Ralf Schulz

With round after round of troublesome weather continuing to batter many parts of the U.S., we thought it might be a good time to review a few basic facts about emergency generator power – before the next big event causes a power interruption in the area where you live.

There are two essential types of generators that can provide power on an emergency basis: Portable and Standby, which are further classified as Home and Commercial.

As the name implies, portable generators can be moved from place to place as needed, often by way of a set of wheels that comes standard with some units and can be easily added to others. Portable generators typically need to be hooked up to run power to your home when the bad weather strikes.

Standby generators, on the other hand (and also as the name implies), are set up in such a way as to automatically provide power to your home or business – without the need to manually hook them up each and every time.

Because computers and other communications equipment have become necessary tools for keeping in touch with loved ones as well as authorities during a power failure, the question is often asked as to whether these kinds of electronics can be safely run on generator power. You should know that, so long as your generator is properly hooked up to your home, the power that it supplies to electrical outlets in your home is the same as what you might expect when the local power supply is running as normal. You should, however, plan to run such devices while they are plugged in to a surge protector – just as you normally would.

With a fair amount of good fortune, you should not need to run your generator except in an emergency. However, some standby models are designed to give themselves a weekly workout. You should check with your Absolute Generator specialist to see what kinds of maintenance tasks will keep your particular unit ready to be pressed into service when you need it most.

Not much beats watching a group of “campers” arrive with a load of gear, set it up as though on a mission far into the remote wilderness—and then break out a portable generator that will supply the energy everyone needs to power their electronic devices.

While generator-assisted sojourns may not be considered to be true camping by purists, hauling along a power source can make your outdoor experience a bit more comfortable. And there’s always the chance that the extra power could come in handy in the event of an unforeseen situation.

But how portable should you go, especially if all you’re using the power for is a grooming device or phone charger? Would it make any sense at all to crank up a beast that can provide, say, 10kW or more of power?

Not really, says CampingLife.com. All you’ll probably end up accomplishing with that choice is to burn more fuel than you need – while annoying some of your campsite neighbors.

Instead, consider choosing a machine with an output of under 2,000 watts. These devices are both compact and lightweight – which makes them easier to be handled by most members of your camping group. By using inverter power, which is regarded as “cleaner,” you can even operate laptops off the power source, though you should still use a surge protector as you would with your computers at home.

If the smaller-output machines don’t quite get the job done, then step up to one that can provide 3,000 watts. Just be sure to select a model that has at least two places where people can grab while carrying it from place to place. You might even luck out and settle on a model that has a set of wheels, which assists in most generator relocations.

Many of these smaller generators can run for significant lengths of time while in standby mode. And some run at levels that are quieter than the sound of a person speaking in normal, everyday tones.

A brand that some might associate more with lawnmower engines is also the maker of automatic standby generator systems.

Briggs & Stratton, with a central office in Milwaukee, WI, began in 1908 as a partnership between Harold M. Stratton, a financier, and Stephen F. Briggs, an inventor. Today, the company is the largest manufacturer of air-cooled gasoline engines for outdoor 

power equipment in the world; their products are sold and serviced in more than 100 countries on six continents, amounting to $1.9 billion in total sales for 2014.