may burn up your unit. This is the reason rated power should be considered. If the absolute minimum power required is 5000 watts, you will need a 6000 watt generator.

A Wattage Calculator will help you determine how many watts you require.

Load Types

There are two types of loads to consider while shopping for your new generator. The first type are resistive loads. These, in a nutshell, are any electric appliance or load that do not have an electric motor. Some examples are stoves, irons, lamps or other lights, tv's, vcr's and so on. Resistive loads do not require any extra power to start.

The second type of load is called a Reactive load. These loads are appliances that have electric motors in them. Some examples are your refrigerator, air conditioner, table saws, furnaces, well pumps... etc. These types of loads may require up to 3 times their operational requirement. For example: you have an air conditioner that uses about 1500 watts of power to operate. Because the air conditioning unit has an electric motor it may require upto 4500 watts of power to get it going. The reason an electric motor requires so much power is because the motor is at a dead stop to begin with and now you want it to start turning. Not only that the motor is hooked up to a belt with a load on it. So, you are not only trying to get this motor going but you are also trying to move everything else that is connected mechanically to this motor. That takes extra power.

Portable Generator vs. stationary Generator

Portable generators are typically lower power generators than stationary generators. Portables also have a smaller fuel tank capacity than stationarys. However, some stationary generators come with wheel kits to make them portable

Portables are easily stored and then moved to the desired area where they can be used to run specific equipment or appliances. Make sure that the generator you do choose has plenty of outlets to plug in your equipment.

Noise levels may also be a consideration here.