Home generators are central to the emergency-readiness community. There isn’t much else that can prepare you for a natural disaster like a standby generator with an automatic transfer switch. Generators can be costly, so a homeowner need to figure out which home generator is best suited for their unique set of circumstances.

Home generators are generally powered or fueled by propane, gasoline, and diesel. Many models are able to be connected to a natural gas line. It can be a good idea before investing in a home generator system to know a little bit about each type ensuring that your choice is a strategic one. Home generators are often expensive but are real home security solutions so ensure to invest in a model that meets or even exceeds your needs.
Some things to consider when planning to buy a home generator:

How much time ,in your experience, will you require based on your frequency of power-outages on your property? Would you be better off getting a standby or portable unit? Is there one type of fuel that makes more sense for you than others? Will it be easy to come by in your area? Will your fuel be accessible in the event of a blackout because of a hurricane or earthquake? Does anyone in your household need actively running computers or servers? After determining these things, you will have a pretty good understanding of what type of system you should buy. Here are some more things to consider that may help you out.

Natural Gas:
The most widely-used fuel type when it comes to generator systems and is a cheap and stable fuel. Natural gas’ only downside is even it can be hard to find if you live remotely. Ensure that before purchasing to see what fuel type is convenient where you live. Natural gas generators connect to your home’s supply. So you never need to worry about refueling, which is a huge convenience for any homeowner. Additionally, NG, does not “gum-up” in your fuel line because it produces no hard by-products, is quieter than more common gasses during use, is well-suited to the winter months and contribute to a longer engine life.

The other side of the coin is that you may have no access to NG if there’s a hurricane or earthquake, and is a hazard if the NG connection is broken. There are also increased installation costsand fuel is rather expensive. 

Gasoline:
Gas is the most common kind of generator fuel because they use regular gas like vehicle engines. Additionally, with gas generators, the electrical yeild compared to generator weight is higher than all others.
Disadvantages include the gasoline starting to congeal, and gas only has a shelf life of 6 months.

Diesel:
One of the big advantages to using diesel is that it is extremely efficient. It’s great at powering construction equipment and the like and generators. Unfortunately, it is priced higher than most other fuels. In general, diesel is a logical solution in both cost and workability. Diesel is more stable than other gasses, diesel generators take less upkeep, and doesel doesn’t throw sparks as it is burned. Diesel generators are also designed to work for long periods, can operate in subarctic conditions, run on diesel which has a better shelf life than gasoline, are less costly over time, and is the easiest generator type to obtain.

On the negative side, diesel generators can be heard quite a distance away, are very heavy, and need to be thought-through before installation. Diesel systems are a long way from ‘green’ and you might not find convenient the times of day in which you will be able to leave it running.

Propane:
Propane is commonly used to fuel standby generators rather than other fuel types that are limited in the area. One big disadvantage of propaneA drwaback for propane is that it has been mor costly than regular gas in the past. Though, with gas prices going up, this disadvantage is now non-existent. Nothing is less expensive than propane these days. Any challenges that people used to have with propane are now in the past.
Some advantages of propane are that the fuel lasts a long time in a usable state, it won’t glog your fuel line, it isn’t ‘dirty’ and ‘green’. It starts great in cold weather. Propane also can be obtained easily during outages, has longer uninterrupted run times, and is easier on your motor over time.

However, propane generators are more complex, installation can be expensive, since you may need to hire a technician and should you need one, large reserve tanks aren’t as cheap or easy to find as propane itself is. If the lines are broken the propane can be very dangerous, and a propane generator can cost you more than a gas or diesel generator.

For more info go to: www.BackupHomePower.com

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