Why Should I Install a Generator Before the Winter?
If you live in Michigan, you have experienced at least one power outage. They can happen in the middle of summer with all the wind and storms that come along or in the winter after all the snow has piled on the ground. It is not uncommon to lose power for a couple of hours in the heat of the summer or the middle of the winter months but what about when the power is out for a couple of days or even weeks? Most people take electricity for granted and when it goes out, you are at the mercy of the power company and other factors outside of your control to get it back. There are many reasons to get a backup generator but here are some important ones we thought we should note.
Don't Lose the Essentials
If you do not open up your fridge during a power outage, foods like meat and dairy products can stay cold for 4 hours and a full freezer can last up to 48 hours. With power being out for a couple of days, however, you are out of food. Water comes from wells that use electric pumps so you also have to limit water usage or possibly cut it out altogether. That includes drinking water from the tap and using the shower (you can forget about a hot shower completely). In the winter you could be isolated and not able to get out to a store (if they even have power there) meaning you can not replenish supplies.
Avoid Fire Hazards
The main thing that people do when their power goes out is light candles around the home. This provides light and a small heat source but having a lot of candles lit is a fire hazard, especially when the candles are out of your line of sight.
Heating Source
Winters in Michigan can be brutal and while the summers are not as hot as other spots in the country, the middle of the day can get pretty toasty. Not having your heat or A/C running will cause the home to get close to the temperature outside. You can bundle up in the winter but there comes a point when it becomes too much.
Save Money
With the food in your fridge spoiled and no electricity to run a stove or oven, you are stuck looking for other food and having to throw away who knows how much in groceries that are no longer edible. The best case is finding a place nearby that has power and you eat out for every meal. The worst case is you have to pack up your family and move into a hotel while you wait for your power to be restored. That could get expensive in the event that power takes a couple of weeks to come back on.
Having a backup generator will keep lights on so you can see, your fridge and stove will continue working so you can cook, you do not have to freeze to death in your own home, and it will save you from having to live out of a single hotel room with your family for any number of days. We install Kohler generators which are designed to prevent power surges at the start and end of losing power. The generators bring your worries to an end. You don't have to worry about your sump pump failing and flooding your home, you don't have to worry about all your food going bad, and you don't have to worry about keeping your family warm until power is restored. Having a backup power source for your home means that you don't have to worry about losing power again.
