There are many options for the home owner and business operator when the time comes to choose a generator: so many, in fact, that it can be very confusing to the uninitiated. What type of fuel do you prefer – diesel or petrol? Is your requirement for a small “emergency” generator for use in the home, or one with plenty of power to act as a back up when the mains electricity is not working in your business? If you don’t have much of an understanding of how portable generator work, you will find it difficult to choose.

How then, do you make a selection? Firstly, you should decide for what exact purpose you will require the generator, as this will help you to determine the capacity. If you need a new diesel generator for around the home, it would not make sense to choose a heavy duty industrial generator, as it would supply more power than you actually need. Similarly, if you need to run machinery, a small generator will not be enough as it is guaranteed to fail when you need it most.

Both diesel and petrol generators are similar in how they deliver power. Diesel electrical generators are quite often found in agricultural environments, on construction sites and in factories and warehouses: in fact, wherever you may need a portable and reliable source of energy. This can be due to the absence of mains power (for example construction sites) or the mains power cannot be relied upon (such as with agricultural areas and factories).

When you are working out your generator needs, you should choose the most efficient model. The size of the portable generators is determined by the output and speed as given by the manufacturer: usually, a more powerful generator has a higher output and speed. The majority of generators can be categorised between an output of 5KVA (kilovolt-ampere units) and 2500KVA. The generators with lower KVAs are suitable for home use, whereas the higher ones are more than ample for most industrial applications.

The model’s efficiency is the first step: however, it is also necessary to calculate the load you have to supply. To do this, you simply have to calculate the power demand, whether this is in the home or the business, during normal operating conditions. The amount of power that the generator can output will tell you whether it is powerful enough to meet the requirements of your home or business: the capacity of the fuel tank only indicates the number of hours the generator will operate between refueling.It is always wise to choose a generator that can supply a little more power than you need, thus reducing the eventuality of overloading.

Another factor you may have to think about is the decibel output of the diesel generator. Does the generator need to be run during the night in the home? If this is the case, it is a good idea to select a silent diesel generator as the noise output of these is considerably much reduced when compared to than traditional diesel generators. It is also sensible to opt for a silent diesel generator with a large fuel tank, to guarantee that it runs overnight, thereby avoiding refueling in the wee small hours. The decibel level is not such a critical factor if it is used in an industrial situation, or in daylight hours.

If the generator is to be operated only occasionally, it makes sense to purchase a good quality used generator, as this will save you a good deal of money.

Having a honda generator available for emergency situations, such as natural disasters or power outages, or even when there is no electricity supply available (camping is one such example) is a great idea. However, it pays to to do your homework and carefully choose a generator that best suits your individual needs.