What is a Whole-Home Generator?
A whole-home generator is a device that provides emergency power to your home in the event of an outage. It is designed to detect when the power goes out and generate electricity automatically within a matter of seconds. Once power is restored, a whole-home generator will turn back off.
Why Would Someone Need a Whole-Home Generator?
Whole-home generators protect your access to electricity in the face of unpredictable weather conditions, failed power grid, or equipment malfunction. Floods, Nor’easters, and winter storms are a few types of weather that commonly damage power lines, creating outages that may last for hours, days, or weeks.
Life becomes substantially more difficult when the power goes out for an extended period of time. Many essential systems in your home can’t operate without power – refrigerators, furnaces, air conditioners, water heaters, sump pumps, security systems, vital medical equipment … the list goes on. Days without access to any one of these things could lead to spoiled food in the fridge, unsafe indoor temperatures, burst pipes, basement flooding, no home security, no lights or electronics, no hot water, and life-or-death situations for people who depend on medical equipment to survive.
What Kinds of Generators are on the Market?
There are two major types of generators: whole-home standby generators and portable generators. Whether to choose a portable or standby generator will depend entirely on your budget, size of home, need for convenience, and power requirements.
Whole-Home Standby Generators
Whole-home generators are a type of generator that is able to support most or all of your home’s electricity needs at once. It is a permanently-installed device that can detect power outages automatically and operate for an extended amount of time. It is the most convenient type of generator because it allows you to continue living as normal despite losing power.
A standby generator is a must if your home is prone to long power outages or if your household includes small children, elderly, or anyone who depends on life-saving medical equipment. Aside from providing peace of mind, whole-home generators are also a worthy investment that can increase the value of your property, especially in areas that frequently get severe weather.
Portable Generators
Portable generators are a smaller type of generator that is easily transported and can be bought at your local hardware store. They must be turned on manually and can generate enough electricity for a few appliances at a time. It is less expensive than a whole-home generator, but it cannot operate at the same level of power or for as long a period of time.
Portable generators can be more dangerous to operate due to a greater risk of CO2 poisoning, electrical shock, and fire. It is important to only operate portable generators outdoors and on a dry surface, and remember to turn off your generator to let it cool before refueling.
Types of Fuel Generators Can Use
Whole-home generators most commonly use natural gas or propane fuel for operation, and some models can use multiple fuel types. The fuel you choose will affect how long your generator can run and how expensive it will be to operate. When deciding between fuel sources, asking your local electrician for advice is invaluable. They will know which generators are popular in the area and what fuel sources tend to work best.
Natural Gas
If your generator runs on natural gas, you may be able to connect it directly to your gas line for power supply. This is a convenient and relatively low-cost fuel method. Many homeowners go this route if they already have access to natural gas from their utility company. The only risk is that you lose fuel supply if the gas line becomes damaged for any reason.
Liquid Propane
Propane-fueled generators draw from a separate propane tank to operate. Liquid propane tanks come in various sizes depending on how much power you expect to use at a time, but eventually they will need to be refilled or replaced. Despite this, propane is still a good alternative to natural gas. It is more environmentally friendly than gasoline and can be stored indefinitely without degrading.
Diesel
Some whole-home generators can run on diesel fuel. Diesel is a highly-efficient fuel source, but it can be harder to get. To refill your diesel tank, you may have to hire a company to deliver the fuel to you. Diesel also needs to be replaced if it’s been sitting unused for long enough – it has a longer shelf life than gasoline but doesn’t last forever like propane.
Gasoline
Gasoline is a common fuel source for portable generators but not usually seen in whole-home generators. For that reason, gas-powered generators tend to be less expensive. Getting fuel is as easy as stopping by your local gas station, although it may be hard to acquire in a disaster situation. Gas-powered generators also need to be refueled more frequently, so you will want to have extra fuel on hand. Keep in mind that gasoline is more dangerous to store than other fuels and has a relatively short shelf life.
The Whole-Home Generator Installation Process
Installing a whole-home generator is an extensive process that includes electrical work, equipment assembly, and permits. Unless you are a licensed electrician, we don’t recommend DIY-ing this project.
Get a Quote: Whole-home generators are permanently installed on your property and require skilled electrical work. To get a new standby generator, the first step is to call your local home service company or electrician for a quote. They will be able to recommend a product to fit the size of your home and other needs.
Choose an Installation Location: Where you install a whole-home generator is an important decision that must adhere to local codes. Your electrician will be familiar with city and state regulations and can help you find a good spot. In general, you’ll want your generator to be far enough from your property so it does not become a carbon monoxide risk. It also must be placed on a level surface, elevated off the ground.
Obtain a Permit: Permits are usually required to install a standby generator on your property. This is taken care of by your electrician, and the application fee will be included in the cost of installation. Obtaining a permit can take days or weeks, depending on your local government.
Installation Day: Installation of your whole-home generator can take half a day. During that time, the installer may have to cut the power temporarily.
Maintaining Your Whole-Home Generator
Like any other major appliance, whole-home generators also require routine maintenance. A yearly tune-up will ensure your generator is able to perform flawlessly in the face of an unexpected power outage. Annual maintenance includes a visual inspection of the whole generator, oil and filter change, battery check, spark plug check, checks for water intrusion or corrosion, and unit cleaning.
Just Call Heritage for Standby Generator Services
Heritage Home Service offers expert generator installation, maintenance, and repair services to ensure you are never left without power. For as little as $30 a year, our FLEET program can even monitor your generator’s performance for you! If your generator has a problem, our team will be notified and contact you to set up a service appointment. Just get in touch with us to sign up for a FLEET subscription.