Emergency power generator

All you need to know about emergency power generators

In today's modern world, we rely heavily on electricity to power our homes, businesses, and all of our personal devices. However, power outages can occur suddenly due to extreme weather conditions, infrastructure failures, interruptions caused by maintenance, or other unforeseen events.

In these situations, it is important to have an emergency power source to ensure that important work and processes can continue without interruption. This is where emergency power generators come into play.

What we're going to do in this article is to go over the importance of emergency generators, their uses, and the factors you should consider when choosing the right generator for your own personal needs.

Emergency generators, also known as backup generators, are devices that provide power during blackouts. They work by converting mechanical energy into electrical energy using a fuel-powered engine. Emergency generators come in different sizes and types, and they can be used in different areas.

What does an emergency generator do?

Uninterruptible power supply: Emergency power generators provide a reliable source of power during blackouts. This ensures that important services and operations can continue without interruption. Hospitals, data centers and other critical infrastructure, for example, need an uninterruptible power supply to function optimally.

Cost reduction: Power outages can result in significant financial losses for businesses. With an emergency generator, businesses can maintain operations during power outages, reducing the possible financial impact of such events.

Convenience: Emergency generators are easy to operate and quick to set up. They require minimal maintenance and can provide power for an extended period of time. In addition, you will also find the encapsulated inverter generators a perfect mobile power source due to their compactness and light weight.

How do I find the right emergency generator for me?

There are several factors to consider when choosing an emergency generator, such as:

• Power output: The output of the generator should be sufficient to meet your power needs. This depends on the size of the home or business and the devices that need to be supplied with electricity.
• Fuel: Emergency generators can be operated with various fuels, including diesel, petrol and natural gas. In addition, there are still devices that offer a dual fuel solution, that is, the supply and operation of the emergency generator with two types of fuel.
• Noise level: Emergency generators can be noisy, which can be a particular source of trouble in residential areas. Pay attention to the noise level of the generator and choose a device that meets your requirements.
• Maintenance: Emergency generators require regular maintenance to ensure the best performance. Watch out for the maintenance requirements of the generator and feel free to consult specialists if necessary.

The selection of emergency power generators on the market is as diverse as the possible applications of these practical devices. In the following sections, we will be happy to provide you with valuable tips and information so that you are guaranteed to find the emergency generator that suits you best.

Fields of application for an emergency generator

The constant availability of electricity has become something we all take for granted. It's only when there are no fixed mains sockets accessible or when power cuts occur for a longer period of time that you realize how dependent you actually are. And there are countless of these occasions: whether you're discovering the world in a camper van, cruising the oceans with a boat, hosting a party with friends in the open air, looking for peace and relaxation while camping or, say, building a house - a mobile emergency generator can quickly pay for itself.

Due to the powerful and at the same time flexible character of a DENQBAR Inverter emergency power generator, most models have a compact design. By means of handles or wheels, they are quickly transported and ready for use. Thanks to these features, they are made to charge a car battery in a remote area, for example. Even powering a music system or laptop on the spur of the moment is no longer a problem. Of course, there are also much larger models that can supply power to entire houses. A classic example is a hospital, where clinical supplies must of course be ensured during a power outage. Nevertheless, emergency generators are becoming increasingly popular, especially in private households.

When searching for a suitable device, you should definitely make sure that the power generator is equipped with the inverter technology. This feature increases the number of possible applications exorbitantly. We will explain in more detail what this means in the next sections.

Which fuel for my emergency generator?

The following fuels have become established for the operation of emergency generators: Petrol, diesel and, to a lesser extent, gas. Each option has its own specific advantages and disadvantages. Particularly with regard to purchase price, running costs, noise level at normal and full load, running behavior and possible areas of application of the emergency generator, the variants differ enormously in some cases. Which type is most suitable depends entirely on the individual needs and plans.

We would also like to warmly recommend our guide "Types of generators" to the interested reader as a source of further information on this topic, which can be found here.

Advantages of emergency generators with inverter technology

The term inverter has been mentioned several times now. But what is it all about? Inverter is best translated as power converter, because it converts direct current into alternating current. At the end of the process, a perfect and harmonic sinusoidal voltage in power grid quality is available to the connected consumers.

Since dangerous voltage fluctuations are ruled out in this way, even highly sensitive electronic consumers (e.g. personal computers, cell phones or televisions) can be operated safely. Conventional emergency power generators without inverter technology, on the other hand, would cause serious damage to the connected devices.

In an emergency genset with inverter technology, the combustion engine and the generator operate independently of each other. They can therefore run at different frequencies. This feature allows the emergency generator to optimally adjust the engine speed downward to the required amount of electrical energy in partial load operation. The genset is then not only significantly quieter, it also requires less fuel - good for our environment and also for your wallet.

How much power should my emergency generator provide?

This is probably the most decisive question in finding the right product and at the same time the most difficult, because unfortunately it cannot be answered in a general way. It all depends on which consumers you want to operate with the emergency generator. It makes a difference whether you only want to connect a radio (approx. 100 watts) or an electric hotplate with 1500 watts. Therefore, it is essential to think about the future use of the emergency generator before buying it. This way, you will find out quite quickly in which performance class you should look around.

To be completely on the safe side, you should always plan for a bit of upward movement in the performance. 20 to 30 % plus would be optimal. It's similar to a car: an engine that constantly has to push its performance limits will have a shorter lifespan. Not to mention the annoying noise level. Or to put it in a nutshell: an emergency generator that can produce a lot more power than the connected consumer needs runs much more quietly and has a longer service life.

At this point, we must address another point that prospective buyers tend to overlook: ignoring a possible starting current can have fatal consequences for the emergency generator! Devices which themselves have an electric motor installed (so-called inductive consumers, such as a chain saw), require a multiple of their rated power during the starting process. Values of 2 to 6 times the consumption compared to the normal operating power are not uncommon here. These power peaks are only called up for a fraction of a second, but they are needed to start the consuming device and the genset must be able to provide this power value. Therefore it is very important, especially with inductive consumers, to study the manual carefully and, if necessary, to contact the manufacturer. The manufacturer will be able to tell you the exact starting current. With this knowledge it will be much easier to find a sufficiently powerful emergency generator.

You can find more details on this important topic in our guide about starting current.

How long will my emergency generator run on a single fill?

This question cannot be answered in general terms either, as many factors have an influence on fuel consumption. It is clear that small and very compact models have a smaller tank capacity than larger-dimensioned emergency generators. Also, power-hungry loads will consume more fuel than the somewhat modest ones. But to give an approximate dimension: A 2 kW emergency generator will use about 0.75 liters of fuel per hour with a smaller consumer. At least if it has the inverter technology already mentioned. The downward adjustment of the speed in this case means that fuel consumption will also drop. This is an advantage over conventional power generators that should not be underestimated! Especially in emergency situations, it is ultimately the task of an emergency generator to run as long as possible and to ensure an uninterrupted power supply.

Does my emergency generator allow me to be mobile?

Whether in times of crisis or for recreational and hobby use, flexible and easy-to-transport emergency power generators quickly pay for themselves. We all know the clunky and heavy frame units. These are not only unattractive to look at, but also anything but easy to move. Inverter power generators, which have established themselves on the market in recent years, provide a good solution. These devices are usually manufactured in lightweight construction (capsule casing), which significantly reduces the weight. In addition, depending on the performance class, a handle, the practical trolley function (folding guide handle plus wheels) or, in the case of the largest models, transport wheels increase user-friendliness enormously. This means that even non-athletes can enjoy mobile power anytime and anywhere - easily transportable and therefore usable everywhere.

How loud is an emergency generator?

This question is not entirely unimportant, especially if you are interested in a healthy relationship with your neighbors and fellow human beings. You can turn it around however you like: unfortunately, a certain amount of noise will occur during the operation of an emergency generator. Every generator has an engine at its heart, and its operation is dictated by the laws of physics. What you can do, however, is to ensure that the decibel value falls into a much more pleasant range. That's why it's better to go for an encapsulated (i.e. fully enclosed) unit. These models have significantly better insulation properties than conventional frame units. In addition, the inverter emergency power generators come up with another trump in this point: Because the motor speed is optimally adapted to the amount of electrical energy required, the emergency generator runs much more quietly at partial load than devices without inverter technology.

Buy or rent?

The purchase of an emergency generator naturally means a certain financial investment, which some people may initially shy away from. One could therefore come to the idea of simply renting such a device if necessary. There are now several providers on the market where this would be possible. However, the daily rent for a proper device is rarely less than 50 EUR. If one considers that smaller emergency generators are offered by specialized dealers already starting from approx. 300 EUR for the purchase, the renting of a current generator becomes already a minus business after few days. The more so as you never know the condition of a rental unit that has already passed through many hands. An inverter-based emergency generator also has the advantage that the purchase costs are amortized even faster than with a conventional generator due to the fuel savings at partial load.

In the event of a major blackout, you will also most likely not be the only one interested in buying or renting an emergency generator at short notice. Due to the increased demand, prices will skyrocket, if you can even find a unit that is still available. That is why it is always better to buy an emergency generator than just to rent it. This saves a lot of money and you are well prepared for the worst case scenario.

What else do I need to consider?

In the previous chapters, we have provided a lot of helpful information and advice on the subject of emergency power generators, so that the most basic questions should be clarified. Nevertheless, there are some points that can quickly turn a hasty purchase into a bad investment - e.g. the issue of the starting current. So the old saying applies: don't just blindly buy the first or cheapest unit. Especially when it comes to emergency power generators, you should go for high-quality products that offer excellent value for money. Therefore, it is advisable to seek extensive advice from a specialist.

Advice: Don't hesitate to take a look at the relevant webshops on the Internet. Since pure online retailers have no distribution costs, they pass the price advantage directly on to the customer. Online retailers who are primarily interested in satisfied customers and not in quick sales will offer correspondingly extensive consulting services via telephone and e-mail. Customer reviews on Ebay, Amazon, Trusted Shops & Co. are very helpful in separating the wheat from the chaff when it comes to dealers. Once you have found an interesting emergency generator, it is worthwhile to "google" the model name. It is not uncommon to find interesting practical tests in this way in trade journals. If the emergency generator has convinced the editors and perhaps even won an award, you can hardly go wrong buying it.

In the following, we would like to introduce you to a few interesting emergency power generators from the DENQBAR product range. The spectrum extends from entry-level units (max. 2000 watts output) to the absolute top league in mobile power generation (max. 4200 watts output). The probability of finding the right emergency generator for every planned application is thus very high.

That was quite a lot of information on the subject of emergency generators. The most important points should be clarified and we think that we have brought some light into the darkness. In addition, we recommend that you read the Wikipedia entry on the topic of power generators to complete your knowledge.