2019 Spring Home & Garden

PAGE 22 2019 SPRING HOME & GARDEN LINCOLN DAILY NEWS MAY 2, 2019 There are also inverters, which are generators used for outdoor activities. For our purpose, home generators for the home are the focus, which means thinking about two things: costs and location. Mike DiLauro, a market analyst in a video for Consumer Reports, speaks on one of the differences between portable and stationary generators. “Portable generators often cost much less than a stationary, and you can store them in your garage and take them out when you need them. A stationary generator is permanently installed, you need an electrician, and costs over $2,000.” Stationary generators have an advantage over portable machines due to fuel storage. Stationary generators running on natural gas are theoretically capable of running as long as necessary. Even if there is a need for propane, stationary machines can run on much larger storage tanks than a portable generator. Stationary generators can often power an entire house. Also, a stationary generator can be set up to turn on automatically if the power goes out. Such a feature is useful, especially if the house is empty when the power shuts off. This is helpful for situations such as power needed to keep well water pump, basement sump drainage and septic pumps going. Portable generators run on ethanol-free gas, diesel, propane, or natural gas. DiLauro suggests at least “10 to 25 gallons [of gas] on hand.” That makes for a lot of storage space solely for fuel that may not even be sufficient. Furthermore, gas in generators needs stabilizing additives, and experts suggest running the generator completely, even after the power is back, which might seem wasteful. Portable generators can run on propane, depending on the model, but that calls for several small tanks every day. The upside to portable generators, other than size, is that some have an electric start switch, which runs off of an onboard battery. This is much easier to operate than the electric pull- cord that other machines use. Generators buying guide | Consumer Reports Generator Buying Guide According to a video by Ryobi Tools, another thing to consider is the amount of power you will need the generator to handle. To do this, you need to add up the total wattage of the devices in your home, and find both the total CONTINUED u