Many home owners are purchasing standby generators. This will protect the home owner from the potential damages one could face during a power outage. The costs one can face due to damages from an outage are simply too great, and taking a precaution by purchasing a home standby generator is the only fail-safe way to ensure that even in the event of a blackout, your home and goods will be protected.

Though it may seem daunting, the process of acquiring a home standby generator is actually quite simple. Standby generators are permanently installed outside of the home, and operate similar to a central air conditioning unit, with a couple of differences. Here are those differences:

Air conditioners operate off of electric motors, which will not work in a blackout. Generators, on the other hand, work off of an engine which can be fueled by your natural gas line. The generator, therefore, is not dependent on electricity from any other source, and can provide you with electricity while others are in the dark.

While central air conditioning units use a thermostat to turn on and off, standby generators use an automatic transfer switch to monitor your utility power. Should your power go out, the automatic transfer switch turns to the generator automatically, and automatically shuts off when power is restored. Here lies the difference between a home standby generator and a portable generator: portable generators require human intervention to power appliances, while standby generators will do so on their own, even if you are not home. This can prove invaluable should the power go out while you are away. With a home standby generator, you can be sure that no matter what, your investments and goods will be taken care of.

When selecting a home standby generator, you must first decide what you want to be powered in the event of an emergency: your whole home, or only a few certain appliances? To power your whole house, you need a whole house generator. This are pricey, but will be well worth the expense in the event of an emergency. Whole house generators start at approximately $7,000, and that doesn’t include the transfer switch. If this is simply too large an investment, then there are other options to ensure that you are protected that do not come with as large a price tag.

Smaller generators can power up to 16 appliances and cost significantly less. Though they won’t power your entire home, they will function to maintain your most important appliances. If you are beginning to protect your home, then a smaller generator may be the best option for you.