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“Last year we were out for a period of nine hours. The year before we were out for about
23 hours at one time. Not a lot of times, but when you run out of power it’s really
nice to have a backup generator.
“Generators can be a great safety measure in case of a power outage. It can prevent
food from spoiling in your home, it can help you do your everyday things, keep pipes from
freezing, and if you have any medical equipment that runs off electricity it can be a lifesaving
tool as well.”
Portable generators are cheaper than permanent units, but are designed to run for shorter
time periods and are powered by gasoline, so they’ll need frequent refueling.
Permanent units can start automatically or with the flip of a switch – and can power
everything in your house. “Portable is more common than permanent
and there are a few reasons. I think that the ease of use is one. Probably the biggest
one is it’s cost-effective. We can install your transfer switch, emergency panel, for
around $500-$600, then there would be the cost of the generator, whatever generator
you would pick.”
“If you live in a rural area where you may be without electricity for a longer period
of time or if you have medical issues that require equipment to be plugged in you are
probably going to go with a whole house generator. A licensed electrician is the type of contractor
you’d hire to install a whole house generator. A whole house generator is going to run anywhere
from a few thousand dollars to as much as nine or $10,000 depending on the size of the
generator.”
Always follow specific safety instructions when using generators. Put the generator outside
on a level surface in a well-ventilated area at least ten feet away from the house to avoid
carbon monoxide poisoning.