Human beings spend an inordinate amount of time talking about the weather. How good it is. How bad it is. What it will be this afternoon, tomorrow, over the weekend. And with intense weather events taking place more often, weather seems to have become a national obsession.
Since the calendar is about to turn over again into hurricane season, it’s a good time to be thinking about generators. When the power goes out at our house, Bob enthusiastically gets out the candles and the flashlights. He has a particular head lamp that he really enjoys wearing. He seems to look at a power failure as an opportunity to bring out the camping equipment. Me, not so much. I am more of a head to the hotel for room service and a massage girl.
Why a Generator is Useful for Hurricane Season
We went through Hurricane Sandy on Long Island without a generator. Of course we made it through, but after that I basically forced Bob to buy a generator that we could use to power our house in an emergency. We have been lucky, and we haven’t had to use it but at least I have the peace of mind knowing that its available.
The purpose of a generator is to provide electricity to your home when there is a power outage. Having one will provide you with peace of mind. It will help you enhance the comfort and safety of your home by maintaining visibility within it and security around it. A generator can prevent food waste during a time when fresh food may be hard to come by. It’s also an important way to keep connected digitally by powering devices, providing access to information and even the ability to work remotely.
How to Shop for a Generator for Your Home
Here are some things to consider when shopping for one. Generators can be fueled by gasoline, diesel fuel, propane or natural gas. The first question you need to answer is whether your particular situation requires a portable generator or a stationary / standby generator.
Portable generators are generally smaller and cheaper and you can keep them in your garage to haul out when the need arises. You can get a decent portable generator that runs on gasoline for under $750. The downside to the portable is that while it runs on regular gasoline, you have to refill the tank frequently since it has a relatively short run time of around 6 to 18 hours.
This can create a problem if there is a longer- term power failure and the gas pumps are also down due to lack of electricity. And really, it is not the best idea to store a large quantity of gasoline in your garage. Some of the portables can run on a small tank of propane like you use for your outdoor grill, but run time is still a factor. Be mindful of how close the equipment is to your house because you don’t want to risk carbon monoxide coming inside. A portable unit is a quick, relatively inexpensive security blanket for those times when you need it.
When to Consider a Standby Generator
If you are concerned about being without power for a long period of time, you want to run your central air, or someone in your family suffers from a medical condition and needs to have electricity to run medical equipment, you need to consider a standby generator.
If you live in an area that is subject to extreme weather or prone to power outages, a standby generator can even increase your property value. This type of generator can also run on a variety of fuel types. You can hook it up to the gas line or propane in your house the same as a barbecue. You can install a manual switch in your home to turn on the generator in an emergency. The more powerful generators are even equipped with an automatic switch that senses a power failure and turns on the generator.
This is a great feature because you don’t have to be home to turn it on, and it will turn off automatically when the power is restored. Some of the newest generators can be run with your smartphone or tablet. These are somewhat more sophisticated pieces of equipment and their sophistication is reflected in their price.
Generator Sizing Calculator
If you need to go beyond the basics, and want detailed information about what size generator will fit your particular needs, check out the Generator Sizing Calculator here.
You can input your zip code, and what appliances you will need to run in an emergency and it will recommend what you need. It’s also a good idea to arrange for professional installation unless this is something that is really in your wheelhouse. Installing a generator switch is not a DIY project.
Want a professional’s help to think of more ways to add value to your home, like installing a generator? Click here to schedule a consultation.
