Electric Power Generators come in two basic types: portable generators and standby backup generators. There are many manufacturers producing a great number of models to sell in the generator market. Selecting the right provider of backup power you ultimately choose will be determined by many factors, including your power LOAD ( consumption) requirements.

Portable power generators are fueled by gasoline or diesel and include 120-volt power outlets like the ones in the walls of your home. When the generator is running, you can plug appliances and tools directly into these outlets. Some generators also include 240-volt outlets.

Standby generators are fueled by liquid propane or natural gas. The number of circuits to which a standby generator can provide power--and the number of appliances you can run on those circuits--is determined by the power capacity of the generator.

RV generators are a special class of generator sets that are designed to be installed into various types and sizes of vehicles available in the RV industry. This could include special conversion buses, Winabago type campers, large towable campers, and even some smaller camp trailers.

RV generators are installed inside an enclosure underneath the main RV body, but some may be roof mounted or even rear or front rack mounted. These generators can be powered by gasoline, diesel fuel, or even propane gas depending upon what makes the most sense for the particular installation.

RV diesel generator applications are available where this makes sense depending upon the available fuel source. RV motor homes that use diesel fuel for their primary engine fuel many times will have a Onan RV diesel generator onboard. If you require a diesel RV setup please make sure that the RV unit you want to purchase comes with that option directly from the manufacturer.

Home standby generators, sometimes called "home backup generators", are power generators that are permanently installed outside a residential dwelling and are generally powered by either natural gas or propane gas. These units are designed to provide all (or partial) electric power to a home when the utility power fails and come in several sizes and options.

Portable generators are ultra light generators units that are designed to be moved from place to place and come in many sizes and power output ratings. This category includes any unit that is movable, from the handheld "ultralite generators" to units mounted on a "cart" that can be wheeled around a garage or jobsite. Although larger high capacity generators can be considered "portable" (when mounted on a trailer), we have included those in the industrial generator category since they generally are used in a non-residential application. Further we consider the portable generator category to be broken into (at least) two major categories; home portable, and contractor / jobsite portable. These categories are may be further broken down with respect to either the engine type (air cooled or liquid cooled) and/or fuel type.

Marine generators are specially designed to provide power for boating applications. These units are generally highly compact, have special cooling and exhaust systems, and designed to operate in a wet "marine generator" environment.

Diesel generator fuel is an excellent fuel to operate electric generators with. Diesel has historically been less expensive than gasoline (although that may be changing) and is readily available almost anywhere. Diesel Fuel, ( when stored correctly) is very stable, has good shelf-life, and is usually not affected by the elements or mechanical disruptions that cause most residential power outages.

For these reasons, manufacturers of large backup and emergency generators (industrial generators) usually make this fuel option as a primary fuel source on their industrial stand-by generator models. These generator units are generally very large and may be used to supply entire factories, hospitals, malls or other large facilities.

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