Why Standby Generators Are Better Than Portable Generators

Why Standby Generators Are Better Than Portable Generators

A generator is your best friend when the power has gone out due to inclement weather or infrastructure issues. But what type of generator should you purchase? There are two types of generators to consider for your place: whole home standby or portable. Our Generator Technologies experts weigh in on the two options and some of the key differences between the two.

The Basics

A whole home standby generator is professionally installed and is wired into your home’s power grid. When the power goes out, it will kick on as a replacement power source within 10 seconds of the outage, offering an almost constant current of power for your home. A portable generator is a smaller source of power, so it cannot control everything and is limited to what you will have powered up. It needs to be stored and hooked up each and every time you are in need of a backup power source. Your standby whole home generator is always in place on your property after a professional assessment of where it should permanently live.

Cost and Power

A whole home generator does cost more upfront with the need for the unit and professional installation by our factory-trained technicians. You will be able to have a fully powered-up home during an outage with a permanent unit vs. a portable option, which can only provide limited areas power. The portable units just do not have the ability to keep your family with lights, appliances running, laptops, and game units all powered up. The portable units are still heavy and cumbersome, despite the “portable” label. If you do not want to worry about where you can power up and where you cannot, you need to install a whole home standby generator unit.

Safety and Maintenance

A whole home unit will be professionally installed to allow for the proper amount of venting for the generator’s output. Our Gen Tec team will thoroughly review the safest and most proper placement of your generator. A portable unit can be dangerous if it is not hooked up during use in a place that allows for proper ventilation. With our services for maintenance and repairs, we can take care of your standby system for all of its life. We can review your unit if it is not working properly or check it out as part of a maintenance strategy. 

Professional Team for Your Whole House Unit

There’s no doubt that a generator hooked up to your home is the most convenient option. It is standing by to turn on exactly when you need it and take care of your family’s power needs. Hooking up that portable generator when your power is out is not convenient at all. Our team members are licensed, bonded, and insured. Let us know if you have questions through our online contact form.