Best storm-worthy generators
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Storm season is upon us, and that can mean a blackout at your house for days, even weeks. But it doesn't have to result in rotten food in the fridge or fumbling around in the dark.
A generator can keep things running until the power comes back on. Consumer Reports just tested 14 power generators, ranging in price from around $700 to more than $3,000. Some are portable, and others are stationary.
Consumer Reports tests by hooking them up to small appliances, a water pump, and lights.
Testers found that with portable generators, run time depends on the type of fuel they use. Gasoline generators run 8 to 10 hours. Propane generators run through a tank in 4 to 6 hours. So whichever you choose, be aware that you'll need plenty of fuel on hand. And you'll need a transfer switch to safely hook up the generator. It can run up to $900.
Stationary generators are more convenient. They run on natural gas or a large tank of propane and start automatically in a power outage. Consumer Reports says that if you want to power your whole house, a large stationary generator would be better because it will power items such as your stove, dryer, central A/C system, and more.
Among stationary generators, Consumer Reports named the Generac CorePower 5837 a Best Buy. It costs $1,800, plus installation.
For far less, Consumer Reports recommends the portable Generac GP 5500. It will keep your basic necessities going for $670.
If you use a portable generator, Consumer Reports has this important caution: More than 100 people a year die from the carbon monoxide produced by portable generators and similar equipment. To be safe, never run a a generator inside a garage or shed. Always run it as far as possible from your house, ideally at least 10 to 15 feet, and away from any windows or doors.
A generator can keep things running until the power comes back on. Consumer Reports just tested 14 power generators, ranging in price from around $700 to more than $3,000. Some are portable, and others are stationary.
Consumer Reports tests by hooking them up to small appliances, a water pump, and lights.
Testers found that with portable generators, run time depends on the type of fuel they use. Gasoline generators run 8 to 10 hours. Propane generators run through a tank in 4 to 6 hours. So whichever you choose, be aware that you'll need plenty of fuel on hand. And you'll need a transfer switch to safely hook up the generator. It can run up to $900.
Stationary generators are more convenient. They run on natural gas or a large tank of propane and start automatically in a power outage. Consumer Reports says that if you want to power your whole house, a large stationary generator would be better because it will power items such as your stove, dryer, central A/C system, and more.
Among stationary generators, Consumer Reports named the Generac CorePower 5837 a Best Buy. It costs $1,800, plus installation.
For far less, Consumer Reports recommends the portable Generac GP 5500. It will keep your basic necessities going for $670.
If you use a portable generator, Consumer Reports has this important caution: More than 100 people a year die from the carbon monoxide produced by portable generators and similar equipment. To be safe, never run a a generator inside a garage or shed. Always run it as far as possible from your house, ideally at least 10 to 15 feet, and away from any windows or doors.
And make sure you use fuel stabilizer (Sta-bil) in your generator or it may not start when you need it! I wouldn't know anything about that...
What a worthless article. Does KOMO receive payment for advertising from Condemner Reports?
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Even the line about fuel consumption is at best misleading as it doesn't say a thing about how large a fuel tank or what load the generator supplies has to do with hours of run time.
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Anybody that has REAL questions about buying or using a generator please post and I will attempt an answer.
 @Furd For portable generators most of them run at a fixed rate and the load makes little difference in fuel consumption. The only time we've heard the generator act like it was under a heavy load was when the well pump started up or the elevator was in use. Unfortunately we didn't get quite a big enough one and when we need to use the elevator we have to turn off all the other circuits. Also it won't run the clothes dryer even when that's the only circuit open. We have both propane and gas and the numbers are a little low for the propane model but the gas is right on what we've used. One caution on the propane model, it uses the propane at such a fast rate that by the time half the bottle is used the rest is frozen and won't vaporize. I solved that by putting the tank in a large bucket with hot water about 2 hours after starting the tank.
 @jcman The generator will run at a constant speed but the fuel consumption most definitely changes with the electrical load. As for the propane tank icing up...that is an indication that you have too small of a propane tank.