Generators

How much power you need depends, of course, on what you intend to connect. All electrical products are marked with an output in watts. The label tells you how much power the products draw when they are running, but it's important to think about what's called “inductive loads”. This pertains to products that consume much more power in the start-up phase than when they are running. This category includes products with compressors, such as refrigerators and air conditioning units. If you want to use a generator to run these types of products, check that the power is also sufficient for the start-up phase, which may require up to five times more power than is required for operation.

An average generator powered by petrol or diesel has a sound level of between 80 and 100 decibels. Generators can be quite loud, often giving off a dull humming that can be perceived as quite annoying. If you're going to use a generator in noise-sensitive contexts, it may make sense to take a closer look at its decibels. There are petrol-powered generators that run at levels of down to 50 decibels, which is much more gentle on the ears. Also read user reviews to get a real idea of how much noise they make.