How to Buy a Generator 2

by Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger

22 Dec 2008 02:08 PM

Tis the season to lose power as wintery winds, snow storms, and ice coat the land here in most of the country. At our house here in the woods, we tend to lose power at least four of five times a year. This can be very inconvenient, especially since losing power also means losing heat and water.

Just two short weeks after we moved in to our home we purchased a generator. It was a very good investment. Here is a continuation of how you can choose your own household generator.

Let's talk about how much capacity you require from your generator. Generators are generally rated by Horse Power or HP. Watts may also be indicated.

First go around your home and add up the amount of power that you need to meet your basic requirements. Most systems and appliances will have the energy needed listed on the cord, the appliance or in the included documentation. You also may need to do a bit of calculating.

Watts= Volts X Amps

Amps= Watts / Volts

1 HP equals 746 watts

The generator provides electricity by rotating a disc. Because of this generators may also list the RPM, or revolutions per minute. Operating the generator at a slower RPM means that the output of electricity will be lower. Most manufacturers require that you operate the generator at a certain RPM.

Most appliances and systems require more energy to start up than to run, so keep this in mind when calculating your needs.

If you don't want to go through all of that calculation, check back again when I'll provide a chart of the general requirements of common appliances and system, a sort of cheat sheet. Use can use that guideline to add up your wattage, whether is for the well pump or a coffee maker. Information about the different types of fuel is also coming up.

Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, creating a home in the Home Blog, caring for little ones in the Baby Blog and now managing relationships in the Marriage Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here.

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Winter Weather Terms (3)

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Snow, Ice and Your Home

Learn more about Mary Ann Romans

Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer, wife and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, the kids and a 16-pound cat.

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mcmama (51978) 22 Dec 2008 08:18 PM

Thanks, it is really important to know about types of generators, safety etc. Not all can be used safely in house or garage - looking forward to article about types of fuel.

Mary Ann Romans (26876) 23 Dec 2008 10:06 AM

Thanks Janet. It is coming up soon.