The Top 5 Small Portable Generators

A generator takes the power from an outside source and converts it into electricity.  The outside source can either be a gas or diesel-powered engine to produce electricity, which is then converted into usable AC current for your home through the use of an inverter. The generator’s engine is hooked up to the generator via an internal transmission system. The engine will turn at a high RPMs (revolutions per minute) in order to compress air inside an attached piston chamber; this compressed air moves upward because of its higher density compared with that of the outside atmosphere, and when it reaches the top of the piston chamber, it forces its way out through a port located at the lower end of the chamber. This produces energy that is sent through the generator’s engine to an attached output coil, and the electricity is then produced.

While smaller generators might power your home for a day or two during an outage, they typically last longer than older backup generators. “The average life of a portable generator from 2005 to 2007 is somewhere between 8,000 and 12,000 hours,” says Hanks. “That’s usually when the internal parts start wearing out.” 

Smaller generators are in use 24 hours a day, so their typical life span is about two to three years. But if you follow proper maintenance guidelines (see sidebar) and choose one that matches your household’s needs, it should last much longer.  Your generator should be big enough to support all the devices you want to use during an outage, including major appliances and anything with a large power draw. “If you connect more loads than your generator can supply, it will eventually burn out,” says Erickson.

And while most generators have similar maintenance requirements — oil changes every 25 hours or so — those that run on fuel are subject to additional wear and tear from gasoline fumes and dust.  “The dry air is really hard on engines,” says Erickson. “A lot of times we’ll swap them out because they’re dirty internally after just a couple of months.” The average life span for portable gas-powered generators is about two years versus five years for those that run on a battery.

Fuel economy is not only about how many miles you can travel on a gallon of gas, it also includes the cost of maintenance and operating costs. Small portable generators are great for those who need electricity during power outages, but they are very limited in their range. For example, a small generator that runs off of gasoline or propane will be able to provide enough energy to run your appliances inside your home for just a few hours at best.  Efficient fuel consumption translates into low long term maintenance and operating costs which means more time enjoying the benefits of having an emergency backup source instead of constantly having to worry about refilling tanks as well as other major problems that would otherwise be avoided if you had opted to install solar panel systems on your roof.

This is why it is very important to educate yourself on all of the different choices you have when it comes to portable power.  To help make this process easy, we will be providing a full list of reviews for small power generators with a variety of fuel sources located at the bottom of this article.  All you need to do is go down the list and find one that meets your needs and budget.

Your generator will need to be grounded if it is not permanently installed in the home. Most portable generators that are used as backup sources for temporary power outages will not require a ground connection, but you should check with your local electrical inspection department to confirm that this is the case. For more information on whether or not your portable generator needs to be grounded, read below:

“Grounding a Generator usually isn’t required when there’s no permanent installation,” says Erickson. “The exception would be if you have metal pipes, which means you’d have to run grounding cables around them.” Otherwise, wiring directly into the house’s service panel saves time and money because it eliminates having to tie into existing 3-prong outlets. If a temporary generator is used outside and it is not grounded, the electricity coming out of the outlet will be ungrounded.

If you’re improperly grounding your portable generator, you risk deadly electrocution or a fire caused by faulty wiring. If you’re unsure about whether or not your portable generator needs to be grounded, read your installation manual carefully. Manufacturers always include information on this topic in their manuals.” 

A standard home requires 3 kW of continuous power capacity during normal use. A 3 kW generator can generate enough power for small items like your refrigerator or freezer but will not be enough to sustain other appliances that require more energy at the same time — such as your furnace and hot water heater — if they run simultaneously. How much each appliance uses depends on how old it is.  As appliances age, their energy requirements increase because of wear and tear, so newer models will generally be able to perform better under these conditions than older ones. Few Final Words? A portable solar system allows you to tap into the power of the sun to keep your portable generator fueled. The system includes a panel, charge controller and battery storage unit. You can use this system with generators rated from 2 kW to 30 kWh.