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| A house in Lexington, MA that had an electrician install a standby generator. |
Electrician in Lexington MA Explains
So looks like some of the experts got the predictions wrong, being it's been a very mild Winter so far. Some speculate we experienced a "Nuclear Winter" from all of the wild fires out West in California. However, it appears now that the temperatures aren't fluctuating anymore, the chances of getting snow during the 2nd half of Winter is now high. Parts of the country are getting pounded with snow. These are the last days of any last second Winter prep before the snow's about to get real. Are you prepared? If you lost power, do you have a plan? That plan may include a gas-powered back up generator. But is that the right choice?
Winter 2019 Predictions
So far, we saw more ice this year. The Farmer's Almanac predicts that Lexington, MA and the surrounding area will have an average January as far as temperatures. January typically is freezing or below freezing with some days slightly above freezing. So that means we could have some decent size snow storms, or even ice storms.
Do You Have Back Up Power?
I'm sure with all the recent movies, you've brushed up on your Jurassic Park / Jurassic World lore and noticed that without electricity, you get all sorts of chaos ensuing. The same is true when your house loses power. During this time of year, many gas-powered back up generators fly off the shelves. Sure, people grab them, but do they stop and think if that's the right decision?
Pros vs. Cons of Portable Generators
Generally, a portable generator is transported easily. Most portable generators, however, requires a minimum of 2 adults to lift the generator when necessary. Set up is usually fairly simple. However, most portable gennys don't have large gas reservoirs, so fuel and fuel storage can become a bit inconvenient and potentially hazardous. On average, most can run about 5.5 hours full use, or about 11 hours at half the electrical usage / output. This does mean more trips to the gas station. It's safe to say that during a blizzard or emergency situation, this most likely becomes a hassle or inconvenience. To add that most people typically don't perform oil changes and other motor-related maintenance, a lot of times these gennys end up not lasting as long as they should. Portable generators are also limited to how many outlets are on-board. Typically, people end up using many splitters and run hundreds of feet of extension cords throughout the house and / or yard. This is a safety hazard and can sometimes cause electrical fires! Typically,if you have a 7,000-watt portable generator, you will see it use about 12-20 gallons every 24 hours if it is operating non-stop. Naturally, the more powerful the genny, the more gallons; less powerful, then less gallons. Most people buy around a 7,000-watt portable genny, especially what we're finding in the Lexington, MA area.
Pros vs. Cons of Stationary aka "Standby" Generators
For one thing, stationary generators can output usually between 8,000 to 20,000 watts! They are installed on a more permanent basis right outside your house. At the same time, this means moving this genny is not plausible, so a careful plan should be done before installation so that you don't regret the location. Many brands typically have a self-diagnosis feature that warns you whenever anything is wrong with the system. This is great because if you attend to these alerts and allow your electrician to maintain it when necessary, you're always ready for an outage or a blizzard! That means you'll get the problems fixed before you really need it! Most of these standby gennys are fueled by either propane or natural gas. Although natural gas has received flack over the recent Columbia Gas disaster, be rest-assured that the standby generator typically has a more permanent installation of either a propane tank or a natural gas tank. That means there's no need to be directly connected to a city gas line, which avoids anything like the Columbia Gas disaster to ever happen. With that being said, this makes you avoid lines at the gas station. Plus propane and natural gas is typically cheaper than regular gas.
Modern Electric is an Electrician in Lexington, MA for Installs
Luckily, Modern Electric is an electrician serving Lexington, MA that installs standby generators. We will properly plan, design, and install your standby generator. This will assure you are not left in the dark or out in the cold when Winter hits hard.
If you are handicapped, disabled, or have other impairments and Winter just makes it worse, there are many products that make life easier for you. You can find out by reading one of our prior articles here. For more information, you can visit our website here and see why we're one of "Boston's Best Electricians for 2018."
Modern Electric serves Lexington, MA and is Licenced, Bonded & Insured.
MA License #21583A; NH License #13399M.
Call Us 978-658-7200
You can also email us at info@modernelc.com .
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