by Betty Carew

Created on: January 13, 2009   Last Updated: October 11, 2009

Depending on where you live may determine if you're going to buying a backup generator for a storm-ready home. If you live in an area that is prone to hurricanes, floods and tornadoes it would be very wise to have a backup system. If you live in a cold climate in the winter time like we do they are very much a necessity. In our area we live meters from the Atlantic Ocean which brings some pretty heavy snowstorms at times and with it we lose electricity. We put a lot of thought into buying a backup generator for our home but it was a good decision when we purchased it. There are a few things you should know before you purchase your generator.

Energy required

This will differ from home to home. There are certainly some appliances that will need power such as your refrigerator, your deep freeze or if it's in the summer maybe you need an air conditioner. It is possible to run a single air conditioner for one room but if you have central air it could be a problem. For an alternative in hot weather you can run a ceiling fan. To give you an idea of what size of generator you will need, 5000 to 7000 watt generators should be able to take care of2000 square feet.

Using a power cord

The simplest way to power your home is to run an extension cord from your generator into your home. Make sure you use a heavy enough cord to take the load. You also should make sure your cord has a three prong plug and never overload your circuit. You do have another option but it is a little more complicated where you can plug your backup generator directly into your electrical system. To do this you will need a certified electrician to install a manual transfer switch. It is very important that this be done by an electrician.

Decideing the price

When you go to purchase your backup generator you will find the price and features can vary. There are many options in prices like starting at $500.00 for a 2500 watt generator and can go up to very high prices from that. You can get backup generators that can turn on automatically as soon as there's a hint of power failure. This generator can be run on natural gas this will usually meet all your needs in power. So you will need to determine just what size of generator you'll need for your home. This is an example of the higher priced generators. We bought the lower price generator as it covers all our needs.

Fuel for your generator

Don't just buy enough fuel to fill up your generator's tank. Always have extra gas on hand and make sure it is stored properly. When electricity fails a gas powered generator will run approximately five hours per tank full of fuel, so be prepared to have more than you require for five hours. We lost the electricity for three days a while back. We did have enough fuel to keep us going. The same applies to propane or natural gas always try to keep enough to get you over tough times.

Generator maintenance

It is very important that you maintain your backup generator. It will not only need fuel but also oil on occasion. This is important to keep your generator in prime working order. Don't wait until you lose power to start up your generator. It should be started on regular bases to ensure it will run properly when you need it.

Generators are wonderful when you need them. You may not be able to run every electrical item in your home but you certainly will cover the important ones and this may get you through a hard time in an easy way. Our generator has not given us any problems but it certainly gives us peace of mind.

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