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 quite confusing to the uninitiated. What type of fuel would you rather use – diesel or petrol? Do you need 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 enough knowledge of how generators work, it could be very hard for you to choose the best one for your needs.

How then, do you make a choice? As a first step, you should work out for what actual role you will need the generator, as this will help you to determine the capacity. If you need a generator for home use, it would not make sense to choose a heavy duty industrial generator, as it would provide more power than you need. Similarly, if the generator will be required to run machinery, a small generator will not be powerful enough as it is likely to fail when you need it most.

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

In determining your generator requirements, you should choose the most efficient model. The size of the portable generators is indicated by the output and speed given by the manufacturer: generally speaking, a more powerful generator has a higher output and speed. Most generators range between an output of 5KVA (kilovolt-ampere units) and 2500KVA. The lower KVA generators can be used in the home, whereas the higher ones provide more than enough power for most industrial applications.

The model’s efficiency is the first step: however, you will also have to calculate the load you have to supply. To do this, you just have to work out the power demand, whether this be in the home or the business, during normal operating conditions. The amount of power that the generator is able to provide will indicate whether it is sufficient to meet the needs of your home or business: the capacity of the fuel tank only determines how long the generator will operate between refueling.It is always wise to choose a generator that provides a little more power than you need, thus minimising the possibility of overloading.

Something else you may need to consider is the noise level of the new diesel generators. Does the generator need to be run during the night in the home? If this is the case, you should choose a silent diesel generator as the decibel level of these is much much reduced when compared to traditional diesel generators. It is also a good idea to choose a silent diesel generator with a large fuel tank, to make sure that it runs overnight, so you don’t have to be worried about refueling in the middle of the night. The decibel level is not such a problem if it is used in an industrial situation, or during the day.

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

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

If you would like more help comparing the ideal buy silent generators visit our website and download our free guide on generator selection.