Electricity is necessary for life in 21st century America. What would it be like to live without power for a day, a week, or even a month? Dependence on devices for communication and information and appliances for food storage and preparation are driving a growing demand for home standby generators.

Would it be possible for the average homeowner to maintain a safe and comfortable lifestyle in both the summer and winter without electricity or a standby generator? The answer is most likely not. Crisp Electric, a licensed electrician, offers nine reasons to consider a whole house generator as a sustainable backup in case the power grid goes down due to a natural disaster or other cause.

Nine Reasons to Consider a Whole House Generator

A backup generator that is properly installed and able to run an entire house is safe, stable, and seamless when it comes online when the power goes out. Here are nine reasons to consider installing a household generator in the home for the safety, convenience, and peace of mind of the entire family.

1. Health Issues

A chronic or serious medical condition with a family member is a primary reason to consider a whole house generator. Without backup power when the electricity goes out, life-sustaining equipment and monitoring devices go down as well. If a child or elderly parent needs constant monitoring or the use of respiratory equipment, a power outage is life-threatening as the scenario above illustrates. If the person is bed-ridden or too sick to move without the assistance of professional medical personnel, then a whole house generator is a positive, worry-free solution. The generator would come online as the power went out, and the transition would be practically seamless.

2. Location

Some homes and businesses are located in areas where power outages are frequent, which may be due to the vulnerability or instability of the power grid. Trees may fall across powerlines any time a strong thunderstorm hits.

3. Frequent Turbulent Weather

Weather patterns change, but geography, which can affect local weather patterns, does not. Some areas of a county or state seem to get all the turbulent weather. Hurricanes and tornadoes track along certain paths related to land features, so homes located in these tracking patterns are vulnerable.

4. Work From Home

At the peak of the recent COVID-19 pandemic, nearly half of the workforce was working remotely. Many of the largest corporations in the US are considering keeping a sizeable portion of their workforce working remotely. A stable, reliable power backup may be needed to protect employment. Having a backup plan could enhance an employee’s position with their employer if the employer knew that the employee would never be offline and unavailable.

5. A Well

Homes on a well need power 24/7 for the house to have water at all times. One of the benefits of being on county water is having water when the power is out. However, if a severe disaster strikes, such as a hurricane, major infrastructure failures will likely include the water company.

6. Devices and Appliances

When the power goes off for a few hours, the freezer and refrigerator can keep food, beverages, and medicine cool and safe. If the power is off for an extended period of time without a generator, the contents of the refrigerator and freezer will be lost. Some of the food can be eaten when it thaws, but medicines are more vulnerable if they require refrigeration. A simple power outage becomes a matter of life and death in some instances.

A whole house generator also protects delicate appliances from destructive power surges when the power comes on. Sometimes the power may surge many times for a few minutes until the grid stabilizes. These fluctuations could be harmful to electronic equipment used for work at home or for medical monitoring and life support.

7. Social Isolation or Civil Unrest

Recent events in the news have demonstrated the importance of being able to survive off-grid when the fabric of society comes unwoven for a time. Stable, reliable power may be a key factor in the survival of one’s family and business.

8. Extended Time Away From Home

Recent hurricanes have illustrated the fact that the electrical grid can be offline for weeks. Being able to stay at home with a natural gas-powered whole house generator does two things. First, the generator saves the money that would be spent on a hotel for the family. Secondly, being able to stay in the home means the home is safe from break-ins.

9. Peace of Mind

The largest investment a family will make is the home. Having a reliable and affordable alternate power source brings peace of mind that the home, family, and property are safe.

These are a few of the reasons to consider a whole house generator. The best time to install a generator is when the home is being built. The electrical set up can be configured to include the alternative power source. In addition, the cost of the generator can be included in the price of the home and financed as a part of the mortgage.

Choosing, Installing and Maintaining a Generator

When choosing, installing, and maintaining a whole house generator in the Raleigh area, a great first step is to call the professionals at Crisp Electric for advice. Schedule an onsite consultation to discuss the options. New home construction is the best time to install a system, so call today if plans are in the works or if construction has already begun.

Crisp Electric installs and maintains whole house generators for the Raleigh-Durham area. As leaders in the field, the electricians offer both residential and commercial electrical services and can source, install, and maintain the perfect generator solution.

The company provides excellent customer support, appointment times that fit into any schedule, and service 24 hours a day, seven days a week with access to emergency electrician services any time of day or night.

For more information about generators in Raleigh, NC, visit the Crisp Electric website at crispelectric.com. Contact the team by phone at (984) 377-7870.

Electrical Contractor Explains the Benefits of Generators