Angie's List: Home Generator Buying Tips
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - You never know when the power might go out, especially during severe weather.
Angie's List recently put together some tips for what you need to know about home generators.
Edward Cochran relies on a generator whenever he loses electricity.
"Last year, we were out for a period of nine hours. The year before, we were out for about 23 hours at one time. Not a lot of times, but when you run out of power it's really nice to have a backup generator," Edward Cochran said.
When it comes to generators, homeowners have a couple of options.
Portable generators are cheaper than permanent units, but are designed to run for shorter time periods and are powered by gasoline, so they'll need to be refueled.
Permanent units can start automatically or with the flip of a switch and can power everything in your house.
"If you are living in the city and you may just need it for a few hours a portable generator can be a great option, they cost about $1,000. But, if you live in a rural area where you may be without electricity for a longer period of time, you are probably going to go with a whole house generator," Angie Hicks from Angie's List said.
Permanent generators are expensive and they can run up to $10,000.
You should regular maintenance checks to make sure that your generator is working properly.
And make sure you put it in a well-ventilated area to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.
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