Pros and Cons of Installing a Home Generator

Whether it’s caused by power grid failures or bad weather, a loss of power can be annoying at best and dangerous at worst. The food in your refrigerator could spoil, you may be unable to complete work or homework, and you would be without heat or air conditioning. A home generator could solve these problems by ensuring that you maintain power in your home even if you’re not getting any from the grid.

Before you decide to install a home generator, however, it’s important to understand both the pros and the cons of doing so.

What Is a Home Generator?

A home generator, also called a whole home generator, is a backup generator that is set up to automatically turn on and replace the power that your home would be taking from the electrical grid. They’re designed to power the entire home, not just certain electronics or appliances that are plugged into them.

The Pros of Installing a Home Generator

Home generators are beneficial because homeowners who have them will never be without power so long as the generator has fuel. They’re not subject to the inconvenience or the risk of losing electrical power.

Home Generators Protects You In Cases of Emergency

Florida naturally suffers from hurricanes, which come annually. These massive storm systems can leave homeowners without power for days or even weeks. Having a home generator can ensure that you maintain power even after the electrical grid is down due to a hurricane.

Home Generators Switch On Automatically

One of the primary benefits of having a home generator is convenience. You don’t have to pull it out of storage and start plugging things into it. It automatically takes over powering your home when it detects that electricity from the grid isn’t coming in.

Home Generators Power Your Home Even When You’re Not There

Installing a home generator can give you peace of mind because you know that if the power goes out while you’re gone, the generator will kick on and keep your food cold and unspoiled. The heat or air conditioning will stay exactly as you left it so you don’t return to a home that is far too warm or far too cold.

Home Generators Are Reliable

With a home generator, you know that your power is reliable. You know that if the grid fails, the generator will be there as a backup. You can trust that you’ll have steady power no matter what the weather is like.

Home Generators Increase Your Home’s Value

Because of the reasons listed above, a home generator also adds value to your home. If you’re selling your home, prospective buyers will be willing to pay more for the convenience and reliability of having a home generator already installed on the house.

The Cons of Installing a Home Generator

Despite the clear advantages of having a home generator, there are also some downsides that homeowners should be aware of.

Home Generators Can Be Expensive

It can be costly to purchase and install a home generator. The price is $2,000 at the lowest end but can reach up to $5,000 or more. The price can depend on both the brand and how much capacity the generator has. The more power it can generate, the more expensive it will be.

Home Generators Are Rarely Used

Even in areas with frequent power outages, the power is typically on more often than it is not. This means that the money you’d spend on a home generator would mostly be for peace of mind because of how infrequently it might be used.

Home Generators Can Be Noisy

When the generator is running, it can make a lot of noise. Typically, the noise a generator makes is much louder than just running your home on electricity does. This could make using the generator less pleasant.

You May Need to Store Fuel for the Generator

A home generator runs on gas and you’ll either need to connect it to your gas line or you’ll need to store the fuel for it. If you’re storing fuel, then you’ll need to make sure there’s a safe place for it that’s at a distance from the house.

Home Generators Take up Yard Space

Another downside is that a home generator takes up space outside. If you don’t have a very large yard to begin with, this could end up being an inconveniently large percentage of your outdoor space.

Home Generators Require Maintenance

In order to keep a home generator working properly, you will need to perform occasional maintenance. Typically, this involves changing the oil, changing the filters, and checking the batteries on the generator. It’s important to perform these services at least once every six months.

Is a Home Generator Worth the Cost?

Even though the number of cons above outnumbers the pros, the pros may weigh more heavily than the cons when it comes to making the decision whether or not to get a home generator. Whether or not it’s worth the money depends on how frequently the power goes out and how much you’re at home.

Consider the following:

How Much Time Do You Spend at Home?

If you work from home, for example, then a power outage could be a major blow, either causing you to lose money or forcing you to use up one of your days off.

How Frequently Does the Power Go Out?

If you live in an area that suffers frequent blackouts due to problems with the grid or in an area with lots of bad weather that could knock the power out, a generator may be much more worth the cost because it will get used much more frequently.

How Much Power Would the Generator Need to Provide?

Home generators come in different sizes. The larger ones cost more, so buying a smaller one could save you money. However, you’ll want to make sure that it can power everything in your home, so consider how large of a generator you’ll need. If you have a lot of electronics and appliances that will use the power from the generator, then you may need a larger generator.