Standby Generators vs. Whole House Generators
March 07, 2023You may hear the terms “standby generator” and “whole-house generator” used interchangeably. However, they’re not exactly the same thing.
A standby home generator is used in the event of a power failure to run the essential components of your home, including your refrigerator, freezer, stove, cooling and heating systems, sump pump, and electrically powered medical equipment.
A whole-house home generator, on the other hand, powers your entire house. You don’t have to worry about the lights, your washer and dryer, and electrical outlets being out of service. You can just carry on as normal.
What Size Generator Do You Need?
The size of the standby generator or whole-house generator you need doesn’t depend on the size of your home. It’s all about what you need to keep powered up during a power outage. For example, if all you want is a standby generator to keep your fridge, oven, and HVAC system running, you could potentially be satisfied with a small Tri-State generator, maybe as small as 12 kW.
If, on the other hand, you want your whole house generator to keep everything running, you may need to look at a 48kW or even 80kW generator.
When you decide you need a generator, one of the experts from Tri-State Water, Power & Air will come to your home. We’ll look at what you need and want to keep running. And we’ll recommend the ideal size of standby generator or whole-house generator you need.
The Benefits of a Tri-State Home Standby Generator
At Tri-State Water, Power & Air, we don’t just sell you a generator and send you on your merry way. We bring the generator you’ve chosen to your home and install it. Our master electrician will install a transfer switch, hooking it up to your electric meter. When that switch detects that your meter isn’t running, it will power up your home standby generator.
Our expert plumbers will hook your whole-house generator into your existing natural gas or propane line. If you don’t currently have natural gas or propane, there are benefits and drawbacks to each one. One of our experts can help you evaluate the pros and cons.
Natural gas may not be available in your area, or it could be costly to run to your home. But once you’re hooked up, natural gas is less expensive than propane. A propane tank needs to be refilled, and propane costs more. But propane has more power per cubic foot than natural gas.
If you don’t have access to natural gas, or find it too expensive to install, we have a propane service we can get set up for you. All the pipes needed run underground. Our plumbers handle all that for you.
Our team can have your standby generator installation completed in as little as one day. They’ll test the generator to make sure it’s working properly and leave you with information about our 24/7 emergency service. If anything goes wrong with your whole- house generator, our technicians are available, no matter what. We can also perform regular maintenance on your generator.
Why Get a Generator From Tri-State Water, Power & Air?
Whether you decide to purchase a standby generator or whole-house generator, Tri-State is here for you. We want you to have the peace of mind that comes with knowing that, in the event of a power outage, your home will keep running. That’s what we really sell: peace of mind. Our generators are just the means by which we provide it. Why wait? Contact us today to schedule an in-home appointment with one of our generator experts.
