It’s been a wild winter so far, and it's only February! Depending on where you live, you might have already had to deal with flooding, a deep freeze, tornadoes, or a ton of snow – and of course, the resulting power outages! When these events play havoc with the power supply, it’s good to have standby or emergency backup options, but the product you pick really depends on what you might encounter?
For instance, if your home is near a river, stream, or area prone to slides and flooding, like CA’s coastal and mountain towns, or the Midwest’s neighborhoods that flood often thanks to the larger rivers that jump their banks, then you shouldn’t invest in a whole standby generator. Why? What good is a generator that can’t easily be moved when a flood or mudslide occurs?
For you, I’d suggest a versatile portable power option like a Generac 9200W, or something bigger like a Duromax 13000W. These portables come with wheels and handles and can easily be moved like a hand truck from one location or another and loaded into a pickup truck or SUV. They are powerful enough to run your major appliances or power the necessities to get you through a hot or cold spell while the local power company works to restore power. If you need to evacuate, they can travel with you to give you power in a new spot as well.
For those who live in areas prone to tornadoes and hurricanes, if your house can be destroyed by wind and you must evacuate, a portable is better, but if your home is not as prone to a major wind event, keep in mind most standby generators come with a weatherproof enclosure that are rated to sustain very strong winds. Of course, with a hurricane, there can be a storm surge which would mean flooding, so again a portable unit would be best for folks in the Gulf States, Florida and on up the East Coast.
What if you are in a place like Texas and freezing conditions knock out the power grid? It happened in 2021 and many were at the mercy of old man winter, and this week as I write this feature, Texas is once again getting a cold dose of reality. Whether you are in Texas or Montana, when the weather gets cold, a home standby unit or a large portable can mean the difference of a warm and comfortable night through an ice storm or blizzard without ever missing a beat or freezing your butt off!
The key to avoiding a problem in freezing conditions and snowy areas is a standby unit with a cold weather package or at least a unit that is equipped with internal and/or block heaters. Our choice for folks in the Northeast or Rocky Mountains where temperatures can dip well below zero is the Cummins 20 kW RS20ACE. This unit has been built to easily handle temperatures down to -40 degrees. Check out our offering from Generac and Kohlers as well if you’re in an area like Texas where you can enjoy a standby whole home generator without fear of it getting crazy cold. Most units are good down to 0 degrees Fahrenheit, and have no trouble keeping you powered through mild to moderate winter conditions.