By David Wilfong
Why should a homeowner invest in a generator?
A standby generator is effective insurance against power outages. Unlike a portable generator that you can keep in your garage and pull out in the event of an emergency, a standby generator is permanently installed and kicks on automatically.
With a standby generator, you’ll never have to worry about power outages, even if you’re away from home. You can have it set up to run just vital household components, like your HVAC system and refrigerator, or you can opt for a whole-home generator that will keep your home running like normal.
Generators are sized based upon the wattage they produce. Larger units produce more watts and, as you’d probably expect, cost more.
Power usage varies from one home to another. A good way to determine your usage is by checking your electric bills for the past several months. You may also want to consider contacting your electric company or a local electrician for a “wattage assessment.”
You’ll also need to consider exactly what you want your generator to power. At the bare minimum, you’ll probably want to set up an emergency panel of necessities. A 17-kilowatt unit is the standard size for powering your air conditioner/furnace, refrigerator and a few outlets and lights.
If you’re thinking about investing in a unit that can power your entire home, you’ll likely need one that can produce 25 to 30 kilowatts. Another option is a “load management system” that can power your entire home, but not all at once. These systems work by cutting power to nonessential circuits as needed.
Your generator will come on automatically. You won’t even have to venture out in the storm to fire it up. We’ll set it up so that it will monitor the power to your home and provide what you need when the usual channels aren’t.
Salt Lake City gets uncomfortable fast! Even if the storm manages to cool the air, you still have to deal with the humidity. Most people find themselves getting sticky within just a few minutes of the power going out. Your emergency power generator will keep your air conditioner running so you don’t suffer this way.
Save the food in your fridge. When the power goes out, your fridge stops working. If it’s only out for a couple of hours, most of your food will probably still be fine. If it’s out for much longer than that, though, things will start to go bad. You could end up replacing your entire fridge and freezer stash! You could also end up losing any essential medications that you have to keep cold. That’s a lot of money and a lot of hassle! Save yourself the stress with one of our whole home generators.
Protect yourself when the power comes back on. Sometimes, return power does more damage than power loss does. When power first returns, it can be intermittent or have voltage fluctuations and/or surges. These can damage appliances, including computers or televisions that are on the circuit. Your generator will protect you from these so you can keep everything plugged in and use it as you normally would.
Neerings Plumbing – Heating – Air – Electric, www.neeringsplumbing.com, (801) 441-3633.