ANDwhat kind is it? How many times have you had to use it? How many things could you run on it? How much did you spend? Would you buy one with more power next time, or is the one you have sufficient? What types of problems have you had with running it. Do your neighbors always ask to hook up to it?
PEP BOYS HAS' EM REAL CHEAP (CHINESE) TWO WAY TO LOOK AT IT GET ONE BIG ENOUGH TO TO LIVE LIKE YOU DO NOW VERY EXPENSIVE, NO MATTER WHAT TYPE OR FUEL! IF YOU HAVE CITY WATER SEWER, GET ONE BIG ENOUGHT TO RUN YOU REFER., A SMALL WINDOW UNIT. YOU ONLY NEED TO RUN WHILE ASLEEP MAYBE A LITTLE DURING DAY. THE CITY CAN RUN THE CITY WATER PUMPS ON GENERATOR, ALTHOUGH IT MAY NOT SEEM LIKE IT, STUFF LIKE A WATER PUMP STATION ETC GET FIRST PRIORITY AFTER A STORM. THIS IS ASSUMING YOU DON'T LIVE IN NEW ORLEANS ALL OF YOUR STATE LOCAL OFFICIALS ARE MORONS, YOUR NEIGHBORS ARE WELFARE CRACK HEADS! THE SMALLER YOU CAN GET BY WITH ( REMEMBER ITS AN EMERGENCY) THE LESS; LUGGING IT AROUND, ITS SMALLER LESS FUEL - IT RUNS LONGER ON WHAT FINITE SOURCE YOU HAVE ( LIKE MAYBE A TANK OF GAS OUT OF YOUR SECOND CAR)! LET THE KIDS SLEEP ON THE FLOOR OF YOUR ROOM YEE-HAAA CAMPING!
I have a 10kW unit that I have never used other than to test run. My neighbors are too far away top hook up to it. As long as you have sufficient fuel locate it in a well ventilated area with some type of sound insulation to lessen the noise (and know how to safely hook it up you are good to go. (remember that safely includes not back feeding away from your house too.!)
If you have access to natural gas the best would be a unit that uses it as fuel. Advantages include - reliability, no refueling, automatic periodic testing, low noise, compact size, built-in weatherized cabinet. Disadvantage is cost. One must really think long and hard about installing a generator vs its cost/hassle. How many outages have you had in the last few years? how long have they lasted? how much inconvenience did you/would you experience? do you live in a winter area where you require heat? Do you have friends/family on the other side of town where you could seek refuge for a few days? I have lived in many areas of the world (including Florida)and never have felt the need for a generator. A refrigerator will hold food for about 12 hours - its freezer will hold food for days if unopened. If you do opt for a generator, I would size it to handle everything EXCEPT the air conditioner.
I have a Generac 5500XL generator. It's been used on several occasions, the longest being 3 days after Hurricane Juan blew through Nova Scotia in September 2003.
