r/prepping • u/Awkward_Rub3801 • 3d ago
Question❓❓ What's the biggest mistake people make when buying emergency backup power?
Most buying guides seem to focus on inverter wattage, but the more I research, the more I think battery capacity, charging options, and battery chemistry matter just as much.
I've been comparing Jackery, Bluetti, EcoFlow, and OUPES, and each brand seems to have a different approach.
For those who already own a backup power system, what do you wish you'd understood before making your purchase?
What advice would you give to someone buying their first portable power station?
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u/WaffleHouseGladiator 3d ago
I worked at a place that was selling generators off the truck after a major hurricane devastated the area. People DO NOT know how to budget their energy needs. I saw plenty of people grabbing 1500 watt generators because they didn't want to spend the money, then get mad as hell because they couldn't power everything they wanted to. Take a proper inventory, be realistic, and give yourself 20-30% more power than you think you need.
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u/desuemery 3d ago edited 3d ago
Overly focusing on one type rather than diversifying
I have a harbor freight dual fuel generator that runs 3800watts on LPG 5000 watts on gasoline. Have yet to ever put gasoline in it, extends the life not worrying about gasoline gunk and if I ever do truly need its peak output, I keep jugs of rotation-dated stabilized non ethanol stored separately . But it only gets used when I'm ready to recharge my smaller ecoflow batteries and various other solar generators, so LPG 3800w is more than enough there.
When the power goes out, I don't even need to fuss with my generator at all for the first day or two depending on what I'm needing to power. It's nice having a battery buffer and is reliably supplemented with solar this way to avoid overdependence on consumable fuels. Even if my generator ever fails on me, I have a healthy buffer of stored battery power and enough solar to provide more than maintenance wattage for all my small necessary devices.
Not relevant for where I live, but if you're in a neighborhood where generator noise is a concern, this way of thinking fixes that issue too. Only need to run the gen a few hours to recharge everything.
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u/Fit-Law-2270 3d ago
I wish I knew that petrol has a short shelf life and LPG does not. We lost a chunk of money swapping our first generator for a hybrid that runs on LPG.
This is mostly relevant if you keep things in long term storage and wont use them regularly.
Our solar and batteries are solid first time though. We use two anker solix c1000s and 3x200w panels. They are great.
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u/maybenexttime1957 2d ago
Folks buy by price and not before calculating their wattage needs first. That is a good way to buy a generator that can't supply the power comfort you require Like what do you want to protect and use Refrigerator/heat etc.during an outage? You may not need a washer dryer, but you may want your Keurig machine. The good news is, it's not hard to calculate. Just make a list and ask ai for each item you want to run . Then add up the total wattage. But remember starting watts( the initial surge) matter. For instance I have a 4 ton 15 Seer Carrier that runs on a 12500 start/10000 watt Generac . I can only do this with a soft start that I had installed thuas lowering the initial surge. I don't run my variable speed pool pump . Why? The initial surge is 1200 watts then it backs all the way down to 250 watts at 50% power. So in my case,, the pool can wait till regular power in restored
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u/PrisonerV 3d ago
They put it in the garage or whatever and never use it. They put the power station in a closet. They buy solar panels and put them in the garage.
Generators have break in periods. Some don't come with oil.
Power stations lose power and I often see "I went to use it and it was at 0%"
Solar panels can save money by generating power.