When the power goes out, you could be without electricity for hours or even days. In these situations, a residential generator can provide full-time power protection, keeping your home bright and climate-controlled. If you're considering this investment, learn more about why it's so essential, and how to select the best option, below.

Reasons to Invest in a Residential Generator

A standby or portable generator will kick on within seconds after a blackout, providing your home with days of electricity. While the inconvenience of power loss is enough encouragement to invest in a backup, it's also worth noting that American households face approximately $150 billion in outage related expenses per year. As a result, a generator can also save you money on costs relating to spoiled food and emergency supplies, such as batteries and firewood.

How to Choose the Perfect Backup

Standby or Portable

Standby generators are used to power entire homes, and they commonly come in large sizes. Alternatively, portable generators are used on worksites and tend to have low kilowatt (kW) usage. To choose between the two, weigh whether you need to power the entire home during an outage or only necessary appliances, such as the fridge, stove, or lights.

Wattage

The most common residential generator sizes are 7 kW, 17 kW, and 48 kW, with 17 kW suiting most residential needs. One kilowatt equals 1,000 watts, so try your best to convert the wattage of your necessary appliances correctly. After adding up all wattage in your home, purchase a larger residential generator size, so it's less likely to overload.

Sound Level

Residential generators are quite loud, with sounds ranging from 50 to 60 decibels. To put that in perspective, standard vacuum cleaners are as loud as 70 decibels. Luckily, you can install an internal silent muffler, a noise block sound reduction system, and a noise level suppresser to make the generator quieter. Still, it's best to keep the machine away from your home if you don't want to hear it running.

If you’re looking to install a new residential generator, contact Zelek Electric Co. in Old Lyme, CT. These contractors have the advanced equipment and expertise needed to ensure you have the right device for your home powering needs. Since 1983, the electrical experts have earned a strong reputation for high-quality service, in addition to an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau. Call today at (860) 434-9726 to schedule an appointment and request an estimate, or visit them online for more information on their available generators.