Is there a difference between Portable Generators?
Portable generators are usually marketed for specific purposes. For job sites and industrial uses where the generator will be used daily for long periods at a time and for occasional use around the house or recreational purposes, such as camping, called consumer use.
The industrial portable is always powering multiple tools at the same time. Sound output is usually not a concern for these units, saving fuel is a concern. A portable designed for the job site is going to have an idle control for the down time, a heavy cradle around the working parts of the generator and possibly covers over the receptacles to protect them from dust and debris. A good representation of an industrial portable generator is the XG Series from Generac.
Consumer use portables are lighter weight they will feature mufflers that help lower the sound output and receptacles in configurations that accommodate use of common power cords. Using a portable generator as a back-up generator for your home or office will require an electrician to install a manual transfer switch if you don’t want to have power cords running everywhere. A good example of a recreational use generator is the Elite Series from Briggs & Stratton.
Warning: Never connect a generator directly to a home’s wiring! If you intend to connect a generator to your home’s electrical system, hire a qualified electrician to install a transfer switch.
Some features you may want to consider for your portable generator purchase are… wheels or wheel kits for easy mobility, circuit breaker protection for the outlets, easy starting, enough receptacles to do the job, run time of the fuel tank and engine protection which would be low oil level or low oil pressure shutdown.
Information | Sharon | 
July 29, 2010 12:55 pm
4 Comments
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By nancy counterman, August 4, 2010 @ 9:03 pm
what size generator would take for a 1400 sqft house natural gas and wired with switch you pull if power went off
how expensive is it to run on natural gas, pump , 2 refrigerators, freezer, hot tub, dishwasher 4 tvs ,furnance and airconditor,washer and dryer plus small appliances hair dryer satelite how do you figure what size you need 3 laptops so surge protection very necessary
By Sharon, August 5, 2010 @ 11:04 am
Surge protection is not something any home standby generator provides, they are voltage regulated to provide a very clean electric output and prevent voltage “spikes”, but just like the utility company they do not provide you with surge protection.
Based on the square footage of the house, the appliances you listed you want to back up, our best estimate is a 10-12kW with whole house managed power…something from the Briggs & Stratton series such as the 40243aATS2 ($2893.00)
Some questions we would need answered are…what is the amperage of your panel or service? and what is the size of your air conditioner?
The unit I recommended is a 10kW package with a 200 amp automatic transfer switch that operates on natural gas or propane.
Average cost to run the generator depends on the price you pay for fuel…the unit on the average will use 84 cubic feet/hour or 2.38 cubic meters/hour or 84,000 Btu’s per hour
Utility providers charge customers for natural gas in therms.
1 therm is equal to 100,000 Btu’s
It is also approximately 100 cubic feet of natural gas.
By james, August 15, 2010 @ 8:39 pm
Hi,Is that price include install $2893.00. Jim
By Sharon, August 16, 2010 @ 1:24 pm
No the price does not include installation, please feel free to contact us for local dealers in your area or use any licensed electrician.