Choosing The Right Standby Generator

A standby generator is a unit that provides emergency power to a home or business in the event that other power is unavailable. Though almost any generator could be considered standby power under the right circumstances, a standby generator is commonly one that immediately starts up when a large structure loses power. It is installed in or near the home or business, and runs on a chosen form of fuel, such as propane or natural gas.

Standby generators can provide varying levels of power, depending upon the owner’s needs. These units can power an entire house, if necessary, or just the basics, such as lights and necessary appliances. Of course, a commercial standby generator must be powerful enough to keep a business running, which means potentially powering technology and machinery. This includes AC units, too, because IT rooms may become too hot without cool air, causing significant damage to important devices and the information they hold. Standby generators are built to handle all of these events.

Automatic transfer switches help your generator turn on instantly when the power goes down and switch your house’s power, or your business’ power, from the grid to the generator. There are some manual options, but the transfer switch makes things particularly easy with the instant power transfer.

Other than the ability to make certain that your home and business stay up and running when the rest of the electrical grid is out, a great thing about these generators is that, once you have them installed, you have very little to do after that. A professional will install the unit for you and make sure that it is properly wired. Standby generators vary in size, but accommodating them near the building, or sometimes inside, is usually very easy. Then, ownership is also easy; some occasional checkups will need to be performed to make sure that your unit is ready to run when needed and perhaps some rare maintenance will be necessary. Many models allow you to monitor your unit wirelessly so that you always know things are working, even from far away.

Residential Standby: This is a unit made to run your home when there is a power outage. It can power the most important appliances and devices, or it can run your whole house—you can choose the amount of power you need. Choose from natural gas, propane, and other forms of fuel. Some models also have technology that allows you to monitor your unit, whether directly by viewing the generator’s display, or from a distance with a wireless monitoring system.

Commercial Standby: These generators supply an abundance of power for large applications, such as powering your business. Their engines are capable of handling long-term, heavy use. They have strong exteriors that protect them from wear and the elements. Despite their size and power, they can be relatively quiet so as not to disturb your business.

Want to know more about standby generators? Take a look at what we offer and talk to us about what you need.