Did you know that, according to The Washington Post, power grid problems cost Americans $150 billion per year? On top of that, today’s blackouts take an average of 20% longer to fix. Power outages are becoming an increasingly large problem. Residential blackouts often leave homeowners without heat, hot and/or running water, and with spoiled food. Businesses, on the other hand, may lose hours of productivity, sales, and profits from an extended blackout. However, there is one simple solution: generators. What generator is best suited for your needs?
Portable and Residential Generators
Small to mid-size portable units output 3,000 to 8,500 watts of power, or – in other words – enough power to run a refrigerator and a houseful of light fixtures. Small residential generators typically cost $400 to $1,000 each, according to The Boston Globe. Consumers can use widely accessible fuels, such as gasoline and natural gas, to power these units. Because of their size, most portable, home generators are relatively easy to move and store. Small generating sets, however, have their share of flaws. Small and medium-sized generators often cannot support large power drains, such as central heating or air conditioning.
Losing power in your home can be especially damaging if you live in an extremely hot or cold environment, or an environment particularly susceptible to powerful storms and natural disasters. In these circumstances, homeowners should consider a slightly more expensive – and more powerful – whole home generator.
Industrial Generators
Large, commercial generators, on the other hand, pack anywhere from 5,000 to 15,000 watts of power. Some pack enough wattage to keep a large building, and a considerable amount of machinery, running. Consumers can use natural gas or propane to fuel commercial generators, eliminating the need to store large amounts of highly flammable gasoline. The only downside? Large-scale, industrial generators start at $5,000 each; some may be as expensive as $10,000!
Power outages pose a growing number of inconveniences and risks. Choose a small, residential generator to stay comfortable during storms, or choose from heavy-duty industrial generators to keep your business up and running. Ger more information on this topic here.