How Does a Standby Generator Work?
As climate change triggers extreme weather nationwide, power outages are becoming more frequent in Texas.
During prolonged periods of intense heat, the demand for electricity skyrockets and can overload the electrical grid, taking out power in Dallas County communities. Severe thunderstorms, high winds, and lightning strikes can damage utility company infrastructure, such as transformers, and leave you in the dark in Dallas.
Fortunately, Generator Authority can help you weather any storm. We have your back with solutions that will maintain the electricity in your home even when it is out throughout your neighborhood.
Whether you want to power your entire house or focus on essential appliances and your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, we have a standby generator to help you achieve your goals.
What is a Standby Generator?
A standby generator is the more convenient, safer, and powerful cousin to the portable generator.
You can use a portable generator to keep the lights on during an outage, but first, you must fuel it, typically with gasoline, and station the unit at least 20 feet from doors and windows. You manually connect it to a power inlet installed on your home’s exterior and use a manual transfer switch to connect the generator power to your electrical panel.
Without a transfer switch, you connect selected appliances and devices to the portable generator with extension cords.
How a Standby Generator Works
A permanent standby generator runs on natural gas or propane and sits on a pad outside your home, much like an air conditioning unit or a heat pump.
It uses a transfer switch that automatically connects the unit to your electrical panel after disconnecting it from the utility company supply. The switch from utility power to generator is seamless. When the electricity company restores power, the transfer switch automatically disconnects the generator, which returns to standby mode, and reconnects your panel to the utility power supply.
The process happens so fast that you may not even realize the power has gone out or returned.
Water-Cooled vs. Air-Cooled Generators
Generators can run nonstop for hours, even days, during an outage. Air or liquid can keep the generator engine from overheating.
Air-cooled models, which use fans to circulate air around the motor, work in most climates and are the perfect choice for most homes.
Liquid-cooled generators use a coolant that circulates through the engine and a radiator. They have more power capacity and can withstand consistently high temperatures, making them the perfect choice for commercial properties and larger homes in hot climates.
Liquid-cooled generators typically have a bigger footprint, are heavier, and cost more than their air-cooled counterparts. However, they are less likely to overheat in desert climates where the temperature frequently tops 100° Fahrenheit.
Determine the Load
The electrical load is the total amount of power your home systems, appliances, and devices use. This crucial information is essential in selecting a generator with the power capability needed for your Dallas home. Installing a generator that cannot handle the load will limit the number of appliances and lights it can power during an outage.
Our experts will do the math for you. We will calculate lighting, appliance, and home system electrical needs and consider other factors, such as climate and lifestyle, when determining load and generator capacity.
Choosing a generator that can handle your home’s electrical load is the first step in the installation process.
Standby Generator Installation
- After choosing equipment and setting an installation date, we will obtain the permits needed for the work.
- You will determine the installation site based on our recommended options.
- We will place the generator on a pad installed at the site and connect the unit to propane or natural gas lines and your electrical system.
- Our licensed Generator Authority electrician will install the automatic transfer switch. The device will disconnect your electrical panel from the utility power and connect it to the generator during an outage.
- We will start the generator and ensure the equipment and electrical connections are safe and performing efficiently.
- The final step is teaching you how to operate and maintain your new generator.
Outages on the Rise
The increasing risk of weather-related power outages is real.
Climate Central, a nonprofit organization that researches and reports on climate change, analyzed utility company power outage data from 2000 to 2023. It discovered weather events caused 80 percent of the outages during that period.
It also noted that the U.S. experienced double the weather-related outages over the past 10 years compared to 2000-2009.
Why risk your health, safety, and comfort when you can prepare for the next outage with a standby generator?
Get a Generator Estimate Today!
Protect your Dallas, Texas, home from power outages with a standby generator. Ask us at Generator Authority for a consultation. Call us at 817-984-3600 or request service online.