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It’s a fact: power outages happen. In fact, the USA has more power outages than any other developed country. When this happens, your life starts to fall apart. You can’t watch TV anymore, you can’t cook your dinner, and it could be days before the power comes back.
So what do you do?
One option is to use a backup generator. A backup generator is the best way for many homeowners to keep their life and their home running smoothly when power outages occur. Let’s take a look at what you need to know when choosing a backup generator for your power needs.
What’s the Use Case?
Your primary use for the backup generator is to keep essential items working in the case of an outage. That means it’s all about keeping your fridge, freezer, stove, or water heater going.
But if you have medical reasons for needing an emergency power supply, or it’s for work purposes such as machinery, then you’re going to want to spend a little extra for a better warranty or more reliable model.
What Size Backup Generator Do You Need?
The most important thing to consider when measuring the size of your backup generator is that you get a surge protector. The reason is that you’ll inevitably use it for more than just your fridge and freezer. You may want to use it for a few lamps, a space heater in wintertime, or even your computer to keep the data stored on your hard drive.
Oversizing your generator is tempting, but you might find your money best spent elsewhere. For example, consider a portable solar generator if you live in a warm climate, as opposed to a gasoline-powered one. Chances are you’ll end up with a much cleaner and more resourceful experience.
So do your research first before diving in and assuming you need the biggest generator you can afford.
What’s Your Budget?
Budget will play a big part in the amount you can spend on a backup generator. The main reason is that it will determine whether you can afford to buy a brand new generator or sacrifice age to get the size and quality you need.
There’s no right answer to this, so make sure you do all your research before investing. That’s true for a used model where your options for warranty are restricted. Not only that, you may find you need to spend more on repairs and maintenance, depending on the age of the generator itself.
Also read: Best Home Gadgets You Didn’t Know Exist
Look at Reviews Online
Before you look at any backup generator, make sure you check online reviews. It’s the best way to get impartial advice and information from real users using the product every day. You’ll see what features they love, what features they hate, and where some models have serious problems.
But with that said, it’s important to take these reviews with a grain of salt. Most of the time, the number of negative reviews is accurate. Yet those who are happy with their purchase don’t take the time to promote it online.
Where reviews are useful is not in the number of reviews but any common themes. For example, if everyone is saying “too noisy,” it doesn’t matter how many stars the review has. The chances are the backup generator is too noisy!
Something for All Power Needs
Hopefully, this article has given you a better idea of how to choose the right backup generator for your emergency power needs, and you’ll be up and running in no time!
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