Whether you should purchase a standby or portable generator depends on how many members are in your household, your power needs, whether you are at home frequently or not, and your budget. The main difference between standby and portable generators is the manner in which the power is transmitted into your home along with the electrical capacity. Standby generators are pretty large, permanent structures located outside of your home that run on natural gas or liquid propane. Standby generators will turn on automatically the minute your power fails (even if you are not home), and then automatically turn off again once power is restored. Portable generators are much smaller and run on gas. Unlike standby generators, you will have to physically wheel it outside and connect it using a heavy-duty extension cord made specifically for generators. Unfortunately, with standby generators, only a very limited amount of appliances and electronics can connect. Lastly, standby generators are more expensive than portable generators.

Which size generator that you will need depends on what you are looking to power in the event that you lose electricity. It’s important to note that when speaking about generators, the term “size” refers to the electrical capacity of the generator, not the physical size of it. If you want to run your A/C, refrigerator, and one TV running all at one, for example, you can calculate the electrical capacity you’ll need from your generator by adding up the total watts of each load amount. The most efficient way to determine the appropriate size generator for your home is to have an experienced electrician from Academy Air assess your home and discuss your electrical needs. Your Academy Air electrician can then make a recommendation and provide you with an estimate on the total cost of the generator and the installation.

The cost of a generator depends on several factors including size (electrical capacity in watts), the specific features of the unit, and whether it is a portable or standby system. it’s a standby or portable, the electrical capacity (watts), and the features of the unit. Standby generators are almost always more expensive than portable generators as they offer significantly more convenient features. If you’re looking to install a generator in your home, give Academy Air a call to have a trusted electrical expert give you a free price quote.

You can most likely pretty easily set up a portable generator yourself, but standby generators will have to be installed by an experienced electrician at Academy Air. Your Academy Air electrical expert will coordinate any permits and/or state electrical codes, hook up the transfer switch, and ensure that everything is installed properly so that your warranty remains valid. If you are installing a portable generator and struggling to do so properly, you can always have a professional from Academy Air get the job done for you.

Never run a portable generator from inside of your house! Portable generators run on gas and oil that emit exhaust which contains dangerous chemicals and carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless poison that can kill an entire household within minutes. There is no such circumstance in which it is safe to run a portable generator from inside of your house – even if it is raining or snowing. This applies to your garage and/or screened-in porch as well. Portable generators must be located at least 15 feet away from your home. If you are going to run a portable generator, you should have carbon monoxide detectors installed in your home, and test them periodically to make sure they are working properly.

Automatic standby generators offer significant advantages over portable generators. Those advantages can be broken down into three main categories: safety, convenience, and cost. The American Red Cross recommends permanently installed standby generators as they are a safer way to provide backup power to a home, eliminating much of the carbon monoxide risk associated with portable generators. Automatic standby generators start running the second your power turns off and then power off again the second power is restored to your home. Portable generators, on the other hand, need to be hauled outside and need to be manually turned both on and off. Lastly, because they run on your home’s Gas or LP supply, which will save you money. If you are looking to have an automatic standby generator installed, call Academy Air to have a trusted electrical expert install your generator safely and properly.