One day its forty degrees and overcast, the next its twenty degrees and the snow accumulates to over a foot, and the third consecutive day its fifty degrees and sunny. With the weather patterns of Chicago - or lack there of - our homes are susceptible to damaging predicaments, such as flooding and power outages. Although we can’t necessarily control the weather day by day - yet China claims it can stop rain for this summer’s Olympics - we are capable of taking significant preventative measures.
In today’s technological age, generators can help protect your home against considerable damage from floods and power outages by providing the energy your home needs to keep the sump pump working and the lights on in your home.
For residential use, you have two options for generators. The first is a portable generator and the other is a standby generator. A portable generator is mobile and can be stored in your home and then taken out when it is necessary to power a device when there is no other energy source provided. The portable generators usually run on gas and will work for about 6-8 hours until you need to refuel. Portable generators must also hook up directly to the appliance that needs energy.
With a standby generator, the device is a permanent fixture alongside your home - very similar to an air conditioning unit. The standby unit has a transfer switch located in the basement that monitors the utility power to the home. When there is a power outage, the transfer switch will recognize the outage immediately and turn on the standby generator within 10 seconds.
Whether you work from a home office and depend on the operation of your computer and phone lines, or if you want to be worry-free while away from your home on vacation, a standby generator is a great investment. The standby generator works automatically, therefore, making your life worry-free whenever there is threat of a power outage.
To learn more about portable and standby generators, contact our professionals at Bishop Plumbing.