Category: Generators

Portable Power Stations vs. Generators: Which is Best for You for Backup Home Power?

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Portable Power Stations vs. Generators: Which is Best for You for Backup Home Power?

When the lights go out, having a reliable backup power source is crucial. Portable power stations and generators are two popular options, but which one is right for your needs? Let’s break down their differences to help you decide.

What Are Portable Power Stations and Generators?

  • Portable Power Stations: These are rechargeable battery-powered devices that provide electricity without the noise or emissions of traditional generators. They’re often lightweight, compact, and easy to use, making them an eco-friendly choice for backup power.
  • Generators: Typically powered by gasoline, propane, or diesel, generators produce electricity by burning fuel. They’re known for their high power output, making them a dependable option for long-term outages or powering multiple appliances simultaneously.

Key Differences Between Portable Power Stations and Generators

1. Power Output

  • Portable Power Stations: Best suited for smaller devices like phones, laptops, and lights. Some high-capacity models can run larger appliances but may have limited runtime.
  • Generators: Designed to handle heavier loads, such as refrigerators, HVAC systems, and entire home circuits. If you need to power multiple large devices, a generator might be the better choice.

2. Noise Levels

  • Portable Power Stations: Virtually silent, making them ideal for indoor use or noise-sensitive areas. You’ll never have to worry about disturbing your neighbors.
  • Generators: Typically noisy, especially older models. If you’re concerned about the noise, check out our article on portable generators your neighbors will envy.

3. Environmental Impact

  • Portable Power Stations: Emission-free and can often be recharged using solar panels, making them a sustainable choice. Explore other eco-friendly options in our guide to types of electricity generation.
  • Generators: Produce emissions and require fossil fuels, which can contribute to air pollution.

4. Cost

  • Portable Power Stations: Initial costs are generally higher, but they save money over time with no fuel expenses. Check out options like these portable power station on Amazon.
  • Generators: Often more affordable upfront, but fuel and maintenance costs can add up. For a reliable generator, consider these highly rated models.

5. Ease of Use

  • Portable Power Stations: Plug-and-play simplicity with no need for fuel or extensive setup.
  • Generators: Require fuel storage, regular maintenance, and manual starting, which might not be suitable for everyone.

Which One Should You Choose?

Your choice depends on your power needs, budget, and preferences:

  • Portable Power Stations are ideal for short-term use, portability, and eco-conscious homeowners.
  • Generators are better for extended outages and powering heavy-duty appliances.

Investing in the right backup power solution not only keeps your home running smoothly during outages but also provides peace of mind. Whether you’re leaning towards a silent, sustainable power station or a robust generator, make an informed choice that suits your lifestyle.

Portable Generators – All Your Neighbors Will be Jealous as they Sit in the Dark

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Portable generators are becoming a very popular way to keep the power on. There are many things that can knock the power out. The biggest being storms. Whether they are ice storms, thunderstorms or just plain windstorms, a power outage can be a major inconvenience. So what do you do? You go shopping for a portable generator. But, with all of the choices available where do you start? How many watts do you need? Do you need 120v or 240v? How do you connect it to your house?  Read on as we tackle these questions.

When Shopping for Portable Generators, where do you Start?

If you are keen on making your neighbors jealous when their power is out and yours is not, you need to start shopping and buy your portable generator before the storm. So, that is the first place to start. Make sure that you are not waiting on the natural disaster to begin shopping. Prices can be higher during a natural disaster and supplies may be limited.

You can do your shopping at many of the big box hardware stores or even online at sites like Amazon. There are several things that you need to consider when buying a portable generator. The biggest two are watts and voltage. When looking at these quantities you need to first decide what it is that you want to power when the power is out. Which leads us to our next point.

How many Watts do you Need?

To decide how many watts your portable generator needs to put out you first need to decide what you want to power. Do you want just lights so you can see at night? Does your refrigerator need to have power so your food does not spoil? Do you want to have heat? These are all considerations to take into account when deciding how many watts you need. All of your appliances have wattage ratings. So, decide what you want to power and then go and check the ratings of each appliance.

After you have checked the wattage ratings of your appliances add them up. This will give you the amount of wattage that your generator needs to put out. A word of caution here. Most people want to power their entire homes with a portable generator. While there are some models that are capable of doing this for smaller homes, that is not their intention. The intention is to run critical loads or essential loads. These are the loads that are most essential. If you live in a very cold climate your heating system may be a critical load. Most people choose their refrigerator and a few sets of lights as critical loads.








Should you buy a 120v or 240v Portable Generator?

The answer here depends on what you have chosen as your critical loads. If they are all 120v, such as lights and the refrigerator, then a 120v generator will work just fine. If you are wanting to power your heating system, water heater, or stove then you should consider a 240v generator. Some well pumps are also 240v. So, if you need to power a well pump you need to check the voltage of it as well.

How do you connect your Portable Generator to your House?

Connecting portable generators to your house is a job for a licensed electrician. They will install a transfer switch along with new breakers for the essential loads that you choose. This ensures that when the power does go out and you use your generator that no power will be put back on the grid. Keeping your generator power separated from grid power keeps the lineman safe.

Do not just fashion a drop cord with two ends that plug in and plug it into the wall. First of all this is illegal. Second, you can put power back on the grid this way and cause serious injury or death to someone working on the power lines. Also, if you do this you will try to run your whole house off of it. The extension cord is not rated for this and neither is the receptacle that you have it plugged into. You can burn your house down doing this.

This should be a no brainer, but make sure your portable generator is outside when using it. The exhaust from the generator can be deadly.

Conclusion

Portable generators can be a great addition to your home. They can keep the lights on and make your neighbors jealous. They can also be used to make sure that your food does not spoil during a storm. Make sure that when you are deciding what you want to power that you add up the wattage of each appliance. Then decide if you need a 120v or a 240v generator. Finally, once you have made your purchase, contact a licensed electrician to get everything installed in a safe and professional way.

If you are looking at an alternative to a traditional generator, check out our guide on Portable Power Stations vs. Generators.