Summer has come and gone and colder weather is setting in. You no doubt have already hung your fall decorations, started raking leaves, and are figuring out whether or not you want to get a head start on your Christmas shopping. Winter can certainly be unpredictable and even the weatherman cannot tell you whether we are getting no snow or a blizzard. The uncertainty of a winter storm is not something you want to deal with last minute.
Last year, many of us saw just how big of an impact a winter storm can have as thousands of residents in Texas struggled with rolling blackouts, no power, and no heat. We would hate to see this happen to anyone, so the time to prepare is now!
Denny’s Electric Service is here to talk to you about one of the BEST ways to prepare for winter storms and that is by having an emergency backup generator. We have over thirty years of experience and knowledge in the electrical maintenance and construction industry. We know just how big of a difference an emergency backup generator can make. Since the start of the pandemic, the demand for generators has gone up dramatically. This high demand along with supply chain issues that affect multiple industries have made finding generators increasingly difficult to find. We hope that by the end of this blog, you will have a little more knowledge about backup generators and can make some choices now, which will hopefully save you time and money in the future.
When it comes to emergency backup generators, customers can choose between two types of generators. An automatic home standby generator or a portable generator. The type that works best for you will depend on several factors. Whether you rent or own your home, the type of home you have, how much power you may need and other circumstances will determine the right generator for your situation.
Denny’s Electric Service is your go-to company to install, maintain and repair automatic home standby generators. We obviously want everyone to be as prepared as they can be. While we do not sell or service portable generators, we still want to give you a bit of information on those as well.
So, what exactly is the difference between an automatic home standby generator and a portable generator?
The biggest difference between the two is cost. An automatic standby model costs more because it can power an entire home and also requires professional installation. The advantage of an automatic standby model however is that customers have the convenience of not having to set anything up or even pressing a button. When an automatic standby generator detects that your home does not have power, it will automatically start up and supply power to your entire house. No need to run an extension cord from one area to another or to only use certain appliances and not others. You can continue to use just about everything as you normally would. Once your electric utility returns power to your home, the generator will detect this, and revert to standby mode.
A portable generator is not as powerful as an automatic standby generator and does require some setup to use, but also can offer a degree of flexibility that their counterparts do not have.
Portable generators come in a wide variety of models that can supply small amounts of power to over 10,000 watts of power! Obviously, smaller units that provide less power tend to cost less, so a portable generator of some kind is a much better option for consumers on a budget. They also have more utility than an automatic standby unit. Since they are portable, they can supply power just about anywhere you need it! Perhaps you have a large property or homestead and there is an area where you need power that you usually do not have it. A portable generator would work perfectly in this situation. These are great on the go as well! They can be taken with you when you vacation in your RV or go camping.
Our Electrical Service Manager has some timely advice he wanted to give everyone. “Interest in home standby generators is at an all-time high. Please give us a call and we can explain the steps to having one installed at your home and provide your family with peace of mind when the next big storm rolls in” - Mark Burkholder, Denny’s Electric Service.
If you are thinking about getting an automatic home standby generator, please reach out and contact us today! We would be more than happy to answer any of your questions and help you be prepared this winter and beyond!
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