What is the biggest difference between portable generators and a standby home generator system?
The biggest difference, of course, is that the portable unit can be moved to different locations, while the true standby system is permanently installed on a fixed concrete slab. Additionally, portable generators must be started by hand or switch before power can begin to flow, while the standby system will turn on automatically. Portable units must be hooked up to your inlet box and standby systems are permanently installed via a transfer switch into your circuit breaker panel. When utility power is restored the standby will automatically shut down, while the portable must be manually turned off and moved back into its place of storage. Another advantage of the best type of standby generator is that the unit can be set to automatically perform a diagnostic test to ensure that proper maintenance is always up to date.
