It’s important to choose the right kind of generator for your home or commercial building. Choosing an oversized unit could mean a high fuel bill. On the other hand, selecting an undersized generator could mean the inability to operate your whole home or business.
Do you know the differences between commercial and residential generators? In this blog, we’ll explain both types and how to choose the right generators.
What is a Residential Generator?
Residential generators are less expensive because they’re smaller and less powerful, than commercial generators. Depending on the needs of your home, residential generators will range in size from 12kw to 48kw. Homeowners can choose options that are intended to and well suited to power your entire home, or just your essential appliances such as refrigerators and freezers, or even life sustaining equipment.
They are usually easy to install and require minimal maintenance. Residential generators are fuelled by propane or natural gas.
What is a Commercial Generator?
Commercial generators are larger, more powerful and designed to provide reliable power to keep a business operating during an outage. They are typically powered by natural gas or diesel and can provide enough electricity to power any size building, institution or manufacturing facility.
Commercial generators tend to be larger in size and output and as a result are also more expensive than residential generators.
Factors to Consider When Choosing a Generator
Here are some of the most important factors to consider when choosing a generator:
Size and power output: Choose a generator that's the right size and has the right power output for your needs.
Fuel source: Residential generators use propane or natural gas. Select a fuel source that is reliable and affordable in your area. The larger units built for industrial applications usually run on diesel.
Cost: Residential generators can range in cost from $6,000-$35,000. Commercial and industrial generators range greatly in price and can cost several hundred thousands of dollars.
Installation: It’s important to hire professionals who are licenced and can install generators correctly. They can also provide valuable advice on how to properly maintain and service the unit.
Generator Service and Maintenance
Both types of generators may face a variety of problems, such as over heating, fuel line leaks, fuel pump problems, or electrical issues. In many instances, the generator does not start. The most common reasons for this are low coolant levels, the battery is dead or not fully charged and the block heater or carb heater was not installed for sub zero climates and may notbe working properly.
You can prevent most typical issues through regular generator service and maintenance. To keep your generator in optimal working condition, we recommend you to have a professional maintain it at least once a year.
Regular service can help to prevent costly repairs in future and also ensure that your generator is running efficiently.
Choose a Reliable Generator Installation and Generator Service
When the electricity goes out, having a generator gives you greater peace of mind. Now that you understand the basic differences between residential and commercial generators, you’re ready to make your selection.
Ronnie's Generator Service Ltd provides generator installation, repair and maintenance services, and 24/7 emergency repairs. Contact us today.