How to Pick the Right Whole Home Generator

Having a generator that works properly for your home is essential. Severe weather conditions or power outages can be scary to families, leaving them without power for hours or even days at a time. To ensure you never have to worry about going without power for long periods of time, you need to think about buying a whole house generator.

You might be wondering how to find the right generator for your home. Finding the right generator for your home can be complicated. This article will help you explore all of the factors to consider when choosing what type of generator to purchase.

How to Pick the Right Whole Home Generator

Having a generator that works properly for your home is essential. Severe weather conditions or power outages can be scary to families, leaving them without power for hours or even days at a time. To ensure you never have to worry about going without power for long periods of time, you need to think about buying a whole house generator.

You might be wondering how to find the right generator for your home. Finding the right generator for your home can be complicated. This article will help you explore all of the factors to consider when choosing what type of generator to purchase.

What Size Generator Do I Need?

Home generator during outage

If you are thinking about purchasing a generator to power your entire home you may be asking yourself “What size generator for the whole house”. There are a few things you should consider what size generator is needed to power the entire house. First, you should make a list of how many electronics and appliances you will have hooked up to this generator. This can give you an idea of how much power and wattage you will need. 

You should also consider how big your home is. This means you should look at how many square feet are in your home and how many bedrooms, bathrooms, and living spaces you want to have with power. 

If determining what size generator you need to power your home seems stressful, consider using a home generator sizing calculator to help determine what size you need. A generator size calculator is a convenient and easy way for homeowners to figure out how big of a generator they need.

How Much Space Do You Need for a Standby Generator?

Although all standby generators are different, you might be asking yourself the question “ How much space do I need”? And “ Where to place a standby generator”? Below is on average how much space you need for a standby generator outside your home:

  • About 1.5 feet away from the side of your house
  • About 5 feet away from all doors, windows, and fresh air intakes
  • About 3 feet in front of the generator for any maintenance or servicing it may need
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Whole Home Generator Supply & Demand

It should be noted that for all generators, despite the model or brand, there is a nationwide shortage of materials used to manufacture generators, Severe weather and the covid pandemic have caused supply chain issues this past year in the generator manufacturing market. Companies are struggling to produce as many generators as are demanded. Additionally, installation waitlists are also through the roof as many homeowners are looking for standby generators for their homes.

What are the Benefits of a Standby Generator?

briggs and stratton whole house generator

If you are deciding which type of generator to install in your home, here are some benefits of a standby generator to help you come up with a decision

Standby Generators Automatically Detect When There is a Blackout


Standby generators are automatic. That means if there is severe weather and you lose power or just a power outage in general, a standby generator will detect once the blackout happens and turn on automatically. This alleviates some stress as you won't have to panic when the power goes out as all of your appliances and electronics and lights will turn back on automatically with a standby generator.

These Generators Never Need to be Refueled


Standby generators are actually installed through your home's existing fuel line. This means it will take from that fuel line to turn on and generate power. This means you will never need to go outside in severe weather to refuel your generator.

Standby Generators Create Enough Energy for your Entire Home


These generators are large enough to where you can power anything with electricity to your entire home. This means all of the lights in your home, appliances, and electronics will be able to have power during a power outage.

Standby Generators Minimize Other Potential Damages in your Home


As a standby generator automatically detects a blackout and turns on, this means you will not have to worry about the appliances in your house turning off. For example, it will automatically power your fridge to keep your food fresh and prevent flooding in your basement by running your sump pump.

Standby Generators Helps Homeowners Remain Calm


A power outage can be scary, especially if it’s caused by severe weather. Standby generators help ease homeowners’ minds by ensuring their homes will be protected during a blackout. Standby generators will turn on automatically and continue to give your home electricity and run necessary appliances.

What Are The Cons of Portable Generators?

portable generator

If you are deciding between a whole house generator or a portable generator is best for your home, here are some cons of a portable generator to help you reach a decision:

Portable Generators have Limited Use


Portable generators have a much more limited use than whole house generators. They have lower wattage, so they would not be able to power your entire house. This means during a blackout you would have to pick and choose appliances and electronics to keep on.

They are Noisy and Produce Exhaust


Portable generators cannot be inside your home, you must keep them outside at all times. This is because they produce carbon monoxide which could cause carbon monoxide poising. Even though they produce fumes, they will also have to be only an extension cord lengths away from your home, so you still might have to smell these exhaust fumes. Additionally, portable generators tend to be noisy, and as they are near your home could sound even louder.

Portable Generators are Manual Start


Unlike whole house generators that start automatically, you have to manually start a portable generator. They are not connected to anything in your house and will not automatically turn on in backout. They also only have tanks that hold on average 7 gallons of fuel. So you will have to refuel your portable generator quite often.

How a Whole Home Generator Saves You Money

You might be wonderingHow a whole home generator can save you money”?

 

Although it may be more money upfront to install a standby generator in your home, it actually ends up saving you more money in the future. When there are severe weather conditions that cause blackouts, many things can happen in your home such as appliances tripping and becoming permanently damaged, sump pumps turning off and flooding your basement, and pipes freezing. Standby generators ensure you will never have to encounter these problems in your home dig a power outage. Standby generators automatically turn on and save your home from these potential damages. It would be more costly to replace and repair frozen pipes, broken appliances, and sump pumps every time the power goes out than it would be to purchase a standby generator once. 

 

When you purchase a standby generator, you will have to pay for the generator itself and for it to be installed but that is it. Maybe it will need to be maintained here and there but small repairs wouldn’t be that costly. Although you may pay more money upfront to get a standby generator, in the end, you are saving the cost of replacing all of the appliances and electronics in your house as well.

A&J Generator Truck

Decide Which Whole Home Generator is Right for You & Hire the Experts at A&J Generator!

No matter what kind of generator you are looking to install, the experts at A&J will help you determine which generator is best for your home. Contact A&J if you are interested in purchasing and installing a standby generator for your home.

How Much Does a Whole House Generator Cost

Best Whole Home Generators of 2022

In times of severe weather or unexpected power outages, a whole home generator can be a lifesaver. These events can be unpredictable, leaving your home without power in the middle of the night or during a freezing winter storm. It can be frantic trying to find out the portable generator and set it up, and even when you find it it may not have fuel in it or could have damage as it hasn't been maintained in a while. A home generator alleviates these inconveniences for homeowners. There is no need to run around the house searching for extension cords or gas for power with a home generator. Home generators make it easy to get power in emergency situations.

The Importance of Selecting the Right Home Generator:

It is very important to select the right home generator for your home. There are many different types of generators with different features such as fuel type, size, and how much they can power. As all homes vary, not every generator may be the best fit for every home. You need to select a generator that keeps the temperature of your home regulated as well as power the essential appliances to keep your home safe. You must select a generator that will keep your home up ad running in power outages. There are plenty of options to explore to find the best home generator for your home.

The Best Standby Generators for Small Homes in 2022

Winner

Briggs and Stratton 12kW Standby Generator

4.8

This generator is a great choice for smaller to medium-sized homes between 1,000-3,000 square feet. The Briggs and Stratton 12kW Standby Generator offers about 12,000 watts of power.

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Runner Up

Briggs & Stratton 10 kW Automatic Home Standby Generator, Model 040375

4.2

This is a great option for smaller homes due to its lower wattage and lower price. Has efficient power for a small home with fewer appliances.

best-whole-2

The Best Standby Generators for Large Homes in 2022

Winner

Briggs & Stratton 20,000-Watt Standby Generator

4.7

This home generator is an extremely powerful and reliable generator. It is a great option for larger homes as it can generate well over 20,000 watts of power.

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Runner Up

Generac Guardian 24kW Standby Generator

4.4

This home generator is one of the largest air-cooled generators on the market today. It also has a compact size so it saves space where ever you might install it.

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Best Standby Generator for Noise in 2022

Winner

Generac Guardian 3-Phase 20kW Automatic Standby Generator Wi-Fi Enabled

4.5

This generator is a great option for larger homes with plenty of appliances to power. Additionally, this generator is fairly quiet compared to other similar units.

best-whole-5

Runner Up

Briggs and Stratton 20kW Fortress Standby Generator

4.4

This home generator is one of the largest air-cooled generators on the market today. It also has a compact size so it saves space where ever you might install it.

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Best Standby Generators Overall in 2022

Briggs & Stratton 40336 20kW Standby

4.8

We picked this generator as one of the best generators for 2022 because of its price. Compared to other generators this size, this one has a great price for the amount of power it produces.

best-whole-7

Generac Air-Cooled Standby Generator

4.2

We chose this generator as one of the best standby generators in 2022 as it has the lowest cost per kilowatt of all other standby generators this size. Additionally, it is one of the quietest generators of its size and power output.

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Contact the Generator Experts at A&J Today!

Finding the right generator for your home can be more difficult than you expect. There are many things you need to consider such as how much power you need your generator to have, how many appliances you want to operate, and how large your home is. All of these factors can impact what size and style of whole house generator you need and what goes into the cost of owning a whole home generator. The best way to figure this out is to contact a professional. Professionals at A&J will work with you to determine the best standby generator for your home. A&J will also install whichever generator you choose to ensure your home is protected during a power outage. Contact A&J today for your generator installation

Read Our Reviews

Chris Linford lChris Linford l
15:03 17 Sep 21
Professional, timely, and courteous service from initial contact onwards. Joe the technician was great. Reasonable prices. Happy we found them and would recommend.
Dr Tom FaillaDr Tom Failla
22:34 07 Jun 21
Tip notch techs. Straight shooters... tell it like it is. Keep good records, reliable, responsive and refreshing to know these hardworking, enterprising doers that get the job done. . .
Sam ShawSam Shaw
15:58 20 May 21
A & J Generator & Equipment helped us out last year during the storm and urgently fixed the issue with our generator. Sandra is simply AWESOME!!! She is super responsive, vey nice and professional and got someone out to immediately to fix our issue. She is a pleasure to work with and made the process easy for us. We also worked with the company (Tony and his team) to move our generator this year. They did a terrific and clean job. I will be referring them to my friends and family. Thank you Sandra and Tony! It is a pleasure working with you.
Christina psarasChristina psaras
16:29 23 Sep 20
With all the crazy weather we’ve been experiencing, especially Connecticut of all places receiving hurricane strength wind, it was time to get prepared. My family and I purchased a generator from A&J last week. Tony and his team came, installed the generator, made sure it was functioning properly, squared up with us and then left. Everyone was extremely professional and friendly, made for a very easy experience. Now I won’t be sitting in the dark next storm. Thanks guys! Great work!
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