I bet you didn’t know that the first electromagnetic generator was invented in 1831 by Michael Faraday (same guy who brought us the Faraday Cage, by the way). Of course, it didn’t look anything like the ones we have commercially available today, nor did it function the same way. In its original form, the great-great-great-great-grandparent of generators (there should probably be a few more ‘greats’ in there) consisted of a tube made of neutral material, a coil of wire, a bar magnet and was covered in cotton. We have definitely come a long way since then, and Titan Electrical would like to share some fun facts about generators which you may not know.

There are two types of generators: standby generators, and portable generators. What you need a generator for will essentially determine which type of generator you need. 

If you want something to power only a few items, or want power for an outdoor activity, then portable generators would best suit your needs. You plug devices into them in much the same way as you would use a plug outlet. Portable generators are great for having power where you normally wouldn’t, which means you could even have it when you go camping. Keep in mind, however, that generators are pretty loud, and the whole point of your camping trip was to get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. A quiet portable generator rates at around 60 decibels (the same as a typical conversation), but can go as high as 100 decibels (a car horn is around 110, to give you some idea). If you’re interested in tips for making a generator more quiet, then you should read the online article by Silent Home here. 

Standby generators, on the other hand, power your entire home in the event of an outage, or the dreaded l-word we’ve all come to know and fear: loadshedding (which word were you thinking of?). Standard generators are what ensures that you get to keep binging your favourite holiday movies and make fresh popcorn. These generators are connected to your home’s electrical system and either require manual starting up, or automatically come on when the power goes out. Most generators restore power within a few seconds.

This is all fine and well, but you’re probably wondering how much generators will cost? Again, this will depend entirely on your needs. The more things you need powered, the bigger your generator will need to be. The bigger the generator, the higher the associated cost (turns out that size does matter). 

Decide which option best suits your needs then shop around for the best deal. It’s also advisable to always have your generator professionally installed to avoid anything going wrong. You’re in luck, though, because the friendly team at Titan Electrical is already waiting for your call! We won’t judge you if you went for the smaller size option, promise.