With all of the talk lately about extreme weather, it’s no wonder generators are becoming more popular. Rain storms, ice storms, and snow storms have been known to take down electrical service to entire towns for weeks at a time. Most of us think of big, noisy boxes when we think of generators. Nowadays, there have been great advancements to reduce generator noise output. You no longer have to deal with the loud, constant noise in order to power yourself through the next storm.
What are the features to look for when you are in the market for a generator?
Determine what the generator will be used for. Will this generator be servicing your residence or business? Perhaps you are looking for a portable generator, which can service some appliances in your residence, as well as a boat, R.V. or camper; or maybe you need a permanently installed home or office generator system.
In the next step, you will need to determine the amount of power the generator will need to provide. This is an important equation. Make a list of all of the appliances that you need to power. Be sure to itemize the amount of power that each appliance requires to run. In addition, you need to notate the starting wattage for each appliance. It is very important that you list both of these numbers in order for the generator to operate effectively and efficiently.
Now that you have the power capacity of your generator figured out, you will consider what generator to buy. It is very important that you consider the noise output of a generator. Most generators will work day in and day out, and can become extremely noise pollutant. This is usually something that most people do not consider until they are forced to run their generators for a prolonged period of time. The whirring noise of a generator can become as annoying as nails on a chalkboard.
These days, generators are made to be almost silent. None of them will ever be 100% silent, but depending on their required power output, they come pretty close. Many models feature full enclosures of the generator, made of sound-proofing material. Other models use exhaust mufflers and/or exhaust silencers. These improvements greatly reduce their noise pollution.
Generators are usually available at your local outdoor power equipment store, or home improvement store. You should be able to “try out” the product, in order to familiarize yourself with the control panels and features. This will allow you to hear the generator as well. You can ask questions about installation, average cost to run the generator, and express any other concerns you may have.
Sitting in the dark is never fun. In the past, generators were expensive, hard to use and extremely noise pollutant. There has been tremendous growth in this industry in the last few years. Generators are much more affordable. They are easier to use. Most importantly, they are much quieter than the loud “power boxes” of the past. These features make them perfect companions for the next extreme weather occurrence.
