Portable Generators:
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4 Things You Should Know
Before You Buy a Portable Generator

When the weather doesn't play nice, or another catastrophe happens, you never know when the power is going to go down. It can be many different causes. Maybe unusually cold ice broke the wires down, or perhaps a tornado forced the local power plant to shut off. Either way, your house is left with no power, and no light. That's why portable generators can be a life saver. But these little gadgets do more than save you in an emergency, they can also be useful when on the road, in remote locations where power may not be available. Here's some information about power generators, and four things you should know.

First, not all power generators are created equally. In fact, there's many different models. Typically, they are categorized based on the power they output, measured in watts. It can go from 600 watts to 5,000 watts or more, depending on how big they are and how expensive. That isn't to say that the lower ones won't be able to power up a light or some specific item you want to keep on. Usually, it's simply a matter of how long they will keep them on. A small one, for example, may keep a computer on for 30 minutes, or a light on for 4 hours. Because the light takes so much less power than the computer, that's why the time is different. This is something you need to keep in mind when going out to buy a portable generator. You need to know how much power you will need, and for how long. A good way to do this is to find out what the purpose of the generator will be. If you have critical work that you do on your computer and simply need to be able to close it properly should power go out, then you can get one of those small generators made for that. If, however, you need to power up several equipment for long periods of times even without power, then you will need something much bigger.

Typically, the price goes with the power they provide. Most portable generators that provide a good amount of juice will run you around $200 to $600, and these can usually keep several items running for a few hours. This can be good for power outages or if you go out on camping trips and need to keep some devices running, recharge a laptop, and so on. Another thing to keep in mind is the number of plugs on these. Typically, a generator is a big battery inside of a frame, and on top are a series of plugs. These are usually normal plugs as you find in any western home, so you can plug actual devices without needing a converter. However, each model has different number of plugs. If you need to keep several items running at once, you may want to make sure there's enough plugs available. Otherwise, you'll need an extension cord. Another detail to keep in mind is the size and weight. Some of the more expensive generators have wheels so carrying them around isn't a problem, but otherwise you'll have to carry them yourself, and they are usually very heavy.

Overall, most portable generators work in a very similar way, keeping power in large batteries, and providing that power when you need it, through the plugs. You still need to make sure to keep it charged up, otherwise it won't do you much good. But if you keep these tips in mind, you can make the right choice.