Losing power in your home is no joke. Sometimes it’s not that serious—just a few hours of your kids complaining about a lack of wifi and Netflix. But other times? It’s super serious: spoiled food, a flooded basement, or no heat or air conditioning.
Whether you’re looking to avoid a minor inconvenience or a major disaster—or if you just want to be prepared for whatever—a generator may be just what you need. Here’s how to choose one for your home.
One way to choose the right generator is to think about how much you’ll use it. Frequent outages may mean you need a heavy-duty or automatic option. For occasional outages, consider something with moderate wattage and a manageable bill. If you’re more concerned about infrequent outages—like a storm that ruins your movie night—consider a generator that powers specific appliances (and not for very long).
Another way to choose your new generator is to find out how much power you need.
Now that you have your list—what you want to power and a good guesstimate of how often you’ll need it—it’s time to decide among three types of generators: standby, portable, and inverter.
Standby generators are the most expensive—up to $10,000 with installation. You’re looking at about 20,000 watts on permanent standby outside your home. These models automatically kick on when your regular power source fails, and they can power your entire home at once. If you want 24/7 protection, experience frequent outages, and want your entire home to be lit up, a standby is worth looking at.
Portable generators power around 7,500 watts and often offer the best cost for their capacity. Some models can be installed into your breaker panel for hardwired appliances in your home, such as AC, sump pumps, and water heaters. Portable generators are noisier than standby models. Plus, they need a lot more gas, are bulkier, and often cost just as much to install. This generator is best if you occasionally or rarely experience outages.
Inverters come in a number of sizes. Midsized models are lightweight, quiet, efficient, and can handle about 3,500 watts. They cannot, however, be used for your hardwired appliances. A large inverter (think 7,500 watts) has the same benefits, but has to be installed, is more expensive, and needs stabilized gasoline (no natural gas or propane). An inverter is probably your best bet if you have occasional or rare outages and don’t need everything powered at once.
Ultimately, you’re looking for a great fit based on your frequency of use, how much juice it needs, and how easy or practical it is to use. Be sure to consider these other factors when choosing a generator:
Above all, be sure your choice has solid safety features. Purchase a model with auto shut-off to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning, and be sure your home is equipped with multiple carbon monoxide detectors. And please, read the instructions for your specific model. It won’t be the most exciting thing you’ve read all year, but it’s important for your family’s safety.
Any generator that requires a transfer switch needs to be installed by a licensed Denver electrician. A transfer switch is a unit that attaches your generator to your circuit breaker with a single cable. It’s safer, more convenient, and more reliable than using extension cords.
No matter what kind of generator you’re looking for, we can help! You don’t have to be in the dark when you’re making this big decision. Let us handle your recommendation, installation, and maintenance needs. Call us today.
We’re ready to answer your questions or schedule your appointment, call now or book online!
Ben was great!! He was thoughtful in listening to are issue with our furnace and corrected the problem with little or no time wasted. He also was a very kind and relatable in explaining the issues and what he did to correct the problem and for that we are thankful to him as... Read more
We had a leak in our 1980’s bathroom that was getting worse by the day. Dylan showed up on time, quickly diagnosed the issue, and had it fixed in no time. He was super professional and respectful of our home. The pricing was fair and transparent, and he explained everything... Read more
Bell Plumbing, Heating, Cooling, & Electrical is incredible, especially the electrical team. Huge thanks to Jeremiah, Trey, Nick, and Micah, who exceeded all expectations! They completed a large project, including a new main panel, and it's a work of art - the overhead... Read more
I recently had the pleasure of working with David Agosto from Bell for some plumbing issues at my home, and I couldn’t be more impressed with his work. David arrived on time, was extremely professional, and took the time to thoroughly assess the situation. He explained the... Read more
We have used Bell Plumbing throughout the twenty years we have owned our home. From bathroom updates to a complete re-piping of our water lines Bell has always been professional. They recently replaced our furnace and within the first year it had some issues. The technician... Read more
Joined Bell membership a few months ago. Hugh did a great job adding an adjustable wire cover at the electrical panel to help prevent the wires from exposing in an event of ground settling.
This time we gave Bell a call for furnace service. Mike McGowan showed up next day and... Read more
Bell Plumbing and Dylan were great to work with. Prompt, efficient, thorough, and very nice. Dylan identified a couple of code issues that two other companies had missed and explained everything in detail before and after work. I actually felt like I knew something about... Read more
I can’t express enough how much I appreciate the work that Chris completed for a boiler repair. He answered several questions and ensured the repair approach was correct and then far exceeded my expectations. The boiler is working exceptionally well and my customers are very... Read more
Jordan was efficient and executed the repair quickly. His assessment and feedback helped me to know what the scope of the issue was and how the task would be completed. Jordan then went about completing the repair and notified me when he was finished. I appreciate the... Read more
Bell has been awesome to work with. Levi helped us out of an emergency plumbing situation. He thoroughly explained what was needed and followed up the next week for a complimentary camera inspection of the sewer line issue. Fair price. Great people.
Jeremiah was awesome. He explained everything to us in a way we could understand. Very professional and cared about his work and how we were treated. I would highly recommend him and if I need an Electrician again, I know I will ask for him. A great asset to your company.
Jeremiah replaced the electrical panel on our home recently. We have complete confidence in the workmanship, and he was a pleasure to work with. Earlier in the year Bell replaced our water heater, and that was a great experience as well. Everyone we have interacted with at Bell... Read more
Tech arrived on time . Called before for his timeline . Very professional. Clean attire. Respectfull, of me and my house . Got the job done quickly . Explained the procedure to fix the problem. Very clean didn’t make a mess .. highly recommend this tech and Bell plumbing . ... Read more
We had several Electric Vehicle charger installation bids from other companies and Bell Plumbing, Heating, Cooling, & Electrical worked with us to match the lowest cost bid, as well as installed the EV charger in our home about a month sooner than the other company.
We... Read more
Nick at Bell came to check hot water heaters which were old and needed replacing. Very quick on response/appointment and installed new ones same day. Very professional and Good communication throughout job. Very happy with results
I had 2 (unrelated) issues over the past week: a bathroom faucet/handle dripping/not working properly and a leak under the K sink. The technicians (Alex and Thomas) were both professional, knowledgeable and thorough and fixed both issues. The Bell process is very efficient: a... Read more
I used Bell for a clogged drain. Very professional from beginning to end. The person taking the appointment was thorough, communicating what to expect. The dispatcher provided the appointment details and communicated that a tecnician was available early. The technician (Levi)... Read more
Dan was beyond helpful and knowledgeable! He fixed our problem quickly and even better than it was before the issues began. The best part, though, is that Dan gave us three different options, and the least expensive option ended up working great AND ended up costing less than... Read more
These guys did a great job with a last-minute toilet clog. I really appreciated the demeanor and professional manner of the young man who worked to solve our problem efficiently and with clear explanation. The price was good with the coupon and I would recommend to anyone.
What a great experience! New to the area and picked them based off of their reviews. Exceeded my expectations. Very thorough and professional from start to finish! Troy, the electrician, was so great! Macy who scheduled me was also a stand out. Will be using them for everything... Read more
If anyone is looking to get their furnace fixed or serviced then I would recommend Bell plumbing and heating company. These folks were able to fit me in when they had a full schedule. The technician Cameron White was on time and very professional. These folks definitely have a... Read more
I used Bell's electrical service for the first time today. The service was great. Jeremiah did an outstanding job. He took time to troubleshoot and explained my options. After finishing the repairs Jeremiah took the time to explain how to install and which BR30 recessed light... Read more
Really really happy with Bell. I had a leaking hot water heater, and got multiple estimates. Bell was very professional, gave me a very reasonable estimate and did an outstanding job on the day of my service (Daniel). Professionalism all the way through. High-quality work... Read more
The Bell Electrical team of Jeremiah, Nick and Ethan worked at my house today to remove & replace a 25+ yr old 60” ceiling fan on a 20+ ft high ceiling/ open floor plan. No small feat. They communicated with me well on what had to be tackled and the process to do so. The... Read more
