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Summer storms result in an increased risk of power outages. Outages can easily occur due to issues like lightning striking the local power grid or major wind gusts breaking tree branches and knocking down power lines. While most outages don’t usually last very long, it only takes a few hours without power for food in a refrigerator to spoil. Having to use candles and flashlights to see when your power is out and not being able to run your air conditioning system are just some of the other inconveniences that power outages can cause. The best way to make sure your home and family are prepared for a power outage is to install a backup generator.
What Is a Backup Generator?
Also known as a standby generator or whole-home generator, this equipment is installed outside the home and supplies power directly to the home’s electrical system. The generator also has a steady fuel source, so you never need to manually refill it. The most common option is to connect the generator to a home’s natural gas supply. You can also install a dedicated propane tank to provide fuel for your generator.
A backup generator is wired to the house’s main electrical panel through a device known as a transfer switch. This switch allows 100% of the electricity the generator produces to safely flow into the home’s electrical panel. The switch temporarily severs the connection between the home and the grid by switching off the main breaker in the electrical panel. It is a legal requirement to connect a backup generator with a transfer switch. Otherwise, some of the electricity from the generator would end up entering the grid, potentially creating a major safety hazard for utility workers due to the risk of electrocution.
An automatic transfer switch can monitor for outages and tell the generator to start running as soon as an outage occurs. There are also manual transfer switches available. The issue with a manual transfer switch is that you must activate it yourself when an outage occurs to disconnect your house from the grid. You then need to go outside and manually start the generator. With an automatic transfer switch, the generator will start running when your power goes out. If everything is in order, the generator will restore power to your house within 20 to 40 seconds.
Advantages of Backup Generators Over Portable Generators
A backup generator can supply power to most or all your house directly, provided you choose a unit that’s sufficiently sized. You can also connect a portable generator to your house by installing a transfer switch or something known as an interlock kit. However, you’ll still need to take the generator out of your garage or shed, turn it on, and then connect it to your electrical system. This is where a backup generator wired to an automatic transfer switch has a major advantage. It will start powering your house immediately on its own.
The other main drawback to using a portable generator is that it can only hold so much fuel. With many portable generators, you only have between 6 and 18 hours of runtime before the fuel runs out. That means you would need spare cans of gas or diesel fuel on hand to be fully prepared for a longer outage. If you run out of fuel during the outage, you’ll have to drive to a location that has fuel available. A backup generator has its own fuel source. Even if you choose to run your generator on propane, you’ll usually be able to run it for several weeks if your tank is 500 gallons or more.
How to Choose the Right Backup Generator for Your Home
One of the most important factors to consider when installing a backup generator is choosing a unit that produces enough power to meet your specific needs. The generator doesn’t need to produce enough electricity to power everything in your house at the same time. After all, there is almost never going to be a situation when every appliance and light in your home will be running at once. Nonetheless, you want to make sure the generator can meet the power needs of your HVAC system, refrigerators and freezers, medical devices, electronics, and whatever other important items you’ll need to rely on during a power outage.
In terms of how much power a generator needs to produce, the main things to focus on are the start-up loads of high-power appliances like an air conditioner, refrigerator, freezer, washing machine, dryer, etc. Most of these major appliances draw at least three times their normal load when first starting up. In some cases, the start-up load can even be five times higher than the running load. That means if you have a 3,000-watt AC, the generator will need to supply at least 9,000 to 15,000 watts just to enable the AC to turn on.
Luckily, the controller for most backup generators has a load-shedding or load-management feature that allows it to send additional power to where it’s needed. For instance, when the AC first needs to start, the controller can temporarily stop power from flowing to other appliances or circuits. That way there is sufficient power for the AC to start without the generator getting overloaded and shutting off. As soon as the AC is running, the controller will then start sending power back to whatever loads it shed, such as your refrigerator and freezer. This sort of feature is extremely useful, as it prevents the generator from potentially being damaged because of it getting overloaded. It also means you can get away with installing a slightly smaller generator than you would have otherwise.
Manufacturers recommend running your backup generator at least once a month, if not every week. This means having the generator turn on and run for between 15 and 30 minutes. Exercising a generator is important for preventing moisture buildup in the motor and keeping everything properly lubricated. It also allows you to make sure the generator turns on and runs as it should without any issues.
You may want to consider investing in a generator with wireless connectivity and remote monitoring features. With remote monitoring, you can program the exercise cycle using an app on your phone. You’ll also receive an alert if the generator doesn’t come on at the scheduled time or flashes any error codes. This alerts you that you need to contact a professional for repair service. Remote monitoring will send you an alert anytime your power goes out and the generator comes on. You can also receive alerts when it’s time to have the oil in the generator changed or any other maintenance performed.
The other thing you want to focus on is making sure you choose a backup generator from a reputable, dependable brand. At Black-Haak, we sell and install backup generators from some of the best brands in the industry and offer a range of different generator systems suitable for any home and any situation.
We also offer professional generator maintenance and repair services and will do whatever is necessary to keep your unit in excellent shape. To set up a consultation with one of our electrical experts and get help choosing the right backup generator for your home, contact Black-Haak in Greenville, WI today.
