Energy is a resource that is in demand, and sometimes, a home may suffer when the power is knocked out. The solution is to have a generator on hand that can create enough power for a person’s or a households needs until the regular power grid is available once again, and in some contexts, such as camping, a generator is not an emergency item, but a matter of course. Either way, investing in the right generator for the job is critical, and generator installation can be easy, and once done, can set a person’s mind at ease. Will whole house generators be needed at some point? What about an emergency generator in the case of a blizzard, or standby generators? There are different models for different needs. Finding the right one is the first step.
Power Needs
It can be argued that the very need for power dictates what sort of generator a person will buy, and this guides generator installation. One example may be a tailgate party where a TV or even a game system are in place. Here, a generator that can provide about 1,000 watts may be sufficient, but running an entire home and its utilities during a power outage will require generator installation on a whole different level. Typically, generator installment begins with a person adding up the wattage of the appliances an fixtures that they plan to power with that generator and coming to a sum. Items such as light bulbs, refrigerators, televisions, computers, and more will have certain wattage requirements, and this data can be found by checking the user manual or contacting the manufacturer. Those newer to measuring power should be aware that watts are measured in a similar manner as bytes of data in computers. 1,000 watts make up one kilowatt, while 1,000 kilowatts make up one megawatt (one million watts), and so on with gigawatts and terawatts (such large figures are unlikely to come up for regular homeowners, however).
Power Going Out
The modern American power grid is wide, but it may sometimes fail due to disaster or weather either locally or on larger scale. For example, in the first six months of 2014, 130 power grid outages were reported, and federal data shows that the American electric grid loses power at a rate 285% more than that of 1984, which is when data for blackouts was started. What is more, the DOE reports taht power outages are costing American businesses some $150 billion every single year, and weather-related disruptions are the most cost-damaging in these events, such as blizzards, hurricanes, tornadoes, and ice storms weighting down or blowing away power lines and their poles. Homeowner should take caution when the power goes out. Not only is it inconvenient to have darkness at night and no access to heating or cooling, but food in the refrigerator or freezer may start to spoil if it gets too warm. If the power goes out, then comes back within four hours, there should be no problem, but any food that is warmed to 40 degrees Fahrenheit or more should be discarded (food thermometers should be used).
A Home Generator
Power outages will happen from time to time, so homeowners in outage-prone areas such as the East coast (hurricanes) or New England or Montana (blizzards and ice) are urged to consider ways to keep their homes powered in such events. Generator installation can be a terrific investment if the right model is found, and whole home generator pricing dos not have to break the bank if the buyer knows what to look for. According to Consumer Reports, models can vary widely in size, power output, purpose, and price. For home generator installment, for example, a home standby unit with up to 20,000 watts (20 kilowatts) of output is a good option to consider. Such a thing will be pricey, but it can be a lifesaver and pay for itself over time. Such generators are permanently installed next to the house, and they can activate automatically in the case of a power outage, meaning that the home has no interruption of power. Natural gas and propane often power these models, but owners should be careful not to use them in regions prone to flooding, as this can damage them.