The weather has certainly been crazy this year across the country – not to suggest that it has ever been predictable or cooperative. The recent storms do, at least, serve as reminders that it’s important to be prepared. Though, thankfully, most homes will never be severely damaged by a storm, most every home will be affected by the occasional storm-related blackout. A single snapped power line can knock out electricity to large parts of Oregon; multiply that by the hundreds of lines that can be downed by a major storm, and some homes can expect to be powerless for days.
About 3.5 million American homeowners are left without electricity in an average week, according to the EPRI, while the weather experts at NOAA estimate the number of blackouts to be increasing about 7 percent each year.
Portland-area homeowners can be prepared for the inevitable power outages, and never have to be left in the dark, by having stand-by generators on hand.
Stand-by generators provide an automatic backup source of power for your home. When the electricity goes out, a stand-by generator senses the blackout and turns itself on, restoring power to your home. Many models do so within a few seconds, so you are not left bumping into things in the dark.
Stand-by generators boast a number of features that make them a convenient, worry-free insurance policy against blackouts:
- They run on clean-burning natural gas (or propane), which they can draw from your home’s gas line; that way, you never have to refuel a tank.
- Most models are enclosed in a sound-dampening cover, making stand-by generators very quiet.
- They provide regulated power in a very precise voltage range, so there are no surges or brownouts that could shut down computers or other high-tech devices.
- Many come with a digital controller that automatically runs periodic maintenance cycles and diagnostics, so that you don’t have to keep the generator maintained.
Stand-by generators come in different sizes and types, to fit the specific needs of different homes. To have a professional electrician evaluate your home’s electrical needs, and explain your stand-by generator options, contact us at Roth Heating & Cooling, Plumbing, Electrical, Drain Services.
