Standby Generator: Up And Running When The Power Goes Down

With A Standby Generator, You’re Up And Running When The Power Goes Down

May 10, 2012
outside-of-home

The unpredictable nature of central Florida’s weather makes having a standby generator a much easier way to cope with big storms that occur throughout the year. These generators are fairly new technology for homes and can make the difference between suffering through a power outage and sliding through comfortably.

Unlike portable generators, dedicated standby generators start immediately after the power fails and stop once it comes back on. When your home has continual power, your food won’t spoil, the security system continues to work and you can be as productive as you wish. Since they start automatically, you don’t need to be home to start and stop their operation.

The generators come in different sizes. They supply varying amounts of kilowatt hours, some small enough to power just your essential circuits like the refrigerator and some circuits to light your home or run ceiling fans for comfort if your HVAC doesn’t work. The largest can run your heating and cooling equipment. Others rotate the power among your circuits, which helps you maintain the water heater, refrigerator and lights in various rooms.

The generators run on natural gas or propane, another advantage over portable generators that use gas or diesel, with which carbon monoxide and fire are a safety issue. Standby generators act just as vehicle engines, with an alternator that provides your home with electricity. And like vehicles, they require regular maintenance like oil changes and fuel filters from time to time. They also have to run weekly for a short period to stay in good condition.

If you would like to know more about the standby generators and increasing your safety and comfort during an electrical outage, contact Rinaldi’s Air Conditioning. We’ve been serving central Florida since 1969.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about standby generators and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Rinaldi’s services Orlando, Florida and the surrounding areas. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!     

Preventative Maintenance image via Shutterstock