Whole house generators are a good investment for anyone who lives in an area prone to frequent power outages. They can help you get back to normal life after a blackout and they can also add value to your home.
Unlike portable generators, they can provide power for days or weeks in the case of using whole-house propane tanks and indefinitely in the case of using natural gas. In addition, they are more fuel-efficient and quieter than portable generators.
Cost
Whole house generators are a great way to ensure that your home is protected from power outages. They automatically sense power loss and turn on the backup generator to provide the energy your appliances need to keep running until your power comes back online.
Unlike portable generators, whole house generators are permanently installed on the outside of your home and hardwired into your electrical system. They come in a variety of sizes, from 7 to 38 kilowatts.
While whole house generators are more expensive, they also have several benefits that make them worth the investment. These include the fact that they are more reliable and can handle more of your energy needs, which means they will help you save money in the long run.
In addition, they don’t require as much maintenance as portable generators. When it’s time for maintenance, a generator installation company will come to your home to check on it and perform any necessary repairs.
Installation
A whole house generator is an electrical backup system that automatically powers up when the power goes out. This is especially useful if you live in areas that are prone to hurricanes, tornadoes and blizzards.
A properly-sized whole house generator and a generator transfer switch can restore power to your entire home. However, you might choose to disable non-essential loads such as your air conditioner and electric hot water heater with load-shed devices that can be purchased from the manufacturer of your generator.
Alternatively, you could choose a load center switch that manages the distribution of the generator’s power to specific circuits in your breaker box. These switches typically have 8-16 circuits.
Regardless of the type of switch, generator installation requires professional work by a licensed electrician who can meet local and federal building codes and ordinances. It also involves preparing the generator’s location on your property and installing the gas plumbing to hook up the generator to your home’s main natural gas supply.
Fuel options
Whole house generators come in a variety of fuel options. They can use gasoline, propane, natural gas, or diesel.
If you are unsure which type of generator would be best for your home, it is important to consider your power needs and the pros and cons of each fuel source. You may even want to consider a bi-fuel or tri-fuel generator that allows you to switch between these different fuel types depending on your power need.
If your home has already been hooked up to a gas line, natural gas can be one of the most convenient fuel sources for a whole house generator. In addition, it burns cleanly, quietly, and is compliant with emissions regulations.
Safety
A whole house generator offers peace of mind and convenience that a portable generator cannot. They are connected directly to a home’s electrical panel, and automatically turn on when the power goes out.
They also have an efficient fuel source, so they don’t need to be refueled frequently. This saves money and energy.
Unlike portable generators that run on gasoline, a whole house generator runs on natural gas. This is a cleaner-burning, safer fuel source that doesn’t release hazardous fumes or carbon monoxide.
In addition, whole house generators are less noisy than portable generators. This is especially important if you live near an airport or on a busy street, and it can help you sleep at night.
You can also safely operate a portable generator outside, but you should be careful not to touch it with wet hands. This can cause an electrocution hazard and could damage the generator.