We may not have as harsh of weather as our friends and family in the midwest or on the east coast, but that doesn’t mean we are immune to weather events altogether, or other problems that could result in widespread, long-term power outages.
Blackouts might not be on the forefront of your mind or considered a “big deal,” to you, but when you consider all the home appliances you won’t have access to for possibly days, it can become a little more worrisome. For example, what about your air conditioner? Or your refrigerator? If you have electric kitchen appliances, what about your oven and stovetop?
All the creature comforts go away in a blackout, plus it can even be unsafe to be without electricity for a prolonged period of time, without preparation. And one way to prepare is with the installation of a whole-home, automatic standby generator.
The Whole-House Advantage
You’ve probably seen, and may even have, the portable generator. This generator relies on a tank of fuel that must be refilled after every use, and it is typically able to be used for one or two appliances at a time. It’s most beneficial for camping trips if you want access to an electric cooktop or any other electronics.
The whole-house generator, however, is a much larger system and it’s connected right to the natural gas line coming into your home, and is permanently wired into your home’s electrical system. It’s also called an “automatic standby” generator because it switches on automatically, once a blackout occurs–and it stops running automatically when the power comes back on.
The Benefits
Whole-house, automatic standby generators can produce more than enough power to keep your entire home operating–not just a couple of appliances here and there. Portable systems are much smaller, manual systems. They must be switched on and off, and they are designed to provide enough power to maybe keep the lights on and provide a couple other minor necessities.
Additionally, automatic standby whole-house generators are safer. This isn’t to say that portable generators are inherently dangerous, but storing them in an indoor location can lead to potential harmful problems like carbon monoxide exposure and poisoning.
Whole-house generators are simply more useful, too, than their portable counterparts. This is especially true if you have an all-electric house with an air conditioner, oven and stove, water heater, etc. In fact, even gas appliances require some electricity, as most have an electric ignition switch.
Trust a Pro for Your Generator Installation
Remember, just like with any other large and important appliance, it’s important that you only trust trained and experienced professionals to do the installation. Since a whole-house generator requires its own natural gas supply, you may need an additional gas line installed.
Even if you don’t, you want to make sure that the gas line is connected as it should be. Otherwise not only do you risk an inefficient or ineffective generator, but you could also potentially have an unsafe situation on your hands. You don’t need to worry at all when you have our team on your side!
For professional generator installation in Olympia, WA, look no further than Sunset Air. Contact us today!
