A whole-home generator in Portland, OR is no longer just a luxury, especially with the extreme weather global warming has been causing. Therefore, if you want to protect your family from the dangers of extreme heat and cold, a whole-home generator is just what you need. A household generator will help you live and function normally when the power goes out for any amount of time, so you don’t skip a beat.
What Is a Whole-Home Generator?
A whole-home generator, also known as a standby generator, is a stationary fixture that is connected to your home. Your household generator is connected to your home’s electrical system and a fuel source like a propane tank or natural gas line.
How Does a Whole-Home Generator Work?
When the power goes out, your household generator will automatically kick in and supply your home with electricity. Here are the components associated with a whole-home generator.
Fuel Supply – This feeds fuel to the generator’s engine to start and run your whole-home generator during a power outage.
Generator Engine – This is a battery-powered motor used to start and run the engine which then uses a rotor shaft located inside the generator to produce electricity.
Generator – A rotor shaft is located inside the generator and will spin an armature core within a magnetic field to convert the energy that is produced from the spinning shaft into electricity. That electricity is then supplied to your home.
Generator Controller – When the system’s transfer switch detects a power outage, it sends a signal to the generator controller. Next, the controller starts the engine and prepares it to supply your house with electricity. The controller then sends a signal to the transfer switch to connect the power from the generator to your home’s electrical system.
Permanent Wiring and Transfer Switch – The permanent wiring is what joins the generator output to the automatic transfer switch. The transfer switch is what monitors your home’s power and sends a signal to the generator controller when the power goes out. The transfer switch will then connect the backup generator power to your home’s electrical system. The transfer switch is also the part that will restore your power from the utility company when the power comes back on.
Whole-Home Generator Capacity Overview
Whole-home generators are rated by the number of watts they can produce. One kilowatt (kW) equals 1000 watts. To put things in perspective, it takes about 1200 watts to run a microwave, a typical portable device will generally use anywhere between 2 kW and 4 kW, and it takes about 60 watts to power a lightbulb.
So the more devices you want to power, the bigger the generator you will need. On average, whole-home generators need about 20 kW to power your entire house, if the furnace is natural gas.
Whole-Home Surge Protection
A whole home surge protection rated above 50 KVA’s is extremely important. The surge is installed in the home’s electrical panel to protect the home, both on utility and generator power.
Schedule a Whole-Home Generator Consultation in Portland, OR Today
If you want more information about installing a household generator with surge protection, please Contact Wolfer’s Home Services to schedule a consultation today. We are the best in the business, offer competitive rates, and have a 100% satisfaction guarantee. Our service area includes Portland, Salem, Tigard, and the surrounding areas.
