Sunday, July 12, 2009

Can You Do Without a Home Emergency Generator?

There are different types of home emergency generators that you can find in the market. There are standby and portable types that you can choose from depending on your power requirements. This device can also run in different types of fuel.

There are different types of fuel that this device uses and that the customer can choose from. The type of fuel for your device that you should choose should depend on the availability of fuel in your area. The good news is that most residential generators are bi-fuel. This means that they can run on both natural gas and LPG or propane. However, you will need a simple field adjustment to convert from one fuel to another. This type of home emergency generator is ideal if your house is supplied with gas, or if propane is ideally available in your area.

If you are opting for the natural gas model, you are required to check the gas pressure of the device. This is because there are some high power devices that need the pressure to be greater than the standard delivery pressure that is available in your home. In addition, the engine will not work if it is not supplied with the minimum fuel pressure that is specified by the manufacturer.

Natural gas pressure in residential installation is usually 0.2 - 0.25 psi or 6 to 7 inch water column. Thus, if you choose a device that requires a greater pressure, you will need to find out whether your gas utility company would provide this pressure for you before you buy this type of home emergency generator. This is because the gas utility company will need to install a separate gas meter for your device or they would have to change your existing meter to a higher-pressure one. If the existing gas meter is changed, then you will need to install an additional regulator to drop the pressure to the normal level for the rest of your gas appliances.

Natural gas standby models are ideal to supply electricity to your whole house. You have to remember that during major natural or other disasters, there might be a shortage of gas supply, which can interrupt the supply of power to your house. Thus, it is better if you have a multi-fuel back up system, which can let you easily switch to a different type of fuel when there is a shortage of gas.

If there is no natural gas supply in your residential area, then you will need to install a large propane gas tank that can be periodically refilled by a local distributor. The good thing about propane is that it has unlimited shelf life and is usually easily obtained during power shortages.

You can also choose to buy a diesel system. A diesel home emergency generator is the most efficient and maintenance free of all types of this device. However, the disadvantage is that the diesel system is also the most expensive. In addition, similar to gasoline, they may not also be available during a wide spread black out.



Autor: Martin Applebaum

Your guide to information on various types of generators such as portable propane generators. We also provide information for consumers on various brands as well. For more information please visit our site today. http://www.generatorsinfosite.com/

By Martin Applebaum


Added: July 12, 2009
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

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