When you look around you will see that there are hundreds of kinds of generators. You will see that they come in all shapes, sizes, brands and types. It is very important that you choose the right emergency power generator to avoid damaging your equipment, the generator and potentially creating a safety hazard. The vital thing to keep in mind is that manufacturers engineer and design generators for specific scenarios and situations. As you may be aware of, you just cannot go and use a regular portable generator in place of a marine generator just like you cannot use a camping generator in place of a RV generator. You must obey these guidelines and your purchase will bring you years of satisfaction.

Before selecting a backup power generator, the total wattage of all appliances to be powered by the generator has to be measured. This has to include the starting wattage required by appliances with motors, such as refrigerators and freezers which generally use two or three times their normal wattage power to start. The generator should not only meet the normal wattage, but also the start up wattage of the appliances as well. Moreover, the generator must have the necessary voltage ratings to run electric appliances such as the ovens and clothes driers that are rated at 240 volts. A portable generator should have at least two receptacles of 120 volt each. Generators that provide a longer runtime per tank of fuel or having a fuel tank capacity of around 5 gallon of fuel are preferred especially, by people living in areas where power failures are quite frequent.

Portable generators can be found in your local hardware stores, as well as in chain stores such as Wal-Mart, K-Mart, Home Depot and Lowe’s. Portable generators can also be found online on the Internet. There are countless web sites are available on the World Wide Web that enable you to compare prices, research portable generators, and read consumer reviews of portable generators. No matter where you decide to purchase your portable generator from, it is a wise idea to speak with a licensed electrician about how to use and maintain it.