Generators: Essentials You Must Know

Generators in Canada are becoming increasingly widespread as severe weather events occur more frequently. Everyone who lives in harsh weather conditions or a suburban region that experiences frequent power outages following storms is accustomed to hearing dozens of generators buzzing across the neighborhoods. 

And the great news is if you don't want to commit to a large unit that is permanently installed in your backyard; instead, there are portable generators that you can use when necessary and take with you when you go camping and have barbecues.

Moreover, Generator now available in different sizes, which make them more affordable for almost anyone who wants to keep one on hand. In this article, we will review everything you need to know about residential generators in Canada.

Different Types of Generators

There are three primary categories of generators, each with specific advantages and a variety of applications that can come in handy for your specific needs.

Standby Generators

A Standby generator or home generator can be widely used as a backup generator for your home. When the power goes out, it automatically turns on and turns off again. The majority of standby generators will also do routine self-diagnosis tests to make sure their systems are functioning properly.

Permanent standby generators need professional installation. Because of this, they are more expensive, but if you live somewhere where power outages are common, they are a wise investment. If you have any further questions regarding standby generator installation cost in Canada, contact Volts Energies' team of experts, and they will create a quote for your specific system.

Moreover, Businesses can benefit from using this kind of generator by avoiding downtime and possible loss of perishable inventory. Generally, Standby Generators can handle from 5KW Up to 22KW which is quite enough as an emergency generator for a house.

Portable Generators

A portable generator's purpose is obvious from its name: It is made to be easily moved from place to place. There are many different sizes and outputs of portable generators which means any customer with any different type of needs can have them.

A portable generator is perfect for emergency and leisure use and can be used to power tools during building projects or lighting and appliances during outdoor gatherings. Portable Generators in Canada are famous because people can use them in both emergency power outages in cold weather and camping trips during summer.

 Gas-powered portable generators must be used outside to prevent damage from pollution and they can normally manage from 1KW up to 9.5KW.

Inverter Generators

Portable generators are basically upgraded versions of inverter generators. Inverter generators are heavier, quieter, and more fuel-efficient than the typical portable generator, but they are also more complicated and a little more expensive. 

As we discussed before, same as portable generators, Inverter Generators in Canada are quite popular due to Canada's climate conditions. Moreover, When you need to power phones during a power outage or go camping, an inverter generator of this kind is perfect and they can manage from 1KW up to 9.5KW.

Reasons Why You Might Need a Generator

A generator gives you and your family peace of mind in addition to serving as a home backup power source. A generator is necessary in times of power outages, but it may also be useful for outdoor activities, entertainment, and house renovations. Here are some tips that enable you to think about your needs and see how having generators in your home can be a lifesaver.

Keeps Vital Systems operating

In an emergency, backup generators can power your home security system, protecting your family and valuables. Additionally, home backup generators can play a significant role for some families that have individuals who require medical equipment. When the electricity goes out, a generator can keep these life-saving devices operating.

The Severe Weather Conditions and Natural Disasters

Intense weather conditions, such as ice storms and severe rain, wind and snow, can also result in power outages. In the event of adverse weather or climatic circumstances, a generator will assist in keeping your appliances operational.

Perfect for Camping Vacations and Entertaining

A portable generator can be useful if your family likes to spend time outside. It can power heating and lighting at the cottage or lighting and sound systems at outdoor gatherings. Additionally, a portable generator can supply electricity while camping in isolated regions for safety. 

Moreover, during exterior remodeling or landscaping work, a portable generator can also be used to maintain machinery and power tools charged and operational.

Your home might suffer greatly from a power outage, especially if it lasts for several days or weeks. A generator can help make sure your house has enough electricity to maintain the proper charge or operation of critical items. This includes refrigerators, air conditioners, heaters, computers and cell phones.

How You can Choose the best Generators for home use?

Prior to selecting a generator, it's crucial to determine your secondary power requirements. You can simply answer these 3 important questions to find out your true needs before investing in any types of Generators: 1- What kind of wattage do you require overall? 2- What systems or appliances do you need to power? 3- Will you need to carry it with yourself during your camping trips? 

The size of your home and the things you need to power will largely determine which generator you choose. To run even the most essential appliances such as the refrigerator, heat, and water, the typical house will require at least 5,000 to 7,500 watts. There are choices that can power your complete house, but a portable home generator is frequently enough to get you through an outage. 

If you want complete power, you should buy a generator that is at least 20,000 watts; this also applies to people who have unusually large families or residences because they will need a lot more power than, a small family with two or three households.

After you find out the specific needs of your household, it’s the time to figure out which features you should look for, in order to buy the best generators in Canada. In this article, we will list important features that a good generators should have, to simplify for you the nightmare of reading through spec sheets for a long hours.

Capacity Matches your Power Requirements

After Calculating your power needs(You can simply find the wattage rating label on your appliances or use the online wattage calculator). There are different sizes of generators available on the market that you can find the one that is fit to your power needs.

Sound and Noise

The size of the generator and its noise level should be your next two main concerns after determining your power requirements. The size and sound of the generator are important because you'll probably need it close to your home whether you have a little yard or many acres of property.

Standby Generators are roughly 35*35*30 inches(It depends on the brand the capacity of the generators - You Can check the dimensions of each Generators on their spec sheets). So you also consider the sizes of the generator you want to buy compared to the space you have in your house.

Important Note!

Generators must be kept at least five feet away from openings like doors and windows, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) code.

Circuit Breakers 

One of the important features you should look for when you want to choose a generator is having Circuit Breaker. By preventing system overload, circuit breakers assist in preventing harm to the equipment and appliances you have connected to a generator.

Fuel Gauge 

Fuel Gauge also is the feature that can be a lifesaver for you. By helping Fuel Gauge you can see how much gasoline is still in the generator and when you need to provide more fuel.

Other Features

There are also features like Monitoring, Safety Shutdown, Automatic Idle Control and Automatic or Manual Transfer Switch that you can check depends on your specific needs. These features are not essentials but like many other devices, you can consider and compare them to their prices and see if it worth to pay more and have these features or not.   

Top picks Generators in Canada for YOU

Our experts in Volts Energies have tested many different generators among variety of brands and models from popular companies like Cummins, Generac, RVMP, Honda and here is the best Generators available on the Canada’s market.

QuiteConnect Series From Cummins

Quite Connect Series from Cummins has many options and sizes available for your home or small bussinesses; if you are looking for an efficient, secure, powerful standby generators. These generators are enhanced with sound insulated feature which made them perfect choice for residential purposes.

Moreover, these standby generators have remote diagnostics capability, compact design, intelligent load management and they are designed to used in harsh weather conditions.

Among different sizes in QuietConnect series, there are three top popular sizes available that enables you to pick the one which matches your power needs: Cummins 20KW, 17KW and 13KW Residential generators. QuietConnect also has 100KW generators for those who need the maximum power for the bigger residential purposes.

Cummins Onan Dual Fuel Portable Generator

The Onan Dual Fuel 9500df portable generator produces 9500 peak watts with 16 hours of run time at 25% load using Gasoline and 8 hours of run time at 25% using propane. This portable generator is one the best and powerful model available in Canada’s market with 3-year residential warranty and 1-year commercial warranty. If you are looking for a generator as a home emergency backup, this portable generator with battery and battery charger included is a suitable option for you.

This Onan Dual Fuel with remote start, transfer switch, Fuel Gauge and LED Display(Showing Volts, Frequency and Lifetime hours) can power large appliances such as air conditioner, washing machine, leaf blower.

Conclusion

In this article, we discussed about different types of generators, their features and introduce top picks of generator based on our customers point of view and our experts in Volts Energies. If you have any questions or concerns about generators, or you need installation, repair or maintenance services, contact us and our specialists will assist you in this regard.