What a Standby Generator Power During an Outage
One of the things often taken for granted is the electricity we have virtually unlimited access to, powering our homes and lives from morning till night. We keep our house cool during the summer heat, warm when the winter chill sets in, use our refrigerator and cooking appliances to prepare our food and sometimes even utilize power to keep lifesaving medical equipment running.
However, when electricity service is interrupted, those perks of modern living disappear just as quickly, leaving us stranded and literally powerless to maintain our comfortable lives. Having a standby generator installed in your home can be the lifesaver you need, allowing you to keep the power running so you can keep your family safe when the power is interrupted.
When is a Standby Generator Useful?
Our homes can experience a power interruption for a variety of reasons. From unpredictable or intense weather situations to maintenance work at your home or in the area, your power can be off for minutes or hours without any notice.
A surprise outage can be particularly challenging when your home’s electricity keeps critical medical devices running or when dangerous heat or frigid weather makes your home difficult to live in, threatens the safety of your food storage or puts your water pipes in danger of bursting from the low temperatures.
Quickly restarting your home’s key appliances and devices with generator power can help you avoid those problems. You and your family can remain comfortable and safe while protecting your home when you rely on a backup power source that a standby generator can provide.
Generator Power Makes a Difference
We rely on power for more than just the creature comforts of modern life, like refrigerators, electric heat and fans to cool us when the outside heats up. Turning off or losing power during an outage can create real problems for your home and family if you don’t have a generator power system ready to step in.
Communication Devices: Phones play an integral role in our modern lives, and the inability to charge up or use a phone during emergencies can be life-threatening. These relatively low-power devices can easily be connected to a generator for a quick charge to keep you connected.
Electronics: The continued ability to use important electronics like Wi-Fi modems, computers and laptops can be critical for work and school needs during prolonged power outages. Being able to utilize technology like televisions or small personal devices can also be helpful during lengthy outages, provide entertainment and help you stay connected to current updates about dangerous weather or other news that you need to know while your power is down.
Home Security Systems: Many homes are equipped with home security systems that are monitored and connected directly to a security company or a direct line to local authorities. When your home loses power, this critical home safety support is lost.
A backup generator can keep your security cameras operating normally and allow you to access that critical connection for instant help if the need arises. While most smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors rely on backup batteries, their connectivity to emergency support systems may be disrupted if they are hardwired.
Kitchen Appliances: Being able to make a quick meal in the microwave or heat meals on a stove or in the oven is necessary during extended power loss times. Refrigerators can hold home essentials for new families like baby’s milk, food necessary for those on specialized diets or medicines that require specific temperatures, so going without power can make life very difficult for some families.
Laundry Appliances: Washing and drying clothes can be a crucial need for homes with the very young or old, the infirm, or when extreme weather conditions require safe protection with dry clothes. While electric dryers can consume a large amount of power to use, air-drying clean clothes may be a good option for families that need this key service to continue during a power interruption.
Keeping Your Home Powered During an Outage
A trusted electrician can set up a standby generator so you can avoid the stress, problems and potential dangers caused by a power interruption. Generator power will allow you to continue to use key devices when your power is down, but knowing what to expect with a standby generator can help you choose the right generator for your needs.
Appliances You May Be Able to Run with a Standby Generator
Depending on the number of kilowatts the generator produces, you will be able to power multiple devices or appliances with it. The most common appliances and devices that homeowners focus on when choosing and setting up a backup generator are:
- computers
- electrical outlets for phones, computers and important devices
- electric heat
- electric stoves
- freezers
- garage doors
- refrigerators
- ump pumps
House Size and Generator Selection
The square footage of a home and the types of appliances both impact a homeowner’s choice of a whole home generator. Needing to heat a larger space or a need for multiple large appliances creates a need for a larger, more impactful generator system, while smaller spaces with fewer appliances or devices will be able to install a smaller backup generator.
Protecting Your Home
Protecting your home and family with an extra boost of generator power can put your mind at ease and make life easier when power outages occur. Partnering with a certified and reliable electrician is the first step in protecting your home.
Homeowners in Fort Myers and the surrounding areas can call on Mister Sparky to help set up their homes with the right generator to ensure continuous power when outages happen. Don’t put up with any malarky, call Mister Sparky, so you will know that your generator power is ready to go when you need it most.
