Jump to:
Data shows that an estimated 940 million people lack access to energy. Even if you can survive without electricity for a few days, you do not need to do so.
You might even cut fees if you go without your appliances for an extended term. However, you could lose access to essential communication networks needed in an emergency.
That said, investing in a standby generator can help you avoid inconvenience, property damage, and unanticipated costs when your power goes out. When necessary, a backup home generator will start to power the necessities.
What Goes Into Installing a Backup Generator at Home?
It’s great to have a backup generator at home. Your installer will set up the installation area outside your house, then install the transfer switch, set up the generator, run the natural gas or LP fuel line, and make any required electrical connections. They will also ensure that your backup generator works and is ready to go when the power goes out.
The Best Generator for Your Home Needs
The ATS that comes with generators is usually rated for a certain number of circuits depending on the generator’s power output in kilowatts (kW or kWh). Each course supplies electricity to a particular item or section of the house by connecting directly to a corresponding path on the main circuit breaker panel of the house.
An 8-kW generator and a 10-circuit transfer switch, for instance, can be connected:
- The family area has lights and a TV.
- Power to a refrigerator, lights, a microwave in the kitchen, and a bathroom.
- A computer and home office supplies
- an automated garage door.
- Air conditioning unit.
- A furnace
Consider the following forms of home generator power coverage:
Essential Circuit Coverage: In the event of a power outage, many homeowners opt to cover only a subset of their circuits. These could include air conditioning and heating units, refrigerators; lighting; or well pumps. This choice is economical.
With light and medium appliance usage, a smaller generator, such as an 11-or 13-kilowatt type or a 200-amp ATS, offers coverage by restricting how much electricity appliances may use.
Complete Whole-House Coverage: Regardless of the number of circuits, everything turns on and stays on when the power goes out. For absolute home security, use this backup power option.
Having a Lowe’s installation specialist perform a load measurement of the circuits is the most accurate approach. That is if you wish that different appliances at home be backed up with your generator. The power needed to start each device is measured using an ammeter. These load measurement results tell you how much power is required for backup power.
Why is a backup generator preferable?
Generally speaking, purchasing a standby generator provides more advantages. Improved convenience, efficiency, and safety are all benefits of a home backup generator. Additionally, it saves you money over time if you own a property and frequently travel for several hours at a time.
Generators on standby are safer.
You must keep portable generators nearby to connect them to your necessary appliances, which regularly use gasoline. But, unfortunately, doing so will cause pollutants to be released near your home.
Additionally, the accumulation of carbon monoxide from using portable generators inside your home is hazardous to your health. When it’s close to a fire, fuel, which you might use to light fuses during your power outage, can be dangerous.
However, standby generators don’t emit as much smoke compared to portable generators. To avoid an accumulation of scents within your home, they are also maintained outside. Finally, they don’t require you to add fuel because they are already connected to your existing fuel supply, such as your natural gas line.
The ability to keep the lights on and avoid mishaps in the dark makes having a standby generator for your home’s backup power far safer than going without.
Backup Generators Are Practical
Portable generators require a lot of effort to set up and store when not in use. It might be beneficial to take them out of storage, fill them with fuel, and connect them to the gadgets you want to power.
Standby generators let you skip all of those steps because you can use them immediately with a push of a button (or without doing anything if the generator is automatic).
Backup generators are always connected to your home. Therefore, when you need them, you won’t have to set them up and take them down. Instead, you can designate the resources you need to continue using while installing, and the generator will power those things on its own when the power goes out.
If you don’t have to manually fuel and turn on a fully equipped generator that can turn on by itself, you are safer.
Recover Food, Utilities, and Appliances Quickly
Homes and goods are exposed to the elements when people go without a generator during a power outage. So, their HVAC systems, refrigerators, and freezers stop, along with everything else that needs electricity to work.
Your refrigerators and freezers eventually stop keeping food cold. Your home will lose its comfortable temperature if your heating or cooling system leaks outside. In addition, the dry environment may harm appliances.
In addition, if you have a power outage in the winter and your pipes freeze, you can have serious plumbing problems. Most portable generators can’t power the HVAC system for days because they can only run a few essential appliances and devices.
A standby generator can eventually pay for itself because these problems and more can cost you thousands of dollars.
Standby generators function better and last longer.
As much of your house as you need can be powered by a whole-home standby generator for however long it is necessary. Then, you won’t need to recharge it continually, and you won’t have to be concerned about going over its power limit. Your standby generator will use the same fuel source as your home, like natural gas, to ensure it never runs out of electricity to power your home.
You can decide how much of your house your generator will power when you install it. For example, you could use it to power your whole house as usual or just a few lights and your refrigerator.
The incredible standby generator nearly seems like you never lost power.
Final thoughts: Can I set up the generator on my own?
As an alternative, manufacturers provide prewired, prepackaged systems with comprehensive installation manuals. You may do the site preparatory work and hire a contractor to connect the fuel and electrical panels, or you could do the installation yourself.
However, manufacturers advise using a certified electrician or an authorized dealer for safety reasons and to assure compliance with all local, state, and federal electrical codes.
