Finding the Right Home Generator

This guest blog post comes from Kansas City NARI member, Teague Electric. 

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Preparing your home for an emergency situation is important. With the threat of earthquakes, tornadoes and freezing rain present, now is the time to plan out what you will do in the event that your area is hit by one of these natural disasters. Losing power is one of the first things to happen when any type of weather issue or storm rolls through. The best way to prevent disruption in your home’s electricity is by purchasing a generator. When trying to find the right one for your home, here are some of the things you need to think about.

The Wattage You Need

The first thing you will have to think about when trying to get the right generator for your home is the wattage needed. You will need to make a list of the items that you care about running if the generator should the power go out. Once you have this list together, you will be able to get a better idea of the size of generator you need. If you are unsure about what you need to keep running in the event of a power outage, you will need to call in an electrician to help you. They will be able to inspect your home and give you a breakdown of what type of generator will be the best fit for your particular needs.

Standby or Portable?

When trying to get the right generator for your home, you will also have to figure out whether or not you want a standby or portable type. If money is no object with this purchase, then a standby will be your best bet. A portable generator is also a good purchase, but it will not produce as much electricity as the standby variety will. Taking the time to research the various generators is a vital part of making the right decision. You should be able to find a variety of information online about the different generators out there. Looking at things like customer reviews is a great way to make the right decision.

Getting the Generator Hooked UP

Once you have found the right generator, you will have to worry about getting it hooked up correctly. This installation process is not easy and can be difficult for a homeowner with limited experience. Instead of worrying yourself about how to hook up your new generator, you will need to find an electrician to do the work for you. Before hiring an electrician for this job, you need to make sure they have a good bit of previous experience.