If you are looking to keep your lights on during an outage, here's what you need to consider when comparing home generators.
Power outages and blackouts are inconvenient and dangerous. Home generator can help. Whether you need a fridge running to keep medicine cold or you just don't want to deal with the interruption, you might turn to a backup generator (or a backup battery) to get you through a power outage. Generators aren't a one-size-fits-all solution, so you'll want to have a clear understanding of your needs and the features of a generator that best fit them. Below we have the important questions and answers you'll want to consider as well as an overview of the safety considerations. If you're looking for other options, consider the advancements in home backup batteries. When paired with solar panels, they can keep the lights on for days. What is a home generator? A generator is an appliance that can supply electricity for your home, your business or when you're on the go. Despite what the name implies, generators don't actually create electricity. Instead, they take another form of energy and convert it into electricity. Generators can be used to provide backup power to your home or business when there's an outage due to inclement weather, downed power lines or any other hazards. They can also be used to provide power on the go, such as when you're camping or traveling in an RV. Safety concerns Before choosing a generator, it's important to understand the safety considerations involved. Like anything that produces exhaust, generators can result in carbon monoxide poisoning if you aren't careful. To learn more about the safety considerations of generators, we spoke to Christopher Haas, a licensed master electrician and owner of Haas & Sons Electric. "Never run the generator in enclosed spaces, as they produce exhaust no different than your car or power tools and, that's not good for anyone due to CO poisoning," Haas said. "Even so, we recommend a portable CO detector to be certain exhaust doesn't find its way to your living quarters. These can be purchased easily online…