If you live in an area that experiences frequent power outages, a whole house generator or portable is a smart investment. These devices automatically restore power when a power outage occurs.
The primary consideration when choosing a whole house generator is the size and capacity of the engine. Generally, engines in this category have 200 or 400 CC capacity and can produce a good amount of power.
Safety
Power outages can cause damage to your home, as well as to your family’s health and safety. Whether it’s a small outage or a longer one, a loss of power can leave you with frozen pipes, spoiled food, lost safety alarms and more.
Portable generators are a common source of carbon monoxide poisoning during a power outage, so they should never be operated indoors. Also, they can create a surge of electricity that could ‘back feed’ onto the utility lines and electrocute linemen who are trying to restore power.
Whole house generators, also known as standby generators, are safer and more reliable than portable generators. They’re also more powerful and able to handle the load of an entire home.
To avoid back-feeding into your utility system, a whole house generator must be connected through a properly installed electrical panel transfer switch or generator interlock kit. This ensures that only your home’s breaker box is connected to the generator, not any power lines connected to your house. This can eliminate the risk of causing an outage to your home and putting your neighbors or utility line workers in danger.
Convenience
A whole house generator or portable is a modern convenience that saves time and effort. It increases access, saves resources and decreases frustration.
It also helps prevent carbon monoxide poisoning in your home, because it doesn’t release fumes into the air.
These generators can provide electricity for days or weeks without refueling, so they’re safe to run in even the worst weather.
While it may cost more than a portable generator, the convenience and peace of mind you’ll get from your whole house backup power system can be well worth it. After all, power outages can cause food spoilage, lost internet connection and many systems that help protect your home to stop working.
Reliability
Whole house generators or portable backup power units are a great way to provide a reliable source of electrical power during an outage. They use gas, propane or natural gas fuel to generate electricity and can last up to several days.
Reliability is a key feature of a generator or portable that should be considered before you purchase one. You want to make sure that the unit will work properly for you and your family in the event of a power outage.
The most reliable generators are those that are made from a trusted brand. They should have features like automatic shut-offs in case of carbon monoxide leaks, automatic transfer switches and easy maintenance schedules. These factors will ensure the safety of your family and reduce the risk of damage to your home during an outage.
Maintenance
If you want to get the most out of your whole house generator or portable, you need to be proactive with maintenance. Not doing so can leave you in the dark or cold if your generator fails to perform in an emergency situation.
The type of maintenance your generator needs depends on the way it’s used and its environment. For example, a standby generator that’s running daily will need oil replenished and fuel line inspections more frequently than one that’s not used so much.
Regardless of the type, regular maintenance keeps your generator working efficiently and reliably for years to come. It detects issues early, which is critical to avoiding more expensive repairs later on and keeping your generator in top shape for the longest possible time.