6 Reasons to Buy a Standby Generator for Your Home in Chester County, PA
During the Christmas storm last year, over 500,000 homes and businesses were hit by power outages, many of which were in Pennsylvania.
Power outages are becoming a problem that recurs with greater frequency and intensity, which is why investing in a Generac home standby generator is a great idea.
These handy gadgets kick in automatically when the grid suddenly stops supplying power to your house. If you have medical equipment or can't afford to lose power wherever you're working, a standby generator will help you avoid any costly interruptions. Keep reading as we explore the reasons why your residence needs a generator.
1. Protect Appliances
Computers are the most expensive devices with a risk of being damaged by power outages and fluctuations in the power grid. This applies mainly to PCs and laptops, but can also be felt when a smart TV, fridge, washing machine, or anything else with a circuit board gets fried. Though it's not losing power that breaks things, it's the power surge associated with a reactivating grid that messes things up.
Fridges, freezers, heaters, and some appliances with batteries also rely on a stable and consistent flow of electricity. For these types of devices, it's better to maintain a consistent, low level of activity or power consumption rather than having to perform a large amount of work when the power is restored.
Being subjected to these kinds of workflows or conditions can shorten many appliances' lives. A home generator gives your appliances a stable energy flow that keeps them in top working order.
2. Keep Working in an Emergency
A standby generator doesn't only protect you from having expensive appliances break, but it also protects your valuable time. In the last few years, the number of people who work from home has grown by more than three times. If you do some or all of your work from home, each hour you spend without power is money you lose as well.
Installing a generator can help you stay productive no matter what happens with the power grid. This is especially important for people who regularly conduct virtual meetings or who find that such breaks in momentum seriously impede their workflow.
3. Preserve Food
You don't have to have your HVAC hooked up to your standby generator, but if you connect anything to a generator, connect your fridge and freezer. Food has become way more expensive in recent years. Having food go bad because of a power outage is no longer an emotional loss; it's a loss felt financially as well.
Fridges connected to a backup generator keep your food fresh so that you don't have to worry about either loss. If you have multiple fridges and need to prioritize one, make sure it's the one in which you keep the bulk of your medium to long-term food stock.
4. Stay Safe
Lootings, burglary, and robbery are major concerns when power outages occur at night or last for a few days on end. Criminals often target houses where they don't expect to meet resistance or where they don't expect to be caught. If your lights are on during a power outage, there's a good chance that criminals won't choose your house.
Many security systems also need the house's power to stay functional in the long run. If a power outage lasts for a few days, you may find yourself in a vulnerable position. Avoid this by having a generator installation done and connected to your home security system.
5. Prevent Property Damage
There are many ways a backup generator can even keep your home safe from property damage. When the power to your house cuts out, one of the more critical things it switches off is your water heater. In cold areas, a long enough power outage could lead to freezing pipes which can burst if the pressure's high enough.
Power surges can also cause frayed electrical wires to spark. This is a major fire hazard.
A skilled electrician will be looking at your house as part of the generator installation. Such a person will be able to find these kinds of hazards and fix them for you. The generator and surge protection will then keep your house safe from then on.
6. Keep You and Your Family Comfortable
When the power goes out, the standby generator serves to keep your home comfortable as well. Many people rely on electronic devices for entertainment and to stay connected to the outside world. With a generator, your devices and WiFi will be online so you can still reach out to loved ones to check on them and ride out the event with your entertainment.
In places with extreme weather, an HVAC shutdown can be quite unfavorable. Having the generator take over is a great way of avoiding terrible heat in the summer or frigid cold in the winter. Similarly, the generator can also run your home's water heating so that you don't have to subject yourself to cold showers.
It's just important to note that it does take a bigger generator to run heating systems with elements. These elements work by converting electric energy into heat by resisting the flow of power through them and therefore consume a lot of power.
Choose the Right Standby Generator For Your Home
A standby generator can be a great asset for your residential home. Not only do they increase the home's value, but they raise your quality of life by keeping you safe and comfortable during power failures. They also help save you money by preserving the useful lives of your appliances, preventing property damage, and allowing you to work regardless of what the power grid does.
If you're interested in installing a standby generator, contact us for help choosing the right size for your home.
