Nearly four years ago I moved to Sonoma County.  Since then I’ve seen drought, record rainfall, and devastating fires. The fires were too close for comfort but we were blessed to not lose our home or business. The resiliency of the local community to overcome adversity and rebuild has been amazing.

If someone had told me I’d lose electricity for at least 12-full days, over the course of the past few years, I would have laughed! After the first 24 hours of no-power in October 2017, I bought a generator from my place of work, and since that time, it has worked perfectly, keeping cell phones charged, a radio playing, a light on, and a large refrigerator cold. I’ve been busy helping customers purchase the right generator ever since.

A backup generator is proven technology. It’s an excellent choice for managing power outages that are expected to continue. Below are some things you should consider as you shop for a backup generator. 

Determine your backup power needs. In other words; what circuits, appliances, and systems in your home, or business are essential and need to be available in an emergency. Water is critical for people and livestock. Rural residents often have a well and perhaps a secondary pressure pump. Determine the size of pumps, and don’t forget sump or sewer pumps. Knowing the size, and specifications of critical electric pump motors is important. An electric motor takes significantly more energy to start than it does to run, so accounting for the starting amperage of each motor is important. Manufacturers of this equipment and installers should have this data. 

Do you need heat or air conditioning?  Temperatures were bearable for me with recent outages, so I have gotten by without heating or cooling. Ask yourself if your losses would be high or low if you were out of power during the coldest or warmest time of year? What would hotel, mileage, and meals cost, if you have to evacuate? If these assessments are high, you want to consider covering your heating/cooling system with backup power.  It's a good idea to have the heating/cooling system covered by the generator if possible. If your primary heat is gas, you only need to account for the fan motor. And if you have AC, account for the compressor motor and fan. If your heat is electric, your backup needs will be much greater, and may demand a larger generator. And likewise, if water heating is primarily powered by electric, it will require significant electrical power that must be budgeted for when selecting a generator.

What essential systems are in the home? Any emergency system, alarms, security, or fire protection should be covered. Also, you should cover your garage door opener, to ensure you can easily evacuate vehicles, and have the door close securely behind you. 

Don’t lose your lunch.  Powering refrigerators and freezers to maintain food supplies is one of the most important to backup. Losing everything stored in refrigerators or freezers can cost anywhere from a few hundred dollars, to several thousand dollars. Saving food in one power outage will go a long way toward paying for a generator.

Convenience outlets and lighting in the main living areas is also necessary.  This will allow you to charge phones, power a radio, and possibly maintain other communication and home internet as well.

Once you know what you want to cover, and have a list of the basic equipment in your home, you are ready to contact a generator retailer to obtain a quote. In addition to the above, have your home’s square footage handy. Knowing if your clothes dryer and kitchen appliances operate on gas or electricity as the primary energy source is also helpful. 

Types of generators include a permanently installed backup system, and small portables.  A permanently installed system is by far the best option, if it fits within your budget. These are installed outdoors, and are packaged similar to an AC unit.  They connect to a fuel supply such as propane and tie into the electrical. They require a transfer switch to interface with your home or businesses electrical system. Modern systems use an automatic transfer switch (ATS). A modern backup generator and ATS, will monitor utility power, start the generator automatically when the power is out, and then switch over to emergency power, when the generator is up to speed. This all happens in about 10 seconds!

The advantages of this kind of system, is that it is completely automatic. It will be ready to protect your home or business, whether you are home or not. Depending on models/brands, they tend to be quieter since they are packaged in an insulated sound enclosure.  The best brands also have a quality, sound-reducing muffler. The most common fuel source for rural homes and small businesses is propane. Propane is among the cleanest burning fuels available, and it does not break down and risk spoiling, like untreated gasoline or diesel. Tapping into the home’s supply of propane eliminates the need for owner refueling. Be aware that sometimes the propane tank needs to be upsized, to handle the capacity and vaporization rate required by the generator.

An alternative to the above, is a portable generator. These are small construction style generators, commonly found at big box stores. These generators often operate on gasoline, and usually pulled out, started, and plugged in to various things in your home, through a network of cords. It’s important to operate them outdoors to avoid carbon monoxide hazards. Make sure you’re using properly grounded cords that are correctly sized and in good condition. These require effort each time they are needed, to pull out, start, and plug in. And don’t forget, you might need additional heavy cords and possibly a distribution box. Plus, you will need fuel containers and will need to refuel it frequently. 

Hopefully this information is helpful. Talk to a professional installer or dealer, who can help guide you towards getting the right product and ensure its installed correctly. If you get the right equipment and maintain it properly you should have many, many years of peace of mind, without the loss and disruption we otherwise experience when the power is out.