What You Need to Know Before You Purchase a Backup Generator
A backup generator is a good way to avoid inconvenient power outages
High winds, snow and ice, severe thunderstorms, traffic accidents, and equipment failures are all contributing reasons why we lose power. In this day and age we depend so much on our electricity, anytime we are without it, even if it for a short period of time, it is a major inconvenience.
I have outlined below some of our most common generator sizes, applications, and pricing to help you decide which option is right for you.
Option # 1: Manual Start Generator
PROS
- Lower initial investment
CONS
- This option is very ‘Hands on’. The generator will not start by itself. You must be there to start the generator, plug it in, and flip the switch
- Limited capacity to what it can power
- Very loud
- Need to have gasoline on hand and refill the gas tank on the generator as needed
Total Investment for this Option: $1,495 to have the proper electrical connections and equipment installed into your home. You will also need to purchase a generator from a local home center for approximately $1,000.
Option # 2: Automatic Standby Generator
PROS
- This generator WILL start by itself when needed. This is a ‘Hands off’ option for the homeowner that does not want to be personally involved in operating the generator
- This generator can be sized to handle a few essentials, the entire home, or anywhere in between.
- Powered by natural gas or propane
- This generator will ‘self-exercise’ each week. This means that the generator will run weekly to make sure everything stays in peak working condition, and the generator will start when you need it
CONS
- Higher initial investment
Total Investment: Investment will vary by size. Here are a couple of our most popular sizes and related pricing:
- 8 KW Automatic standby generators start at roughly $6,800 – 8,000 depending on your individual site conditions. This would be enough to power a sump pump, refrigerator, and some lights
- 17 KW Automatic standby generators start at roughly $9,000 – 12,000 depending on your individual site conditions. This would be enough to power a sump pump, large refrigerator, well pump, septic pump, gas furnace, some lights and receptacles.
- 25 KW Automatic standby generators start at roughly $16,000 – 18,000 depending on your individual site conditions. Depending on your electricity needs, sometimes this size generator is large enough to power the entire house
Interested in Exploring a Generator for Your Home?
Here is our process:
1. We will schedule an in-home consultation to determine your needs and help you decide which option is right for you. During this visit we will discuss:
- How often do you lose power and for how long?
- Are there critical items in your home that need to be powered? Basement sump pump, refrigerator, freezer, furnace, etc.
- We will make helpful recommendations and provide our many years of expertise
2. We will follow up the in home consultation with a detailed proposal listing 1 or 2 options on different size generators.
3. If you would like to proceed, we collect a $250 nonrefundable deposit and perform a generator sizing with one of our electricians. This will determine the exact power needs based on your equipment. Every home is different and this is the most accurate way for us to get the right size generator for you. We will discuss our findings and finalize which generator is right for you.
4. Schedule the installation of the generator. Usually the time from your initial call till we actually install the generator is about 3-6 weeks.
