Choosing a generator for emergency power

A couple of weeks ago, I did an overview of preparing for the upcoming hurricane season. I found myself thinking about a few things in my own preparedness as I wrote, particularly if the generator we have is adequate enough for my family’s current demands in an emergency. This led to further inquisition as to what our current requirements really are and what they would be if there were an emergency. It can be quite an eye opening exercise.

If you take the time to look at what the electrical demands of common household items are, it doesn’t take much to realize that prioritization of energy use is a must when using a generator. The prioritization process can be as simple as choosing the items that are a necessity in an emergency and then selecting which is the most important, the next important and so on. Once this list is completed, a tally can be made of the total watts required of these items. The total wattage required allows a decision to be made about the size of generator needed. As a general rule, the total wattage should be about half of the peak capacity of the generator. This allows for some wiggle room to account for temporary increases in power demands.

Power requirements of common household items

There are hundreds, maybe even thousands, of common household items that are familiar to most of us. The question is, of those particular “necessities” we have in our homes, which are the most vital to have in an emergency. Having an accurate tally of the energy requirements of these vital items, will allow a decision to be made of what the capabilities of the generator you need should be to power your home in an emergency.

Determining power requirements necessitates having the watts that each item uses per hour for accurate calculations. Usually the wattage is provided as a number that represents the number of watts used per hour.

Sometimes the power draw will be listed as amps and volts. A simple formula can be used to find the number of watts used by an item that provides amps and volts. This formula looks like:

WATTS = AMPS * VOLTAGE or W = A * V

An example of this formula in use would be a box fan that uses 3 amps at 110 volts:

W = 3A * 110V

W = 330

This same formula can be adjusted as needed by filling in the information available to determine the amps and voltage if one of those is not available and you would like to know them. An example would be a lamp that uses 40 watts and is 24 volts:

W = A * V

40 = A * 24

40/24 = A * 24/24

1.6 = A

If the amps are the only thing that is known, then the voltage of a particular item can often be found by searching online or calling the manufacturer.

From a simplicity standpoint, items that have a common plug that can be plugged into a normal extension cord or outlet are the easiest to use with a generator. However, the assistance of an electrician will allow a generator to be hooked up directly to an electrical panel as a way to power other items like a clothes dryer, water heater, central heat/air and the primary house lights/electrical outlets.

Common Household Energy Requirements (Average)

It’s important to note that all of the requirements outlined above are approximations. Due diligence should be performed to obtain accurate requirements from the actual items in your household. The power draw for a particular item can most often be found on a tag attached to the power cord, on the box that the item came in or in the product manual.

Types of generators

Once there is a clear understanding of how much power will be required for your emergency needs, a determination can be made of what type of generator and fuel type will be best suited for your needs.

The three basic types of generators are:

1. Home standby — These generators are the type that can be connected directly to an electrical panel and often kick on automatically if there is a power failure.
2. Portable — These generators tend to be the most affordable and, as the name suggests, can be moved around easily.
3. Inverter — These are typically very portable generators, but in comparison to their counterparts, do not require that they be run at 100 percent constantly as they can adjust with changing demands on the fly.

In many regards, a fuel choice is simply preferential but there are two major factors that contribute to this decision, the availability of fuels in your area and the safety of those different fuels. The four typical generator fuel sources include gasoline, diesel, propane and solar. Not all generators are limited to a single source of fuel though. As an example, my generator is fueled by gasoline but has a converter to run off of propane as well. Additional considerations for fuel choice include ventilation requirements and the sound level produced by the various fuel types.

Desirable generator features

While not all generators have the same or similar features, there are many available features to look for in a generator that will make their operation easier and, in many cases, safer. These additional features include:

• Automatic start — Typically found on standby generators that are permanently installed to a home’s electrical panel, this automatically turns the generator on in the event of a power outage. This is especially useful for those who may travel a lot, who have less knowledge or familiarity with equipment or who may be physically limited when it comes to their capabilities.
• Electric start — Just as it sounds, an electric start allows the user to start a generator without the somewhat irritating and sometimes exhausting effort required of a pull start engine.
• Fuel gauge — It can be difficult to tell how much fuel remains in the tank. This is only further complicated by darkness or bad weather. Having a fuel gauge where the fuel level in the tank can be assessed with a quick look is very convenient and can avoid running out of fuel prematurely.
• Low-oil shutoff — This is a spectacular feature that can save your generator from mechanical failure that in turn, saves you a great headache and likely a fair amount of money. A low-oil shutoff senses a low oil level and will automatically shut off the engine before it is damaged.
• Multiple outlets — More than one set of outlets is more common with larger generators but is a very beneficial feature that allows the load on a generator to be spread among multiple outlets as well as allowing power cords to be run to multiple locations if need be.

My personal feeling is that a generator is well worth the money, especially in areas where power outages are a common occurrence or places that have a likelihood of being without power for an extended amount of time in the event of a disaster. The latter is one we are reminded of periodically because of our rural location.

There are plenty of options, considerations and concerns that should be addressed in the search for a generator but there are options to fit almost anyone’s needs. The last word for me on this subject is to always remember that you may get what you pay for and purchasing a generator is no exception. Don’t spend what you don’t have, but buy the best you can afford.

— Thomas Miller

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