How Useful Is a Backup Generator During a Power Outage?

If you’ve ever experienced a power outage as a homeowner, you know how stressful it can be. Losing power in your home can feel extremely scary and vulnerable, especially in the middle of a storm when you don’t know how long you’ll be waiting in the dark. That’s why it’s extremely helpful to have a home generator standing by for those moments when your home goes dark. Buying a backup generator can be convenient for families and great for peace of mind. It can even end up saving you money in the middle of severe storms. However, if you haven’t decided whether or not to buy a backup generator and need answers about interlock kits, maintenance, and installation, look no further. Here are some helpful tips for buying a backup generator for your home.

They Can Sustain You for Days

Once you’ve purchased your backup generator and installed it correctly, you’re all set to power your home for days. A generator uses stored power to connect to your home’s electrical panel when the power goes down in your neighborhood or town. Once you’ve connected your generator, a power outage will instantly connect your home to generator power via a transfer switch. You can purchase a standing model, which lives outside your home in a protected area, or a larger model that lives inside your home like an air conditioning unit. A generator isn’t fully necessary for areas with milder weather or a few storms a year. However, if you live in a neighborhood or town where big storms are frequent and cause the power to go out for days at a time, a backup generator can be a great way to avoid spoiling food, losing out on basic needs like running water, or leaving your home entirely to travel to a safe area out of state.

They Need Maintenance

That said, backup generators are large machines that need to be cared for and serviced frequently. If you have a machine that runs on gas or oil, storing fuel requires a great amount of care and attention to safety, and outside generators need to be serviced frequently, ideally every three months or so. If your backup generator doesn’t get a lot of use, you’ll have to pay extra careful attention to running your machine each month to make sure it’s working properly. Half the responsibility of being a generator owner is making sure that, in the case of an emergency, your generator is ready to go without a hitch.

They Can Be Costly

A generator is a large, expensive apparatus that requires a ton of energy to run and a lot of effort to install. For this reason, generators end up costing homeowners anywhere from $3,000 to $20,000, depending on the size of the machine and its wattage. Less expensive models tend to last for a shorter time and most likely won’t be able to replace all the lost wattage on your combined appliances during a storm. However, if you want the safety and stability of knowing your home is ready to weather the storm, purchasing a generator is a great idea.

Author: WebEditor

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