If you have no experience in standby generators or any generators for that matter then choosing the right size to purchase for you and your family can be a daunting task as there are many things you need to know before you take the plunge to buy one for your home.
Standby generators are becoming more and more popular with some labelling them as the must-have appliance for your home.
These amazing generators serve your home by protecting the supplying power that runs your household such as making sure the lights stay on, you are getting warmth inside your house through heating and also retain your food stock inside the fridge and freezer.
When the unfortunate happens and there’s a power cut in your area, this can be from several things such as devastating storms. When there’s a power outage detected, the moment it happens your standby generator will automatically detect that the power is down and begin to run so your appliances begin to start working again.
To reach the quick operating speed a generator has, the ATS or known as the Automatic Transfer Switch isolates your home from the utility and begins to connect it through your generator which helps anything bad from happening to your home and prevents the utility from any potentially unexpected line hazards!
In just a few quick seconds, you will begin to see power is back on in your house and you can go back to living as normal without having to do anything. This will give you and your family sound peace of mind when you feel there might be a power outage about to occur
Choosing the right generator for your home is a very important decision and the first thing you need to keep in mind is what size standby generator is going to be able to power your home. This will determine how much power you need to run your home.
If you go for a unit that’s too small you run the risk of not being able to power appliances such as your air conditioning while keeping the pumps inside your basement running so it remains dry and not flooded.
Now on the other hand if you end up purchasing a standby generator that is too big it can waste a lot of fuel and be very inefficient.
Generators are rated either in watts or in kW (kilowatts). 1,000 watts is one kilowatt. Your electrical appliances are assessed in amps, watts and sometimes kilowatts. You can google what it is each one equals if you are stuck on converting them.
You will need to decide what appliances you are going to need to power in an emergency, checking what watts or kW you are going to require is one of the first steps you need to choose what size generator you are going to purchase.
Make A List
If you decide what appliances you are going to need to power in an emergency, then it’s key to create a list by making the most important appliances in your home that you can’t decide to live without this normally includes your fridge & freezers for your food, your heating & air conditioning and any medical equipment.
Once you have made a list of your most important appliances then you can begin to add lesser ones that are considered a bit more of a luxury.
The important ones will take much more power to get it running than ones like television, iPhone chargers and turning on the lights in your home. The more items that you add means more capacity is needed.
Many people decide to purchase a generator that is big enough to run everything inside their home and in most cases, this can be the most efficient route you can take while saving you money.
The perfect checklist that you can create would be adding essentials, then adding your luxury items and finally adding a 15-20% margin in case you need a bit of extra power, you must be adding a little more leeway.
What Are The Benefits Of A Standby Generator
If you aren’t sure exactly what benefits a standby generator would bring to your house, we’ve put together some of our favourite benefits that come when installing one.
- Quick Transfer Switch – Once experts have installed your standby generator, you won’t have to manually switch it on once the main grid goes down due to any problem that might occur, the ATS located inside the generator will automatically detect that it’s down and transfer power from your main utility grid to your generator.
- Will Keep Everyone Safe – When the power goes down, there’s no set time frame on when it can come back on, it could take hours, days or even weeks in case of serious storms in your area before that your power comes back on and if you have family living inside your house, your main concern is keeping them safe, with a generator installed you won’t have to move around but remain safe in your household with power.
- It’s An Investment – Getting a standby generator installed inside your home especially if the generator that you purchase is a new edition that’s just come out, not only is it extremely convenient for any potential power outages but it’s also a solid investment in raising the price of your home.
- Protection From Any Electrical Damage Occurring – When a power outage happens, electronics can go through electrical hazards but if you have a standby generator it will switch off any electronics on the main grid when it’s off will protect them from any damage.
If you are in the market for a standby generator but it still seems overwhelming, then your best bet is to contact experts on the matter such as Pleavin Power, we are one of the leading UK generator specialists who operate nationwide, providing an unrivalled generator repair service. Our friendly support team is on hand to help you choose the right standby generator.
Jack is the owner of Pleavin Power which was founded in 2017. He has worked in the power industry for over a decade and has an extreme focus on providing a quality service to clients across the UK. This has led Pleavin Power to becoming the market leader in the Critical, Prime & Standby Power markets.
