Learn frequently asked beginner questions about generators, power tools, and green energy. Find out how to safely use, maintain and store your generators and other electrical devices and tools.
Propane and gas generators are useful to have around in the event of a power outage. You can use both of them to power your most important appliances, such as a fridge, a heat pump, or house lighting. But, how do you choose between propane and gasoline generators? Which one is the best? Propane generators … Read more
If you live in an area with frequent power outages or if you want to get your welding job done while away from a wall power outlet, you’d need to find an alternative way to power your electric welding machine. The best and the most reliable solution for this problem is to use a portable … Read more
If you are a happy owner of a big camper that needs a 15,000 BTU air conditioner to cool it off, you might be wondering if a 3500W portable generator will have enough power to run it smoothly. A 15K AC is a large unit for long motorhomes or big rooms of 800-900 square feet. … Read more
Do you know the difference between a voltage regulator and a surge protector? A voltage regulator is designed to maintain a constant voltage level, while a surge protector is designed to protect your electrical devices from spikes. This is the main difference between the surge protector and voltage regulator which should already give you some … Read more
The Starting Watts is the peak power the generator can provide momentarily to start up a motor. The Running Watts is the continuous power that it delivers. The first term can also be called a “Surge current”, while the second term is a “Rated current”. Every portable generator has a marking with Running Watts power … Read more
The short answer is – No. However, it really depends on how much value the whole-house generator realistically adds for you when living in this house. Do you often experience power outages? Is your town or countryside located near the coastline or, maybe there are other severe weather increments that happen frequently such that your … Read more
No, a portable generator can not be run on natural gas. However, after some small modifications, this becomes possible. Any gasoline or propane portable generators don’t run on an NG out of the box. Unless you get one of the tri-fuel generators, the natural goes wouldn’t work as fuel to power up this machine. In … Read more
While a whole-house generator can run up to 3,000 hours continuously before the service is needed (as long as it has constant fuel refilling and regular oil replacement), less-powerful portable generators will usually run for up to 100 hours before the service is needed. There are many factors that will affect generator run time. This … Read more
Quite often you have to run a portable generator when it is raining. In case you want to try moving the generator inside in the hope to protect it from adverse weather conditions, I strongly advise you from doing that. Running a generator inside is dangerous for your health and sometimes life. Any kind of … Read more
A common question among generator owners is whether they should incorporate a surge protector into the setup. The answer isn’t a straightforward yes or no; rather, it hinges on various factors. There are scenarios where the inclusion of surge protection between a generator and your appliances is unequivocally advisable for protecting from electrical surges. Conversely, … Read more
