Electric Generator

Imagine your life without electricity. If you are envisioning something from the past, think again. Power outages in recent years have caught large populations struggling to reinvent daily life while power is being restored. Learn more about electric generators here.

Electric Generators
Are You Prepared for an Emergency?

Do you know what you'll do if your city's power goes out?

Without electricity, there'll be no more refrigeration, air conditioning, cooking with stoves and even pumping gas may be impossible at newer filling stations! Practically everything we enjoy is based around electricity.

By using and maintaining a generator, these comforts don't have to be lost! Generators come in all types of packages, from massive, industrial standby dynamo's to portable gasoline engine generators. When it comes to bringing peace of mind to your life, owning a generator, no matter what size, cannot be beat.

Here's a guide to help you find the right model to get you through those dark nights if the lights do, in fact, go out.

A guide to generator style

The first thing to consider when buying an electric generator is your individual needs. Do you want a complete power solution or do you just need the basic power necessities?

If you just want enough to get you through the night, a lower-wattage portable generator may be right for you. These small, but sturdy portable units can, depending on the size of the unit, provide power for just the survival appliances - such as the refrigerator, sump pump, furnace fan and possibly the stove - to juicing up the whole house.

For a seamless experience, a standby electric generator may be a desirable option.

Standby electric generators are stationary installations that are bridged in-line with your existing power feed. If the municipal power line goes dead, the standby generator will kick on, taking over the responsibility of giving power to the home.

This type of generator comes in two varieties: whole home generators, which provide power for every circuit installed in the home, and dedicated circuit generators, which only power selected circuits.

Transfer options

If a portable electric generator is deemed the right style for your emergencies, be sure to install the right power transfer switch to allow a manual change-over.

A power transfer switch is installed beside the main electrical panel, and then it's connected to the circuits you'll want running during a blackout. When the power goes out, you simply crank up the generator and run a single power cord from it to a transfer switch.

When the power comes back online, simply turn the transfer switch back to allowing municipal power through.

Built-in standby electric generators generally are installed with this technology, but you can always upgrade the power transfer switch to suit your needs.

Electric generators are an oft-overlooked addition to emergency protection, though no home should be without one. As our lives continue to depend on electrical devices, you can bet that generators will become as standard as the air conditioner.