With Hurricane season here and living in Florida, what do I need to look for when purchasing a home generator?

Answer 1

You need to figure out how much stuff you want to run and how many watts each uses. If you do not install a splitter (special switch to keep electricity from also backpowering the original lines) you will need cords to run from the generator to the appliances.

Answer 2

Probably the most important consideration is the wattage of the generator. How many things will you want to keep powered up at the same time and how many watts will be required to do so? Watts = Volts x Amps. A typical lighting/outlet circuit in your home will be 20 amps @ 110 volts (2200 watts) and will run many lamps and small appliances. A large microwave may require up to 1200 watts. Secondly, unless you have a friend who's an electrician you will have to use extension cords so I would look for a generator that has enough outlets. To be safe, I would look for a generator that has at least two 110v outlets and one 220v outlet. (BTW, I have heard great things about Honda generators.) Also, DO NOT make the mistake that some idiots do of running their generators inside the house during a power outage!