Monday, November 18, 2013

Gas powered Generators: To Be or Not To Be?


Sun Power vs. Gas Power


It is a beautiful day to learn something new, did you know that although gasoline generators are great for backup power for homes in winter, storms, power outages due to disasters, gas generators are not suitable for camping.

They can be cumbersome, heavy, loud and disrupting to nearby campers, discharging emissions that no one wants or needs to breath and an eyesore in what would be an otherwise serene and beautiful camping spot.

Portable solar charges are an option that seems to have been unthought-of in the past, but they are the up and coming new kids on the block these days.  Solar chargers need no fuel they take from the sun, they are portable, lightweight, efficient, no emissions, and completely silent. 
Portable solar chargers can charge your devices from your MP3 player & phone all the way up to a boat and golf cart depending on the wattage you decide fits your needs.
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I found some user friendly information to share with you all, so here is a little bit of the setbacks of gas powered generators:
Fuel Efficiency
Portable gas generators are not the most fuel efficient type of generator, with a higher fuel consumption than even diesel generators, and a smaller tank, which doesn't last as long on a single fill, necessitating more frequent, and possibly inconvenient with constant refueling. Add in the unpredictable and generally upward trending cost of gasoline, and the true running cost of a gas generator becomes difficult to estimate, though likely higher than originally anticipated.
Safety

Gas generators produce heavy carbon emissions, aka greenhouse gases, meaning they're not particularly environmentally friendly. For that same reason, a portable gas generator is unsafe to run indoors, as the colorless, odorless carbon monoxide it produces is poisonous and could be deadly. Gas is also highly flammable and could cause a fire at the slightest spark, such as from a gas spark plug ignition, if not properly stored or if the generator leaks.
Noise

 Noise is a big factor with portable gas generators. In many of the same situations where portability is an issue, so is quiet, such as when camping. A gas generator is powered by an engine, and if you've ever heard a lawnmower, for example, then you have an idea of the kind of noise a gas engine makes.
Power Capacity
A portable gas generator runs best at about a quarter-load to a half-load, meaning when it's used to power approximately one-fourth to one-half of its total capacity. The closer you get to pulling the generator's total load capacity, the poorer it will function. In situations where you may need to power an entire home or RV, you may find your portable gas generator unable to meet those demands.
Maintenance

Portable gas generators, while durable, are not known to be sturdy, tending to get damaged more easily and require more frequent maintenance and repairs than their diesel, propane and natural gas counterparts. Their engines wear down faster. If they sit unused, their carburetors and fuel filters could present problems when you finally do run the unit, which could be the most inconvenient of times for such problems to arise. And their portability, otherwise considered one of their greatest assets, only exacerbates the potential for damage.
 

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