Choosing Small Generators For Your Home...
My instructions were to go out and see what information I could find on small generators. No doubt if he wasn't so busy he would have done it himself but he probably also realised that this would serve as an educational lesson on the subject. We decided that we were going to have to invest in a small generator before the next storm season, and now it is my job to find out which type will best suit our needs. We intend to use our small generator mainly at home for standby power in emergencies. There are at least a half a dozen times during the year that we lose power because of increased demand, and of course this is always when it is most inconvenient - either in the sweltering heat or the middle of a snowstorm. A couple of times we will also go camping and even though our friends have small generators it will be much more convenient having our own. This was actually the first thing that the salesman asked when I called in at the power equipment store.
Once we had established this, it was decided that we should opt for one of the small generators that were known for their quiet operation. Some home applications can however get away with regular models, but camping does require the super quiet operation. It was established that we had to tie this in with sufficient power to run household items in times of emergencies. I was then required to make a list all the appliances that needed to be run from the generator. This would then determine our wattage requirements which was going to determine what size generator we would need. All really very simple, or so I thought. In determining the small generator size we had to divide the power requirements into resistive and reactive loads. Now this is where it did get a bit confusing for me. OK, so I realise that it takes far more power to run the refrigerator than the toaster that is common sense, but as I found out air conditioners, furnace fans, freezers and things like power tools all have two or three modes of operation - start-up, running and loaded. Small generators need to have enough output to carry these different stages. Things like toasters, light bulbs, convection ovens, coffee makers and TV's are much simpler to understand. Fortunately we only need to keep the fridge, computer and lights going, which isn't a huge amount. After we sorted all this out and looked at all the small generators that would suit it was explained to me that the best and safest way to use small generators in the home is through a manual transfer switch. I can see the absolute sense of this as an essential safety measure to protect linesmen workers as well as avoiding the risk of our own property damage. I must admit, this really has been a task that has been quite enlightening and enjoyable. Most women aren't allowed to dabble in this typically male domain, but at least I know enough now to be able to confidently operate the generator on my own. |
