How many days do you think that you could get by with no power? Unfortunately, every year in New Jersey, countless households need to deal with multiple hours of electrical grid interruptions. For some homeowners, a blackout or downed power line represents a severe health and safety issue.
Consider all the vital systems and appliances your home needs electricity for:
Then there are the added inconveniences of being without lights, home electronics and other everyday appliances. In Morris, Somerset, Union and southern Sussex Counties, Dixon Energy works with households to put backup power systems in place. One question we often hear from customers is whether they should consider a portable or standby generator.
As the name suggests, a portable generator can be moved around where you need it. They are extremely popular for camping and outdoor work. However, these generators typically need to stay outside since they emit combustion gases. In the event of a home power interruption, you’d need to start your portable generator outdoors and run extension cords inside.
By contrast, a standby generator is permanently installed outside your house and connects directly to your home’s power. A sensor detects when your home loses grid electricity and shifts power to the generator. You don’t need to do a thing, and since it’s connected to your home propane tank or a natural gas connection, you’ll have a steady flow of fuel.
Here are some other differentiators between portable and standby generators
| Portable | Standby | |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel type | Gasoline, diesel or a propane cylinder | Connection to a home propane tank of natural gas line |
| Power level | A handful of plug-in items | Can power a whole house |
| Length of power | Two to five hours before you need to refuel | A week or longer |
Portable generators tend to be less expensive to purchase than standby generators. If you’re only concerned about short-term, small-scale backup power during an outage, a portable generator might fit the bill.
However, standby generators offer maximum peace of mind in the cases of inclement weather and extended outages. You won’t have to run out during a rainstorm or blizzard to turn your standby generator on because it changes over automatically. Additionally, you can size your generator to your home’s specific needs. It can power every single system, appliance, light, and outlet in your house, or you can set it up to provide electricity only for vital equipment.
Finally, standby generators have a more dependable fueling option. Natural gas will flow continuously to your system, and propane has an unlimited shelf life. On the other hand, diesel and gasoline can go bad while sitting in the tank for multiple weeks, and if you run out of fuel, you’ll need to leave your house to find a gas station. That can be difficult and unsafe in inclement weather.
Talk to the Dixon Energy team today if you have questions about your gas-powered standby generator options. We’re happy to provide you with a free estimate.