Keep Your Family Safe and Comfortable with a Whole House Generator

Power outages are occurring more frequently than ever and lasting longer with more harmful effects. Whole house generators are becoming a popular way for Chicago area homeowners to keep their homes safe and comfortable during prolonged periods without power.

Today's backup generators are quieter, more reliable and offer the  convenience of auto start and practically infinite run time. When the power goes out  a standby generator goes on - automatically - protecting you and your home 24/7. With a standby generator your family can maintain everyday necessities like heating, cooling, refrigeration and lighting.

Whole House or Portable Generator?

A portable generator needs to be rolled out from the storage, filled with fuel or hooked up to a fuel line, manually started, and connected to your loads. By contrast, a permanent standby generator starts automatically because it is already connected to both the house wiring and the fuel source. It can sense a power outage, isolate your electrical wiring or designated emergency circuits from the grid, and start powering your home immediately.

Whole house standby generators offer power levels higher than portables - their rating ranges anywhere from 5 kilowatt up into hundreds of kW. This makes them the best choice for long-term power outages. While the initial cost is higher than a portable generator, a whole house generator will increase the value of your home.

When power is restored, a portable generator will need to be switched off manually. A whole house generator will connect you back to the utility lines and will turn itself off automatically. You don't even have to be home to switch it over.

What to Look For When Choosing a Whole House Generator For Your Home

Aside from wattage, consider the duration of time you may need emergency power, fuel availability, safety and convenience of use.

By selecting which appliances and lighting you want to maintain during a power outage, you can calculate the power requirements of the designated circuits and select a generator that can maintain the proper wattage for your application.

Most residential generators can run on both natural gas and LP (propane). Your installer will do a simple field adjustment to convert the unit to your available fuel source.
A whole house generator will be permanently installed in a location that provides easy access to your home's electric and fuel supply and that minimizes the risk of exhaust fumes entering the home.

Have backup power generator questions?  The experts at ABC Plumbing, Heating Cooling & Electric can help you select the best whole house generator solution to fit your family's needs and budget.