Mother Nature is giving us her all lately; storms, hurricanes, snow & ice. With the weather so intense, homeowners are probably asking themselves if they should consider a backup generator or is it just an “extra.” Is having a backup generator the right choice for your home and your family? Below are a few things to consider before making the decision:
Who Turned Out The Lights?
Power outages have been increasing widely over the past decade. Believe it or not, American citizens experience more power outages than any other developed nation worldwide. Outages can take place for any number of reasons including:
- Floods, fires, earthquakes and any other natural disaster.
- Intense weather like tornadoes, ice/snowstorms, high wind, lightning, and hurricanes.
- Heatwaves or winter storms can create a supply-demand that cannot be met or a shortfall.
- Animal interference (2nd to weather-related outages)
- Car accidents
- Nation’s aging electrical grid
Comfort & Safety
Having a generator on standby can help your family weather the elements in comfort. Your electronics will continue to function (well pumps, sump pumps, HVAC/furnaces, refrigerators/freezers, ovens, lights … ) you get the idea.
Your home security devices will also continue to work, keeping your family safe.
That’s going to cost how much?
If you’ve ever had to deal with repairs to frozen or burst pipes, pump failures or the cost of replacing spoiled food, having to stay in a hotel and so many more things that add up, you’ll see that the cost of installing a generator is mitigated by the inconvenience of dealing with the after-effects of a power outage. Not to mention that it provides peace of mind for you and your family during a vulnerable time.
Is a Generator right for me & my family?
Now that you have some perspective on why generators might be a good idea, you still need to ask yourself are they a good idea for you? Here are a few other things to keep in mind –
Are generators allowed where you live? Keep in mind that portable units make a large amount of noise and would likely come under scrutiny, which could cause some homeowner’s associations or subdivisions to outlaw them. Getting a standby generator may offer a solution.
Generators need to run on alternative energy. If access to propane or natural gas lines is unavailable, then you’ll need to use a diesel or gas generator.
Generators must be professionally installed and connected to your home. This mitigates the possibility of damage to your home and will ensure the safety of your family.
Before you pull the “go” button you’ll need to determine the generator size because some are capable of powering your entire home, and some are just for essential appliances. To find the correct size for your home, calculate the wattage of essentials that you would run with the generator. Make sure to include peak electrical load of large appliances like HVAC. And if you’re not sure if a generator is the right choice for you or need to determine the correct wattage for your essentials, give us a call.
No need to be in the dark if the power goes out. Sylvester Electric can help provide you peace of mind when the power fails with a backup generator installation to keep things running smoothly in your home. We deal with all the leading brands of generators, for maintenance & repairs as well as for installation. You can read all about generators via our site.