When rough weather strikes, it’s all too easy for folks in our area to end up with no power, sometimes for an extended period. This can have all kinds of impacts, some of which are extremely unpleasant, or even life-threatening. We want to make sure that our neighbors are safe and able to weather whatever storms come our way. This is why we believe that whole house generator installation in Slidell, LA is the way to go, even though portable generators are popular and common. Let’s go over the pros and cons of a whole house generator vs. a portable generator. We’ve got some information that will help you decide.
Cost
A portable generator can be purchased for several hundred dollars. This is not spare change, but it’s the least expensive option. Whole house generators vary greatly in price depending on your home and your needs, but they will cost at least somewhat more than the portable models.
Installation
A whole house generator must be installed by professionals because it connects directly to your home’s existing electrical system. This installation also has a cost and must be scheduled. Portable generators do not require this. However, that means the setup is all on you, heavy lifting, safety precautions, and all.
Timeline
A portable generator can be purchased in person at a home goods store and set up that day. However, when generators are most needed, they are likely to quickly go out of stock and be unavailable. Whole house generators require a process that may include scheduling multiple appointments, such as having your home connected to your local natural gas line.
Effectiveness
When you use a portable generator, you’ll have a small amount of power. You’ll need to carefully choose which appliances you use. Do you want air conditioning, and if so, is the portable generator able to power your air conditioner? Or is it more important to keep your food cold? With a whole house generator, you won’t have to worry about which items to power. It will, as the name suggests, power your whole house.
Ease of Use
A whole house generator will come on by itself when your home experiences a power outage. If you’re asleep, or away from home, you won’t end up with flooding from powerless sump pumps or a mess of thawed food in your freezer. With a portable generator, you need to be there to set it up and get it running, so you’ll be leaping up to do a lot of work during a power outage rather than simply breathing a sigh of relief that you’ve got a standby generator.
Safety
Having to start a generator may include going outdoors in the same weather that caused the outage, or rushing to a gas station for fuel despite dangerous storms. It also includes keeping fuel on hand at your home which can be inconvenient. And without dedicated ventilation or professional installation, it’s easy to end up with a horrifying carbon monoxide risk from a portable generator.
With a whole house generator, you’ll be able to stay safe and dry inside. Your power will come from piped-in natural gas, not jugs of fuel or trips to a filling station. And these systems are vastly safer, with built-in ventilation systems so they won’t contaminate the air you breathe.