check your checklist
If there was a BEST portable generator for home use, this article would be very short. The first line of the article would name the brand and model number, and that would be it. Maybe I’d list some features and explain why I thought that it was.
And I COULD. But I WON’T. That’s not what we do at generatorgrader.com. You see the qualifier “home use” is so expansive, it could mean different things to you than it does for me.
If only life were so easy.
The shortest answer that I can come up with is, “it depends”. It depends on what you want the portable generator for? What do you need it to do? And after that, how much are you willing to pay? Are you looking for the best consumer rated for dependability? And even, how environmentally conscious are you? OK, let’s get into the basics…
We’ve all done this
Each time you can answer one of the qualifying questions, you can narrow down to YOUR “best” portable generator. Start by putting your questions in the order of “most important to you”. If a choice does not satisfy your most important requirement, then you can eliminate many, until you drill down to the one or two that will make you happy.
Here we are not referring to “standby generators”. Those are the big boys that are built-in stationary types that kick on when your home loses power. No, I’m talking about the other types. There are standard, common portable generators and inverter type portable generators. Both have their advantages and you can read those in detail on the article on this site, “What is a Portable Inverter Generator?” Portable generators are also known as engine-generators or gen-set in some circles.
Be advised if you live in California. The California Air Resources Board has more strict air quality guidelines. Some portable generators are not available in California for this reason. Most companies do, however manufacture “CARB compliant” portable generators.
Most people prefer a portable generator that runs on gasoline. You can also find models which run on diesel or liquid propane. Consider the availability, cost, convenience and versatility when deciding what fuel source is best for you.
Price
For the same amount of wattage, you will pay more for an inverter generator. For the price you get a more fuel efficient, quieter generator that produces cleaner power for sensitive electrical needs.
In both types, the more power supplied, the more you’ll pay, mostly because it will require a larger engine. Secondly, the more features that you get, the more you’ll pay. So if price is your most important qualifier, stay away from an inverter type. In a standard portable generator, you’ll want to stay away from multiple available features. That said, in the long term, if you use it a lot, you’ll save in fuel costs with an inverter type.
Some of the additional cost features that you may like are dual 120volt/240volt capability, volt meters, electric start, DC capability, run-time meter, outlet types, and others.
So what are you going to use it for?
Most people buy theirs for the emergency power outage
Many people consider purchasing a portable generator for an emergency power source when their power is interrupted due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances. Of respondents, most site spoiled food or flooding due to inactive sump pump as the main reason to get the emergency power. Water damage can easily exceed the cost of a good portable generator. Secondly, they need it to power the basic creature comforts such as lighting and entertainment.
You might wish to hook the portable generator into your home’s power supply. If you do, you will need a transfer switch (installed by a certified electrician) to which you can plug in your generator when needed. Then your household sockets and switches will work without the need to run extension cords throughout your house. You can read the article on transfer switch basics on this site.
If you need it to power your home in this way in an emergency, then you should consider a unit that can provide 5000 watts or more. General household needs can exceed this amount of power in a hurry. You can check out the article and the handy table on this site to estimate the amount of power you will need to power your devices “What Size Portable Generator do I Need?”
Will you need the comforts while camping?
If you are only planning to power single pieces of equipment at a time around the house, camping, or tailgating, you may be happy with a 3000 watt model or less. In that power outage, you will still be able to power your refrigerator and a couple of appliances or lights.
If you need to power sensitive electronic equipment, like computers and medical equipment, then consider an inverter type portable generator. There is a science about the quality of waves of electricity that you can read about on the article on inverter generators.
We often take power for granted and don’t realize it until we need it. My wife needs her hair dryer while camping!
Other Considerations
Noise in general, of the running engine is directly related to the amount of power provided (i.e. larger motor). Inverter generators are much quieter than standard portable generators, due to the way that they only power what is drawing power. A standard portable generator must always run at the same speed (3600 RPM) in order to produce the 120 volt, 60 Hz required.
Will you need it to be a work-horse?
I mentioned fuel efficiency and environment earlier, A standard portable generator will produce it’s stated running watts regardless of what’s plugged in. For example, a 5000 watt generator will produce at 5000 watts at it’s outlets, even if you are only powering a 100 watt light bulb. And you’ll be burning the gas accordingly. Wasteful, expensive and not very “green”.
Basically, the inverter type powers down when the full amount of power is not being used. It follows that the engine doesn’t need to run as hard and there is less noise.
When comparing noise, which is measured in decibels, know that the measuring scale is exponential. That’s a fancy word to say that an increase in 10 decibels means that the noise is TWICE as loud.
Reliability is always important. No one wants their investment to break down or not perform as expected – especially in an emergency. I recommend to stay with brands you trust and have a reputation for good customer service. Most will provide a one year limited warranty with a reduced warranty if the unit is to be used for commercial use. A good company like those reviewed on this site, stand behind their product. Also, depending upon where you purchase, the retailer with a good reputation will stand behind ANY brand that they sell. Companies like Amazon, Home Depot, Lowes, Walmart, Sears, and others, are obvious choices, but there are others with equal reputations.
The Best Portable Generator for Home Use
Place this seal on YOUR best
Check out the handy comparison table on this site to see many of these considerations side by side.
It’s been said that nobody ever wished they bought a portable generator with less features and less power, UNLESS they never use the features or need their money back. By the same token, there are many who wished that they had more power and features. Remember this regarding cost – pay for the power, pay for the features, pay for the quality. Buy as much as you can afford.
When I was shopping for a TV, the guiding principle was to buy as large a screen as I could afford. I did and I did not regret my decision. The same can be said when deciding which is the best portable generator for home use.
You may find portable generator companies NOT reviewed on this site. There are numerous good companies. They may be right for you. Do your research.
Make Me Choose
OK. Hold a gun to my head and make me choose. Here it is:
If you know that you will want to power your household in an emergency, I choose the WEN Brand with a running watt rating of 5000 watts or more. The WEN 56682 is a good choice at 7000 watts. It will be enough to power your necessities like your refrigerator, freezer, and sump pump ongoing, while providing enough extra watts to run several other devices without unplugging. It has enough to hook into your home’s power supply. Remember you’ll need to install a transfer switch.
This WEN model can supply 120V or 240v at the flip of a switch. You can get the electric start so that ANY family member can start it. Included is a DC outlet for 12V needs. It comes with the wheel kit to move from location to location easily. The run time meter is convenient, especially when it comes to maintenance scheduling. It is reliable, thus the TWO year warranty, and the company has good customer service.
If you need less power and opt for the benefits of an inverter type, I choose the Yamaha at about 1600 running watts such as the Yamaha EF2000is. You will be able to run your refrigerator in an emergency, but will find it useful for the other frequent, non-power outage uses. It is fuel efficient, can run your computer or medical equipment safely, and is one of the quietest around. It is less expensive than the equally rated Honda models.
Don’t expect to run more than one device at a time and you will be happy with this one. You won’t be able to run your biggest power hogs, If you do need a bit more power, you can run two of these at a time with the optional connector.
Contact Me
Finally, feel free to start a dialogue with me in the comments section. Together, we can figure out for you, the best portable generator for home use. Good luck.
Filed under: Articles • Best Home Use
Is there a nat gas conversion kit for the WEN 56682 ?
Hi Rob,
Although not mentioned specifically, there is a conversion kit sold that guarantees that it will work with any gasoline generator. It is made by motor snorkel and the page on amazon is:
http://www.amazon.com/Propane-Natural-Conversion-Models-Generators/dp/B00M8HHOES/
Good luck.
Ray
Hi Ray,
I’m in the portable generator market and I’ve done my share of research over the last several months. I’m still having trouble deciding which one to choose. For me, there really isn’t a clear choice.
1. Many are made in China and I have seen too many reviews about quality issues, not just blemish issues from shipping. I understand there can be maintenance issues in years to come, but that aside, I’m willing to spend a little extra knowing that a generator will work when I need it and not just when I purchased it. Even if I get lucky with a decent fabrication, what kind of longevity am I looking at with a generator?
2. I’m really concerned with sensitive equipment in my home. I have a new furnace with electronics built into it, my home computer, and a few other things that are digital. In a way, this relates back to my first question concerning quality. A generator might be designed and advertised for a given THD, but the manufacturing isn’t up to par and the THD may not be what it should be. Yes, warrantee issues would apply, but then I have to deal with a repair or a return and I’m hoping to avoid that if I can. Plus I might have to prove what the THD is and electrical analyzers are too expensive. Inverters are the best way to go for this issue, but it sounds like if it the THD is under 5%, I should be ok. Is there any way that I can confirm what the actual THD is and not just what a given manufacturer is advertising?
3. Many generator manufacturers advertise that they can save on fuel consumption by automatically reducing the throttle control until additional power is called for. This causes a delay between the electrical motor inside the home trying to power up and the time it takes the generator to throttle up to supply that power. This can cause damage to the electrical motor. However, from all of the articles that I’ve read about this issue; they are all talking about large industrial size motors. Although the issue applies to any electrical motor, I can’t find any information as to how bad it might be for your typical home use. One manufacturer that I’m interested in doesn’t use this automatic throttle control in their home generator product line for this reason. But their generators are more expensive and then there is the fuel consumption issue. This has become a real catch-22 for me. But since many manufacturer’s use this throttle control feature, I have to wonder how risky it really is. Is this a real risk for electrical motors in my home?
4. Multi-fuel systems. I have NG running into my home and having a multi-fuel generator (pre-built or with an add-on conversion kit) makes sense to me. I have read some information that states that you need to buy a generator that is made for vapor fuels (LPG, NG). They are supposed to be built to handle the hotter temperatures of vapor fuels over gasoline. But I have my doubts on that since no one is advertising that the engine is specifically designed to handle the hotter temps. The only difference is probably the carburetor and there are many conversion kits out there for aftermarket conversions. But I do wonder if I’ll compromise the longevity of the engine by using vapor fuels that burn at hotter temperatures than gasoline. Do you have any advice on this issue?
Thanks
Dave
Hi Dave,
Yeah we’re looking at China for most generators. That’s not necessarily a bad thing.
I imagine by your comments that you’re looking for emergency household power rather than periodic working needs?
Your issues listed are durability and Total Harmonic Distortion (THD)
For THD, you know you’re looking at an inverter.
For durability, diesel engines are known to last the longest.
There is a diesel inverter by RISING in the 4-5 kW range.
I haven’t gotten a chance to look into this brand yet.
With diesel, you’ll sacrifice the “quiet” that you’d expect from an inverter.
Most inverters will have an economy mode for your throttle down issue. I didn’t see this feature in the RISING brand.
I wish I could be more help. Good luck.
Ray,
Thanks for the reply and the info. Yes, I am looking for durability and for home emergency backup. I’ll do some research on the Rising, never heard of them before. But diesel is not really an option for me since I’m hoping to use a multi-fuel system for NG. I can’t store enough gas/diesel for long term outages and since I already have access to NG, it seems like a good step to take unless it reduces the longevity of the generator’s engine. In which case, there isn’t much of a point to paying for a more expensive genny.
I basically need a 5,500 running watts generator, but I’m at high altitude in Colorado and that will cause a power loss. Add to that another 20% power reduction if/when I convert to NG. So I’m basically looking for a 7,500 watt generator that peaks in the 8-9kw range.
Any suggestions on who I can call/write to for independent technical advice on multi-fuel systems being ok or bad for an engine and the delay issue for electrical motors for those units that have an automatic throttle control? I guess these are the 2 key issues for me. The actual THD and quality of a unit is a crap shoot anyway. Paying more for a quality genny is do-able for me, but getting an inverter genny in the 7,500 watt range is just a bit too much.
My current top generators are the Westinghouse 7,500, the Generac XP8000E, and possibly the Winco Tri-fuel 9K. The Winco is at the bottom of my choice list, it’s expensive and more power than I need. But it has high quality marks, it is already setup for multi-fuels and it is made here in America. And of course I like the Honda’s, but they don’t make anything in the 7,500 watt category and if I add a conversion kit, I’d have to bump up to their 10k unit and that is just too costly, both initially and for fuel consumption.
Since you may not want to advertise specific brands, feel free to edit my reply or not post it. You can email me directly if you wish.
Again, thanks for the info on your webpage and your reply.
Dave
Dave, have you looked into the DuroMax XP10000EH 18HP Dual Fuel Propane/Gas Unit?
Hi Ray! After spending 520+ days in the Neonatal ICU, we are almost ready to bring our son home! He will be coming home with several pieces of medical equipment and we really need to have a back up generator in the event of an emergency, since he is dependent on the ventilator and oxygen 24/7. At home, He will have a ventilator, an oxygen concentrator, a suction machine, a heart rate and oxygen saturation monitor, and a feeding pump. We will also need to power lights, fans and camera monitors.
What type of portable generator do you recommend for our family? I’m not as concerned about powering the entire house, just his medical equipment. Our neighbor has generously asked to purchase it for us, so it will need to be less than $1000. Thanks in advance for your help!
Hi Alissa,
For something as important as your requirements, I’d leave NOTHING to chance. If you decide on a generator, you want to consider getting an inverter type that has more consistent power for sensitive electrical equipment. But if it were me, I would not take chances with a fuel generator. I would consider battery backup that can keep the equipment going until you can get emergency service, just in case your generator fails. Good luck and congratulations.
Ray
Thanks for your reply! Since I am completely clueless about generators, would you mind pointing me in the right direction as far as type, wattage, etc. What would I need to search for online? Thanks!
The ventilator has a back up battery.(6 hours), but other important medical equipment back up batteries has a shorter life or does not have a back up at all.
Alissa,
This is too important to rely on some guy on an internet site. If it were me, I’d consider the worst case scenario. How long might I need back-up power until help could arrive. What are the equipments that are vital. Back up batteries can be expensive. If you looked into solar power, you could keep the batteries charged daily and ready.
I would ask your doctor about the equipment. What it takes to run them, and set up a plan for a one hour outage, two hours, 6 hours, 8 hours, 24 hours. Peace of mind is priceless.
I am looking at portable generators in approx the 8000 running watts category. My confusion is in powering through my transfer switch via the 120/240 30amp twist lock connection. Is this going to give me 3600 watts or 7200 watts of available power. No 220 appliances will be included, just two frigs, tvs, computers, one window ac light fixtures that are all either cfl or led. What is the answer
Hi Dave, check the transfer switch for specifications, but this is what will happen in general.
Your 8000 watt generator will be run on its 240 setting. That will make available approximately 7200 watts to your transfer switch.
You might consider a different connecting cable to allow you to access more of your available watts.
Your transfer switch will then deliver the power (120v) to your needs that you list when configured.
Ray