What you Need to Know About Large Portable Generators for Home

Do you have problems with frequent power outages? We’re in the hurricane season; it’s always best to prepare for the worst! And the worst includes power outages that could last for days. However, most portable generators on the market won’t carry power hog equipment such as a pool pump, big refrigerators, air conditioners, or a microwave oven.

For these, you’ll need a really large power generator that can produce between 10,000 to 22,000 running wattage. But the largest portable generators don’t have to be the heaviest or make them less portable. That’s why in this article, we will review the best portable generator models and tell you what to consider to choose the best home backup generator.

What Are Large Portable Generators? 

Large portable generators are ultra powerful backup electricity equipment. They can generate between 10,000 to 22,000 watts or more of electricity from mechanical energy produced by a fuel-based engine. Some models can even produce up to 28,000 watts.

These are more than sufficient for most homes considering that an average home in the US needs a minimum of 5,000 to 7,500 watts. Despite the size of large portable backup generators, these generators are still quite portable.

They may not be easy to carry by hand, but they have a set of wheels and, of course, carry handles.

How do portable generators work?

A portable electric generator’s purpose is to temporarily supply electricity using fossil fuel. Every generator has an energy converter, which consists of a magnet inside.

This creates a magnetic field. A conductor inside the magnetic field, for example, a copper wire on a coil, is set in motion by petrol, gas, or muscle power. As a result, the free electrons inside the conductor also begin to move, with a deficiency on one side of the conductor and an excess of electrons on the other.

A tension field develops between these negative and positive poles, which causes the current to flow. The faster the conductor moves through this magnetic field, the greater the amount of current generated.

Large portable generators vs. small portable generators

The first difference is that small portable generators are ultra-portable. Most of them don’t have wheels but are small enough to be carried by hand.

Meanwhile, large portable models have wheels, carry handles, and lifting eye hooks. Without these, they become fixed, stationary, or standby generators.

A large portable generator can power almost all home or RV appliances. Meanwhile, the smallest portable models (1,000 to 3,000 watts) can only power small devices and appliances like smartphones, laptops, electricity bulbs, one or two fans, and an LED TV.

However, medium-sized models between 3,500 and 7,000 watts can power single powerful appliances like a water pump or air conditioner, with some basic appliances. Large portable models are the only type that can carry most of the electricity loads you would normally have during an on-grid power supply.

Large portable generators vs. standby/whole house generators

The primary differences here are the power capacity and design. First, whole house generators are more powerful than the largest portable generators.

They can produce between 22,000 to 50,000 watts and are suitable for emergency-proofing large homes, micro hotels, or small hospitals.

Also, unlike portable models, standby generators are fixed or installed in a single position. This is because they are so big that they’re not easily movable. However, they are noisier despite their soundproof design.

What to Look for in a Large Portable Generator for Home Backup?

To choose the best home backup generator or something for use at the job site or RV, there are some key things to consider.

1. Power output

Manufacturers typically specify the running watts, the continuously generated power, and peak watts, which is the short-period cranking power after the equipment is started. We already mentioned that a large portable generator has a running power of 10,000 to 22,000 watts.

However, generator brands often advertise or name their portable generators with starting watts instead of running watts. For example, the running watts of DuroMax XP13000EH isn’t 13,000 watts as named, but 10,500 watts. So, you must read the description or specification sheets to know what you’re putting money on.

2. The fuel type 

Electric generators use propane, gasoline, diesel, natural gas, or bio-diesel. In addition, some products can use different types of fuel. These are called dual fuel or hybrid generators.

The gasoline model can be a great option on campsites or construction sites. Also, its fuel is widely available. But it’s not intended or best suited for long-term emergencies.

The downside of gasoline is its storability. Its gases are very flammable, so storing large amounts of gas is unsafe. Fire codes and regulations don’t allow storing over 25 gallons or 100 liters of gasoline in residential areas. A sizeable electric generator of 12,000 running watts consumes this in 12 to 16 hours.

Propane and natural gas generators seem the best options for emergency fuel. Unlike gasoline, large amounts of propane and diesel can be safely stored in large containers.

3. Portability

What makes a generator portable isn’t just the size but the features that make it movable. As they can weigh more than 500 pounds, they must be equipped with large all-terrain wheels. Not just that, they must have a pulling/pushing handle. Finally, the generator must have a set of lifting eye hooks that will make them liftable into trucks for delivery or transport to usage sites.

4. The noise level 

Nowadays, an emergency generator should be one thing above all: quiet. Nobody wants to be exposed to constant noise. But, of course, your neighbors wouldn’t like it either.

Unfortunately, most large emergency generators are pretty noisy. Large portable generators have a noise level of around 74 to 80 decibels from about 20 feet away. This is the equivalent of the noise of a busy downtown street. Even models declared by the manufacturer to be particularly quiet can be very uncomfortable in the ears.

The solution is getting an inverter generator. However, you have to note that you won’t find many large-capacity portable generators with inverter technology. But you can find this in models such as the DuroMax XP9000iH and the GENMAX GM9000iE Portable Inverter Generator, which are 9000 watts. They are quieter than other emergency generators. The only downside is the price.

You can, however, make these large emergency generators quiet. For example, you can build a sound box around the generator set to lower the noise. Mufflers from the manufacturer are also a way to minimize the noise level.

5. The price

You can buy an emergency power generator at the hardware store, from manufacturers’ websites, or from online retail stores like Amazon. While you can buy the cheapest models of large portable generators (let’s cap it at 12,000 watts) for as low as $800, some heavy-duty models can cost as much as $2,500. However, the largest capacity portable generators can cost as much as $4,500.

Final Thoughts

It all boils down to the fact that it’s a great idea to have a backup power source. This is essential if you reside in an area vulnerable to a natural disaster that will leave you without a source of electricity on the grid. Also, a large portable generator is necessary if you like camping in remote areas or have power problems at your job site.

We hope we’ve helped you in your quest for sufficient backup power and now know how to choose one. If you want the largest portable generator, we’ll advise you to choose the Westinghouse WGEN 20,000 Generator. It can produce a maximum of 28,000 watts. But a dual fuel model will be ideal if you just want to be well prepared for an emergency. Therefore, we advise you to select our Editor’s Choice, the DuroMax XP13000EH Dual Fuel Generator.