Many people are realizing that counting on things we once took for granted is a luxury we no longer have. One of those necessities we often take for granted is having electricity available constantly. With the flip of a switch, darkness turns to light, hot water stays heated and food stays chilled and safe to eat. But, what happens when the power grid shuts down and you lose power?
Even homes powered with solar energy will have no power during a power outage. How long can you and your family survive without electrical power in your home? What can be done proactively to make sure your family is safe no matter what is going on in the world around you?
Portable Generators
For many years, natural gas, liquid propane and diesel generators have been used to provide backup power when needed. They are relatively inexpensive and are readily available at most home improvement stores. Portable generators are designed to be used for several hours at a time to power one or two appliances or pieces of equipment at a time. They are not designed to power an entire home. These generators will need to be manually connected to your circuit box with special connectors and will then need extension cords to run to the appliance or machine you are trying to get power to. These generators are extremely noisy. They also require a large supply of whatever type of fuel they run on.
However, it is usually not feasible to store enough of any of these types of fuel to provide backup power for more than a few hours. Keeping large quantities of highly combustible fuels in your home can become a safety hazard.
Permanent Generators
Permanent generators are hardwired directly into your electrical panel. They switch on automatically when the power shuts down. This means that when an emergency situation arises, you will not need to do anything. The system will automatically switch over to your permanent generator. They can run for longer periods of time than portable generators and are also less noisy. They can also be designed to power most if not all of your home’s appliances. However, they will require a large supply of fuel to keep them running, so having a place to store large quantities of fuel is an important consideration.
Tesla Powerwall
A Tesla Powerwall works with your home’s solar energy system. It is basically a rechargeable battery that takes the extra solar energy your home-produced but did not use and stores it until it is needed. A Powerwall system can be created by installing up to 10 Powerwalls or Powerwall+ units. A professional electrician will meet with you and help you design a system that will meet your home power needs. Installing the Tesla Powerwall system when you install your solar power system will create a highly efficient and dependable system. This is becoming a popular alternative because it uses a clean energy source and does not burn any fuels to generate electricity.
Idaho Falls Electrician
If you are wondering which of these options will work best for you, contact your local Idaho Falls Electrician and they will be able to help you with a free consultation. Hiring an electrician will be your next step in this process of ensuring your home always has access to electricity.
