After living through this latest extended power outage after Hurricane Sandy, many homeowners made the decision to get a generator, but were not sure what they needed to look for.

Purchasing a standby generator for your home is a big decision. Depending on the features you need, costs can vary by thousands of dollars, so it’s important to assess your needs before making an expensive mistake.

Home standby generators can be classified as either fully automatic or owner-assisted (manual operation). A standby generator system consists of two components; the generator itself, and a transfer switch or transfer panel. The job of the generator is to produce electricity from a mechanical engine. The job of the transfer switch is to allow onsite generated electricity to flow into the home, while preventing it from flowing out of the home onto the utility lines at the same time. When the blackout is over, the transfer switch allows utility power to flow into the home instead. Think of the transfer switch like an electrical traffic cop, making sure that everything works safely.

The cheapest method of providing emergency backup power at home is by using a small gasoline powered portable generator. This generator, coupled with a manual transfer switch, will provide just enough power in your home during a blackout to keep the basics running: refrigerator, furnace, well pump, and some lights and the TV. You can usually accomplish this with a 5kW (kilowatt) generator or larger. A manual transfer switch will allow you to select predetermined circuits to switch over the emergency power when there is a blackout.

The way a manual system would work is like this: When the power fails, the homeowner would go and get the generator and move it outdoors (NEVER run a gas powered generator in the house!!!). He would then connect a 240 volt cord from the generator to the power inlet on the transfer switch. Next, the generator is started and allowed about a minute to warm up. Once the generator is warmed up, the homeowner would flip the switches on the transfer switch (there can be as many as 16 separate switches in some cases) from the UTILITY or NORMAL setting to the GENERATOR setting. This will allow the power from the generator to flow into the circuits in the house. After the utility power has been restored, the preceding steps are performed in reverse, and the generator is stored away for another day.

The primary advantage to the manual system is cost. Many times, a homeowner can use his own generator and have a licensed electrician install a manual transfer switch for less than $1,200.00 for parts and labor. Unfortunately, sometimes homeowners will use a portable generator without a transfer switch and simply connect the generator to the house through a receptacle. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND ILLEGAL!! When connecting a generator in this fashion, you are sending power not only through your home, but also out on the power lines and into other people’s homes as well. This generated power has the ability to travel many miles away from your house and can injure or kill utility lineman working on overhead lines to restore power to your neighborhood

The other type of system is a fully automatic generator. The way an automatic system works is like this: When the power fails, the transfer switch ‘senses’ the power failure and signals the generator to automatically start. Once the generator has started and has warmed up, the transfer switch will automatically switch the house over to the generator. Depending on the type of transfer switch you select, you could power your entire house with the generator. Once the utility power is restored, the transfer switch will reconnect the house with the utility power and then shut down the generator until its needed the next time.

The advantages of the automatic system are numerous; primarily, no one has to be home for it to work. Also, it’s great for senior citizens or anyone who is not able to move a portable generator around. With a whole house transfer switch, you don’t have to pick and choose what circuits to back up – you can have everything working! Another benefit is that automatic standby generators usually run on propane. These units are designed to run for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so long as there’s a supply of propane gas available. Automatic systems can also start the generator once a week just to make sure everything is working OK and ready in case of an emergency.

So that brings us to the disadvantage. And there’s really only one: the price tag. Most of these systems for an average size home will set you back about $5,000.00 to $10,000.00. Don’t get too excited if you read an ad that says you can get an automatic generator for less than $2,500.00. There’s usually a catch. Perhaps that’s the cost for just the generator (and not the transfer switch). Or if it happens to include all the equipment, keep in mind that you’ll have to pay for installation. This is not something that is recommended for a DIY installation.

It will probably be to your advantage to order a generator and transfer switch online, as most vendors will ship them for free and if the vendor is out of state, then chances are you will save a great deal in sales tax. Just have your electrician size the proper system for you and tell you exactly what equipment you need to order.

Lastly, be prudent when choosing the size of an LP storage tank, if you will be running your generator on propane. Many unscrupulous propane dealers may try to sell you a tank larger than you need, just for the opportunity to sell more propane. In reality, you only need to have enough propane to last long enough for the delivery truck to come and refill your tank! The specifications sheet for your automatic standby generator will tell you how many gallons per hour it will burn. This will help you in tank size planning. Also, if you already use propane appliances in your home, try to avoid getting a second tank installed just for the generator. Many propane dealers will charge you more $$ per gallon if the gas is used solely for your generator.

Whatever type you go with, rest assured that this emergency source of power will be there for you when you need it the most!