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Together with the above shopping considerations, these answers provide you with just about everything you need to know about emergency power generators. Several factors can affect each type of generator’s overall functionality when the power goes out. Keep the following considerations in mind when searching for the best home generator to keep you powered up when severe weather or a natural disaster causes an outage. Still, a clean electrical current and quiet operation in a lightweight, easy-to-stow package make the Honda an excellent choice for a home backup generator. Whether you’re looking for a generator to run an entire home or to power only a few essentials, you can find a top-notch one in this lineup.
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It comes with a five-year warranty and has Wi-Fi capabilities, which allow you to check the status of your generator at all times, affording peace of mind in storm season. The Generac 22-kW is designed to power your entire house, which means you will have every comfort you’re used to while waiting for your regular power to come back on. Generac also offers 24/7 customer service if you do have any issues, since the power always seems to cut out outside of business hours. It’s also important to consider that while generators are certainly a hefty investment, they will pass the test of time.
DuroMax XP12000EH Dual Fuel Home Generator
The watts produced by a generator quantify the generator's ability to power whatever is plugged into it. This is one of the most important things to know about any generator you’re considering. If you live in a hot weather climate, a liquid-cooled generator like the Generac Protector QS is a great option. It operates quietly and has a longer lifespan thanks to its closed coolant recovery system. This system helps the engine handle high power loads and increased temperatures more effectively.
Yes, You Need a Transfer Switch
Power output is significantly reduced, but it can keep up with essential items in the event of a power failure. In our quest to find the best home generators, we've delved into the details, scrutinizing factors like size, wattage, fuel source, battery life, and maintenance requirements across dozens of models. If you have a small home or need fewer watts of power, the Generac PowerPact 7,500 Watt Standby Generator is a great option. The PowerPact includes most of the same features as Generac’s larger models while requiring the smallest footprint of those we’ve ranked.
We also look at how easy it is to move and use a generator, as well as how efficiently it uses gasoline and how long it runs on a single tank. The best small whole-house generators in our ratings put out less than 10,000 watts of power but often run longer on propane than larger standby generators. Note that while smaller models are less expensive to purchase, the installation costs are comparable to a larger model, so your overall savings on the project might not be as large as you expect.
Today, when he's not testing tools or writing for Popular Mechanics, he's busy keeping up with the projects at his old farmhouse in eastern Pennsylvania. Typically, you can also monitor your generator through an app or other connection, though extra equipment may be required at installation. The advantages of propane include its affordability and its “cleaner” burn, meaning it leaves little to no contamination. Some houses have a permanent propane tank, but propane is also available in smaller containers at grocery stores, hardwood stores and even gas stations.
The Best Propane Generators for Emergencies and Home Use, Tested
Once a power outage is identified, the generator’s engine is automatically activated and fueled by natural gas, propane or diesel stored on site. This engine drives an alternator to produce electricity, which is then converted to the appropriate voltage and frequency for household use. It’s hard to beat Westinghouse’s 4,500-watt inverter generator for power output, versatility, and portability. It’s not the highest-wattage model we tested, but it excelled at running several power tools, including grinders and saws, as well as the essentials in our travel trailer. Though home generators can be true life savers, the risk of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning is real if they’re not used properly. Never operate a generator inside a home or garage, even if the windows and doors are open.
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For a more complete list, check out our report on how to pick the right size generator for your house. Brad Ford has spent most of his life using tools to fix, build, or make things. Growing up he worked on a farm, where he learned to weld, repair, and paint equipment. From the farm he went to work at a classic car dealer, repairing and servicing Rolls Royces, Bentleys, and Jaguars.
Whether it’s finding great products or discovering helpful advice, we’ll help you get it right (the first time). The Ego Power+ Nexus Power Station PST3042 is typically priced in line with a high-end generator, around $1,200 or about $100 more than the Honda EU2200i. A third option with four 5.0 Ah batteries, the PST3041, is also available and will have a slightly better run time. The batteries are covered by a three-year warranty, and the Power+ Nexus itself has a five-year warranty. Because the Power+ Nexus can operate inside, it minimizes the use of extension cords and allows you to move it around the home at will. If you’re going from room to room during an outage, for example, and want to use lights in each new spot, you can take the Power+ Nexus around with you.
If the Honda EU2200i is out of your budget, we recommend the Ryobi RYi2322VNM Bluetooth inverter generator. The RYi2322VNM also offers a serious price break from the EU2200i, typically costing under $650, right in line with the other quality non-Honda generators we’ve seen. Prior to the arrival of Bluetooth technology in generators, these calculations were a bit of a guessing game unless you had a keen awareness of the specific electrical draw of each of your household devices. Without these precise numbers, it’s all too easy to either underutilize the generator’s available power or, worse, constantly overload it.
This information also displays in the Bluetooth app, where you can switch eco mode on and off and reset the generator in case of an overload so it begins producing power again. When other generators overload, you need to shut them off and restart them manually. All of these added features in the Ryobi app have the potential to prevent trips outside to the generator in inclement weather.
It runs at 70 dBA, quieter than most portable models but louder than you might want in a small home. Additionally, some customers have reported issues with starting and run time after more than five years of use. Overall, we were very impressed with the Ego Power+ Nexus Power Station, but as good as it is and as much as we enjoyed using it, we need to be clear about the expectations you can have for the battery life. Under the same 1,900-watt load that we tested the other generators with, the Ego Power+ Nexus (with its two 7.5 Ah batteries) could sustain the draw for only about 20 minutes. (In contrast, the Honda EU2200i, on a single tank of gas, held a similar load for roughly three hours.) After that, the batteries are drained, and you’re looking at approximately eight hours of charge time.
It may cost less than $2,200–very little for a standby generator–but the Generac is fully capable of preventing the contents of your fridge from spoiling and keeping the inside of your house at a reasonable temperature. It can power up to eight circuits in your home, and runs significantly quieter than a portable generator. These may power selected, critical circuits during a power outage, or may provide power for the whole home.
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Portable generators, sometimes called backup generators, are used to provide temporary power when and where it is needed. While the smallest models can be picked up and carried, most have wheels and a handle to make transport easier. If you’re frequently working on large DIY projects, a large but technically portable power source may also come in handy when you need to charge up heavy-duty power tools and other gear.
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To determine the generator size you need, calculate the total number of watts your most essential electrical items consume. All electrical appliances are required to have a label that displays their wattage rating; you simply need to add together the wattage figure listed on each item you want to power during an electrical outage. This Champion 7,500-watt dual-fuel generator delivers enough electricity to power up an off-grid jobsite or keep critical home circuits running through a utility outage. It includes numerous convenience features, like a push-button electric starter, covered outlets, and a fold-out transport handle. This is a heavy model, weighing 211 pounds, but it mainly came assembled—all we had to do was attach the wheels and the handle.
These workhorses provide 7,000 to more than 8,000 watts of power and usually weigh upward of 200 pounds. They’re what you want to use to power most or all of your home’s essentials during a prolonged outage. Portable power stations offer a newer addition to the market and are made possible with the rising affordability of high-capacity batteries. These power stations do not use fuels like propane or gas, but instead charge via your home’s AC power and/or via solar panel. What’s great about portable power stations is they can be used inside your home or apartment since they do not produce any dangerous emissions.
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