Whether it’s for your home or business, investing in a standby propane generator is a wise decision. When big storms knock out the power and put you in an inconvenient and potentially unsafe situation, your generator will allow you to restore electricity within seconds and can last for many days when necessary. However, before you make your purchase, you should understand how to select the right unit for your property.

Zelek Electric Co. offers customers in Old Lyme, CT, a wide variety of residential and commercial generator backup systems. Below, they discuss a few factors to consider when shopping for a standby propane generator:

• Cost: The generator you choose will depend largely on your budget. Although they can be quite a bit more expensive than portable units or other types of standby devices, standby propane generators will give you the most consistent power for as long as you have a fuel source available.
• Size: Generators come in a range of sizes, so you will need to calculate the wattage of everything you want to supply power to during an outage. This involves the refrigerator, lights, sump pump, computers, televisions, appliances, and the HVAC system. Anything that is important for you to have access to should be included in your estimate to determine which size unit to buy.
• Placement: Propane generators can be quite large, so it’s essential that you have a proper place in mind for it to be installed. The unit will need to be attached to your property’s propane tank. You must also identify if there are local zoning laws regarding the storage of propane.