Do you live in an area that gets hit with frequent, and occasionally extended power outages?
If so, a standby backup generator could make your life a lot more pleasant when those dreaded power outages rear their ugly heads.
A standby backup generator is much different than the portable generators you’re probably familiar with.
Here are the primary differences:
1 – Standby backup generators are connected to your home’s electrical system full time.
They monitor the voltage coming into your home from the power grid and and immediately kick in every time the power goes out.
You won’t have to do a thing because the standby generator will spring into action automatically, even if you aren’t at home when the power goes off!
2 – Another key difference is the generator’s fuel source.
Unlike their portable cousins, most standby backup generators don’t burn gasoline.
Instead, they burn natural gas or liquid propane (LP), both of which are a lot cleaner and more convenient than gasoline.
That means after you hook your generator up to the existing municipal gas line or a decent sized propane tank you’ll never have to worry about “filling up the tank” every few hours like you would with a portable generator.
3 – Most important of all, a standby backup generator can power your entire house if that’s important to you.
Alternatively, you can choose a less expensive model that will power just the most essential rooms in your home during an outage.
As you can see, standby backup generators are a lot more capable and convenient than portable generators.
Now that the benefits are out of the way, let’s discuss a couple of disadvantages that you need to be aware of:
1 – Since a standby backup generator permanently connects to your home’s electrical panel you’ll probably need to hire a pro to install it for you.
After all, this is one installation that simply MUST be done correctly in order to ensure the safety of both your property and your family.
2 – Standby backup generators are considerably more expensive than portable generators.
In fact, their prices start at around $2,000 for the most inexpensive models.
There are several companies that manufacture and sell standby backup generators, but the most popular brand is Generac.
If you believe you and your family could benefit from having a standby backup generator standing ready to power your house during future power outages, I recommend that you check out the various models at the Generac website.
Once you determine exactly which model best fits your needs you can click the blue Where to buy button to find your local dealer.
Note: Lowes and most other major home improvement centers sell Generac generators, and they can even arrange the installation.
If you prefer to do your shopping online you can also get Generac’s awesome products at Amazon.
To finish up, here’s a fantastic short video that explains how Generac’s standby backup generators work. Check it out!
Note: As always, you can watch the video at full screen by clicking the “square” icon that will pop up in the lower-right corner of the video after it begins playing.
Note: The links in this post are affiliate links.