Comparing Portable and Standby Generators [infographic]

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It is a wise decision to have a plan in place for those times when the power goes out. Most people can manage short power outages to some degree, but a lengthy one would prove challenging. Since we can have severe weather at times here in the Charlotte, North Carolina area, it is prudent to have either a portable or standby generator installed. There are advantages involved with each type, and at Mister Sparky by Wise Electric Control Inc., we can help you determine which you need and get the electrical work done for whichever you decide. Let’s look at a few attributes of portable and standby generators, also called whole-house generators.

Comparing Portable and Standby Generators [infographic]

What You Should Know about Portable Generators

  • Limited output– Portable generators are suitable for power just a few items in a home as they generally provide something less than 17,500 watts of power with most units far less than that.
  • Noisy- You will definitely be able to hear it running and that could be problematic for sleeping or having a conversation nearby.
  • Portable- A definite plus of portable generators is that you can store them away when they aren’t needed and move them to wherever you need them when the power goes out.
  • Power transfer connection- Unless you plan to just plug one or two appliances into the generator itself, you’ll need an electrician to install a power transfer connection so you can power your home without endangering those working on the power lines.
  • Fuel- You’ll need to store fuel to operate your portable generator and change it out every so often as it does go bad without a stabilizer.

What You Should Know about Standby (Whole-House) Generators

  • More power- Standby generators come in a wide variety of wattage capacities, so you can power just what you feel you need to or everything in your home.
  • Automatic- A whole-house generator can be wired in and set to come on automatically whenever the power goes out.
  • Quiet- A standby generator is always going to be quieter than a portable one.
  • Direct connection- This type of generator is directly wired to your home and to the fuel source, be that natural gas or an LP fuel supply.