Electricity is something we are severely dependent upon so when the power goes out for more than a few minutes, it is easy to feel annoyed. However, with the help of an emergency power system all of this can be avoided. Here we take a look at how emergency power systems work to help you get a better understanding of what you need to meet your requirements.
Inverter or Generator
An easy way to provide emergency power to the house is by means of engine-powered generator. These are relatively inexpensive products and produce clean, 120- or 240-volt sine-wave power. The fuel consumption is also fairly low at around a gallon for every two hours. Diesel-fuel or propane-based generators are also available in the market.
Using a generator has a number of disadvantages as well, and these are highlighted as under:
- It is a nuisance to store the fuel
- They make a lot of noise
- The engine has high maintenance
An inverter is an electrical device where 12-volt power is converted into 120-volt power and typically runs off a deep-cycle battery that is bought to specifically power the inverter. It is an easy and inexpensive solution for low-wattage power demands. There are two main advantages to using an inverter:
- They operate silently
- They don’t require any maintenance except for the deep-cycle batteries
The conclusion that can be drawn from the above discussion is that an inverter is a good choice when the power load is very small and needs to be serviced over short time frames. It may be backed up by a large and elaborate battery system but the setup can become very expensive and may not be worth the investment.
