Houston Chronicle Sunday

AREA OUTAGES

Take back the power with a home generator

- By Dennis Hart

Homeowners understand all too well how it feels to lose power in their homes. It’s during those times you probably wished you had a backup generator.

There are many reasons why power is lost besides extreme weather events including power outages due to electrical grid overload, downed lines from fallen trees and even car accidents.

When the power goes out, a home generator will bring back the comforts of home within 20 seconds. You’ll enjoy the quick restoratio­n of your creature comforts, including the TV, computer, water heater and cooling system.

A home generator will provide uninterrup­ted power to your home if power is lost, which will make your home safer.

Safety concerns

A dark house may cause injuries from trips and falls. Losing power can render security systems useless. Home generators help protect you and your family during blackouts by keeping your security and the lights on.

When the power does return, home generators prevent voltage fluctuatio­ns and power surges from damcould

aging your home’s electric system.

This lowers your risk for fires or short circuits.

Food factor

A backup generator can prevent food spoilage by keeping your refrigerat­ion working without interrupti­on. No need to eat all the ice cream before it melts or grill all of the meat before it thaws.

If your home uses a sump pump to keep areas dry, you

face significan­t home problems during a lengthy power outage.

Pipes can freeze and break if the home gets too cold. Keeping the heating system up and running can prevent pipe freezing.

Many homeowner’s insurance policies offer discounts for homes with home generators. Check with your insurance agent to see if your insurance company offers these discounts.

The savings can go a long way toward offsetting the cost of generator installati­on.

A whole-house generator may also boost your home’s worth. According to Consumer Reports, a wholehouse generator properly installed by licensed and certified electricia­ns could raise your home’s value by 3% to 5%.

With a home backup generator, you’ll never have to worry about your family struggling through a power outage again.

Contact a profession­al generator sales and installati­on company for generator options and sizes you will need for your home or business.

Further details

This article was provided by a member of the Remodelers Council of the GHBA. The Remodelers Council is dedicated to promoting profession­alism and public awareness of the remodeling profession through education, certificat­ion and service to the Houston community. For informatio­n on this article, contact Lorraine Hart at lorraine@idealconsu­lting.net . To join the council or to find a profession­al remodeler in your area, visit www.ghba.org .

 ?? Courtesy of Generator Industries ?? When the power goes out, a home generator will bring back the comforts of home within 20 seconds.
Courtesy of Generator Industries When the power goes out, a home generator will bring back the comforts of home within 20 seconds.

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