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Power outages are becoming more common, and a backup generator keeps your lights, refrigerator, and heating or cooling running when the grid fails. Choosing the right one comes down to how much power you need and how automatic you want the process to be.
Portable Versus Standby Generators
Portable generators are affordable and can power a few essential appliances, but you must start them manually and run them outside, away from windows. Standby generators are installed permanently, switch on automatically during an outage, and can power your whole home, at a higher upfront cost.
Sizing and Fuel
Add up the wattage of the appliances you want to run to find the size you need. Consider the fuel too: gasoline is easy to find, propane stores well, and natural gas offers a continuous supply if your home is connected.
Safety First
Never run a generator indoors or in a garage because of carbon monoxide risk. A transfer switch, installed by an electrician, is the safe way to connect a generator to your home circuits.
With the right generator sized and installed correctly, an outage becomes a minor inconvenience instead of a crisis.
