Any big home improvement project is bound to come with questions. If your only experience with a generator is the noisy, portable kind, you’ll likely have questions about what makes a standby residential generator different. You’ll probably wonder why they are significantly more expensive than the portable kind, too. But don’t worry! That’s why in this post, we’ll explore some frequently asked questions about residential generators.
A residential generator is a permanent addition to your home. These generators tie directly to an underground fuel source like natural gas or propane and connect directly to your home’s electrical panel. Furthermore, a residential generator provides power to your entire home without noise, manual refueling, or multiple extension cords. For these reasons, homeowners receive instantaneous and automatically generated power at the first detection of utility interruption.
To better answer some of your questions about residential generators, we sat down with the Cooper Electrical Services team to list the top 10 most frequently asked questions about generators.
Typically, new customers will ask the following on a first visit:
1. How much will it cost?
Well, it depends. The average cost of an average whole house generator is $10k-$12k with no load shed*.
*Load shedding is when you need to disconnect electrical current because the electrical demand is more than the supply. A load shedding generator system may be needed to reduce the electrical demand and supply.
2. Does that price include everything?
Our quotes include permitting, foundations, labor, and materials. With Cooper Electrical Services, you’ll receive turn key installation with no hidden fees.
3. What brand(s) do you offer?
Cooper Electrical Services is an authorized Cummins and Generac dealer, but we also sell Kohler and Briggs and Stratton, among others. Our service and repair team can work on any generator brand or manufacturer.
4. What size generator do you recommend?
For a whole home with no load shed, a 20kw generator is sufficient. Smaller homes with limited loads can get by with a smaller unit. A larger home may need a 40kw generator. Units from big box stores are 12-13kw, so most homes will going with a generator of this size will require load shedding. On the other hand, homes with lots of gas appliances can get by with smaller sizes.
5. Does that run the whole house, including heat and air conditioning?
Our recommended sizes will run the entire home including HVAC. That way, your family with be safe and comfortable in the event of a power outage.
6. What does the generator look like?
It depends on the model and size needed to run your house, but today’s generators feature attractive housing in neutral colors.
7. How big is the generator?
In most cases, generators are similar in size to your heat pump or outdoor HVAC unit.
8. How loud is the generator?
Residential generators are surprisingly quiet. At 65db, it is slightly quieter than a vacuum.
9. Do you service the generator too?
Yes, Cooper Electrical Services services all major brands. In order to maintain safety and reliability, we offer annual maintenance plans, too.
10. Do I have to get a building permit? Do I have to apply for the building permit?
Our turn key installs include all required permitting. Some HOAs in the Myrtle Beach area may have their own approval. We help homeowners with any required paperwork for HOA architectural review committees.
Cooper Electrical Services is the Myrtle Beach area’s best source for residential and commercial generator systems. If you have a question about a generator system or would like to discuss options available for your home, drop us a line.
Assurance Power Systems has provided excellent service to South Florida residents and businesses since 2005. We continue to uphold our high standards, whether we’re offering repairs, maintenance, or installations. Our services are provided by our employees, and we do not subcontract out our work.
When you need assistance, count on Assurance Power Systems to provide reliable service with a personal touch.