Should You Get a Generator For Your Home?

As a homeowner who has experienced their fair share of power outages over the years, you may wonder if a electrical panel upgrade for your home is a wise idea. Power outages are a common occurrence in O’Fallon, usually resulting from harsh weather, such as lightning strikes, high winds, or ice buildup on power lines. Your local utility crews work hard to restore power to all the homes in the region, but it could realistically be days before your power kicks back on.

In the meantime, a standby or portable generator would come in very handy so you could operate your lights and a few select appliances. Here are the top reasons why you should invest in a generator.

1. Food Can Spoil Quickly

You could lose hundreds of dollars in refrigerated and frozen food if your power goes out right after a grocery run. The USDA says you should toss out food from your fridge after four hours without power. If you had a generator, though, you could hook the fridge up to it and not have to worry about spoilage.

2. You Drive an Electric Car

If you have an electric car in the garage and the power goes out, you could be stranded with no means of charging up. With a generator on hand, you can still drive to work, hit the grocery store, pick up the kids, or go anywhere else in the event of an extended blackout.

3. You Have Well Water

If you rely on a municipal water system, you will never be without water even if the power goes out. That’s because those systems are pressurized. But if you live in a home with a well, you rely on electric pumps to send the water from the well into your home. This means no flushing the toilet, washing your hands or taking a shower during a power outage. Hooking your well up to a generator, though, will ensure you have plenty of access to water.

4. You Have a Sump Pump

If your basement is prone to flooding, you likely have a sump pump that will kick in when moisture accumulates during or after a storm. However, in a storm that knocks out power, your sump pump won’t work and therefore heavy rains can cause flooding. Plug the sump pump into a generator, and you will be assured that your basement will remain dry.

5. You Work From Home

When running a home business, you know how much you depend on the power for using your computer, printer, scanner and Wi-Fi. When power is cut, you experience a complete work shutdown, meaning you can’t be productive and can’t make money – devastating for a small business. If you have a generator, you can keep working no matter what.

Still on the fence about a generator? An electrical contractor experienced in the installation of generators can best advise you on whether you should invest in a generator for your home, as well as what size and type you need.

Contact Braco Electrical and Contracting in O’Fallon MO

If you want to learn more about getting a generator in St. Louis MO, contact us at 636-294-8562 and we would be happy to provide a consultation and quote. Here at Braco, we install whole house generators, back-up generators and portable generators in trusted brands like Generac, Kohler, and Briggs and Stratton.