Power Generators: How Long Should You Keep Them On For?

With generators becoming a very common appliance in households these days there is going to be a greater need for safety information and guidance about how they work. One of the biggest concerns many people have about power generators is knowing how long they can be safely left on. 

Because generators come in many different types / variants there is no one simple answer to this query. Some of them might be designed to last four 4 – 6 hours, some could last up to 12 or more. Some might even be able to run continuously for days without issue but no matter what kind of home generator you have it will not be able to run continuously without a break at some point. 

Running it for too long can lead to a lot of problems and many people aren’t aware of the dangers. They require an engine to function, they are essentially a back-up engine that can power your home after all. And no engine can run continuously without breaking down eventually can they? They need maintaining and care because without it they will eventually break down and that won’t be good for anyone, will it?   

The problem is, as strange as it might sound, that people will eventually get used to their generators being turned on and forget to really pay the proper attention they should. This means their generators can easily end up running for much longer than they should be over a continuous period. 

It’s also important to note that running your generator till the fuel runs dry and then simply refuelling it and letting it run some more is also a bad idea. Yes, it will have a short break while you refuel but that is not enough to prevent damage. Let’s look at both portable and larger conventional backup generators safe running times in more detail. 

Portable Generators

Portable generators come in many forms and inverter models, in particular, are becoming increasingly commonplace. These models are more versatile than their larger brethren but not as strong or durable. This means they can’t run for quite as long on a continuous basis either. However, many people don’t quite realise just how fragile some of them can be. 

If you leave the generator running for an overly long time then it will break down relatively quickly. In general, it is suggested to only run a portable generator for around 2 – 3 hours at a time. Now there is some range to this if you are only powering a small appliance and there isn’t much strain on the generator you could run it for longer. 

But it is always better to be safe and not risk overexerting the machine. For more information about portable generators and inverter modes check out this link bestgenerators.org – portable, inverter generator. Best Generators.org is a dedicated website for all kinds of generator news and contains guides, reviews, blogs and much more. 

Home Backup Generators

Home backup generators are larger more powerful machines that are designed to be able to run for longer periods of time. However, that doesn’t mean you can run them continuously though, while there are some variables to take into account many models can run for up to 48 hours continuously without issue. 

Watch this space for updates in the Hacks category on Running Wolf’s Rant.

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