Choosing the Right Generator for Your Home

When the power goes out in your home, if you don’t have a generator, life can quickly slide south. Your beloved home transforms into a dreary world without hot showers or microwaves, where entertainment options shrink to endless rounds of Monopoly and Candyland. Having a generator can save you a ton of money on spoiled food, medicine, and days of discomfort in the humid aftermath of a storm.

The main decision is whether you will buy a home standby generator or a portable generator. Let’s look at the pros and cons of each:

Standby Generators

Pros

• Automatically supplies power in an outage
• Permanently installed, can use existing fuel line where available.
• Run at reduced noise levels and perform self-diagnostics
• Powers entire house

Cons

• Cost of the unit itself
• May require a propane tank
• Requires enough yard space to safely place the generator away from house

Portable Generator

Pros

• Least expensive option
• Can easily be moved to a new house if you move
• Cheaper to maintain

Cons

• Typically requires a sub-panel to power selected circuits
• Extension cords must be laid out on the wet ground
• Much more difficult to set up during a storm (in the wind and rain)
• Does not have an enclosure, so your generator itself is susceptible to damage by water
• Requires storing gasoline indoors which is very dangerous
• Requires refilling a hot engine with gas cans and funnel
• Expensive to fill up the fuel tank, also difficult or impossible to find gasoline during a disaster
• Very noisy

CAUTION: Avoid canopies or carports, doors and windows to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning that can result in death. It’s worthwhile to buy a carbon monoxide detector that can warn you if generator exhaust makes air quality in the home dangerous.

Commercial renovation projects can require complete electrical solutions that exceed the scope of simple remodeling. Old electrical panels and decaying wiring can cause hidden problems. With our troubleshooting skills and ability to provide comprehensive commercial electrical solutions, you can be confident that everything will be completed to your satisfaction.

Safety is a priority, and we’ll help you create a well-lit work environment that has all the electrical connectivity you need to ensure the comfort of your staff and clients.

We are well-equipped to handle electrical solutions for internal and external renovations, including retail electrical solutions, commercial electrical systems solutions, office electrical solutions, and industrial/manufacturing electrical solutions.

If you’re ready to implement commercial electrical solutions in your factory, office building, retail space, or any other commercial location, then Eau Gallie Electric is prepared to help.

We have decades of experience providing customers with the professional electrical systems solutions they need to lift their operations to the next level. Our high-quality commercial electrical solutions reflect the first-rate workmanship we employ throughout our business.

See our history and capabilities to get the complete picture of how we can help you with your commercial remodeling and renovation projects.