![]() The TOH 2019 Idea House is a whole lot of house, clocking in at 5,450 square feet of living space. In the event of a power outage, it would be cost-prohibitive to generate power throughout the home. The good news is, powering the entire home really isn’t necessary—as long as the system you choose can adequately power your essentials. If you’re considering a standby generator, here’s what you should know. How a Standby Generator WorksIn short, a standby generator is always, literally, “standing by.” Permanently installed outside the home, it is designed to automatically operate when an outage is detected, and to provide uninterrupted power to the home. It can run indefinitely on natural gas, or be fueled by propane, making it the most convenient option for homes that frequently lose power for extended periods of time. Who Needs a Standby Generator?Outages from any variety of causes can result in a loss of power that lasts a few hours, a few days, or even longer. The more rural your area, and the more volatile the weather, the more often you could be affected – and the longer it could take for service to be restored. If you find that you are losing power several times a year, for extended periods of time, or that even short power outages are creating a genuine hardship, a standby generator can be a sound investment. It’s also a great idea for anyone who would not feel comfortable handling (or may not be physically able to handle) a gas-powered, portable generator. ![]() Assessing Your NeedsPurchasing a standby generator is a considerable investment. And when shopping for a generator, it’s easy for homeowners to get carried away and purchase one that is much too large and expensive for their actual needs. KARP Associates Project Manager Gordon Jacobsen explains, “Here at the Idea House, we’ve selected a 14kW standby generator; it’s not going to run the whole house, but the homeowners can rest assured that the essential circuits will be powered automatically in the event of an outage.” TIP: Walk through your house and consider which items would be absolutely critical to you in the event of a power loss. Check each item (either the manufacturer’s label or website) to find out how much wattage it uses to operate, then calculate an overall estimate. Keep in mind that some items, like central AC or larger appliances, require a surge of watts at start-up, so you’ll need to choose a generator with output that is 20-30% higher than the expected power load. Still not sure? Champion’s Generator Selector can help. ![]() Essentials to ConsiderWe all have our own ideas of what we would consider to be critical, but here are a few common items you might want to include on your essential checklist:
![]() A Champion home standby generator provides peace of mind, security and convenience for your family during an emergency by automatically powering the essentials or your entire home. Find a dealer near you at championpowerequipment.com.
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September 2020
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