You may have been thinking about generators and whether you should look at portable generators or whole-house generators. If you are serious about being able to maintain some normality during the inconvenience of power outages, a whole-house generator is the way to go. Portable generators are great for camping or keeping one or two things running during an outage, but they can’t keep your whole house running. They are also usually fueled by gasoline, which means that they can be more dangerous than hardwired whole-house generators that run on natural gas or propane, and they typically require daily refueling.
The primary reasons to consider a whole-house generator include:
- Convenience: A standby generator kicks on automatically when a power outage is detected. This means even if you are out of town when the power goes out, you will come home to a freezer of food that is still frozen. Also, you won’t have to go out into the dark to get the generator started.
- Safety: There are many reasons that losing power can be unsafe. You could get hurt trying to get around your dark home, your food could get spoiled, and your home could end up dangerously hot or cold. If your home is too cold, more problems could develop, like frozen pipes.
- Peace of mind: If you have a well or a sump pump, it is especially important to keep these systems online. Some medical devices require electrical connections. Or maybe you have an electric car and need to know that you will be able to charge it.
Whatever your reasons for considering generators, be sure to consult with a professional electrician about what best meets your needs and wants. Proper installation is very important and building codes and regulations must be met to maintain safety.