Rent a Generator: When should you rent a generator instead of buying a generator?  Is it more cost effective to have a generator on hand or should you just rent one when the need arises?  Both of these questions can be answered by thinking of the reasons you

might possibly need a generator in the first place:

Rent a Generator or Buy a Generator for Power Outages?

This would depend on where you live and what kind of weather you are subjected to every year.  If you have a lot of snow and ice in the winter or you live in a hurricane-prone area, you may want to buy one.  Trying to rent a generator after the power goes out isn’t very smart because there will be a run on generators at the rental store.  More than likely, there won’t be any to rent when you get there because they’re probably already going to be rented out when you get there.   So, buying a generator in an area that is prone to bad weather is the sensible solution. You should rent a generator if you live in an area with mild weather. These areas normally don’t have power outages.

When you have an invalid at home who depends on electricity to operate various medical devices, it is a no-brainer that a generator should be bought so that it can be on hand whatever emergency may arise.

Rent a Generator or Buy a Generator for Outdoor Projects or Camping?

You should rent a generator if you have an outdoor project and there’s no electrical outlet close by to plug in power tools or temporary lights.  And, you should rent a generator if you need temporary power at a structure that you are remodeling. However, if you find that you start more outdoor projects than the average person, you may want to consider buying a generator because the cost of constant renting would not make that option cost effective.

If you enjoy the occasional camping, you should rent a generator for lights and appliances when camping in a place without electricity.

Rent a Generator or Buy a Generator to Clean the Air in Your House?

A completely different type of generator than we discussed above is the ozone generator.  It is also commonly called an air purifier and can be either bought or rented.  The ozone generator does just as it sounds – it emits ozone into your home that is said to deodorize and even destroy mold. However, the Environment Protection Agency warns that too much ozone can be dangerous because large amounts of it can prove to be toxic. For residential purposes, make sure that if you rent a generator, it is the correct size for your home so that too much ozone is not emitted.

Now that you’ve decided whether to rent a generator or buy a generator, you now need to decide what type of generator you need.  A gasoline or diesel-powered generator is probably the cheapest and most portable, but the tank is not that big and you have to fill it yourself. This type of generator can be rented or bought.  An LP gas-powered generator can only be bought because the LP plumbing and tanks have to be installed. But, on the good side, the tanks are filled by a professional and would last a lot longer between fillings than gasoline.

And, what wattage should you look for in a generator?  Whether you rent a generator or buy a generator, it depends on what appliances you are going to try to power during an outage.  For example, 1 kilowatt = 1000 watts, so here are some examples of wattage needed to run household items.  A freezer requires 2.4 kw, a color television requires 2.4 kw, a refrigerator requires 2.4 kw, and lights require 2.4 kw.  However, these are all to be used one at a time.  If you wanted to use them all at one time, you would need a total of 13.5 kw and a generator that would be able to furnish that sort of wattage.  When you just don’t know, the bigger the generator, the better.  If you want to power your entire home, a standby generator – one that is directly wired into your home – would be the best bet.

A problem with a lot of generators – whether you rent a generator or buy a generator – is the noise factor.  Portable generators are notoriously noisy and can get you in trouble with neighbors or, if camping, in trouble with park rangers or similar personnel.  There are ordinances in most neighborhoods and campgrounds and a noisy generator may get you in trouble with local law enforcement.  You can reduce a noisy generator by moving it further away or by building an enclosure that muffles the sound coming from it.  You could even use sandbags to build a wall around it. Just make sure that there is ventilation for the generator should you decide to build an enclosure for it. You could also try buying or building a muffler for your generator, but this may not always work. If you are going to try to build a muffler, try using an old moped muffler from a junkyard.  Another option is insulating the bottom of the generator’s from the floor that it’s sitting on to reduce some of the noise. In power outages, however, noise ordinances are usually not enforced and you can get away with a noisy generator.

Whether you decide to rent a generator or just buy one will depend upon the circumstances but, with a little research and knowledge, you can make the correct choice. A backup power source is always handy, but usually not thought about until the need arises.  Don’t wait until you have bad weather and find yourself without electricity.  Make plans now to get a backup power source or you just might find yourself sitting in the dark, hungry and cold.  A power outage is not the time to wish that you had made the decision earlier to rent a generator or buy a generator. So I hope you enjoy this article about how to rent a generator.

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