Is Your Generator Ready for Storm Season?

Posted: April 3, 2023

Follow These 3 Simple Steps

If you’ve already invested in a whole-house backup propane generator, you always want to make sure it will operate properly whenever the power goes out. Please follow these tips to ensure you’re prepared for the next power outage.

Check your fuel gauge. Make sure your generator has enough propane to get you through at least a week without power, since impassable roads and other emergencies may delay deliveries. How much is enough? As one example, a whole-house 22-kilowatt (kW) generator would burn between 2-3 gallons per hour, depending on the electrical load.
Test your generator. Take your generator for a 20-to30 minute “test run” about once every three months. Power it up to a full load and observe—and then have corrected—any problems. In colder months, increase the frequency of test runs to about per month to keep moving parts lubricated.
Follow maintenance guidelines. Preventative maintenance is the key to keeping your generator running at its best. Annual service is a must; twice per year (pre-summer and pre-winter) is ideal. Please refer to your owner’s manual for more specific details about proper maintenance.

How to Find the Right Generator for Your Home

If you don’t have a propane generator yet and would like to explore your options, please reach out to Wilson Oil and Propane. Our generator technicians are thoroughly familiar with all installation protocols, and this goes hand in hand with our unequalled experience as propane suppliers. With a licensed electrician on our team, we will connect your new generator directly to your home’s power supply, so if the power ever does go out, your power will be back on in less than a minute. Read more about a generator installation.

To give you a head start on choosing a whole-house propane generator, here’s what we can tell you upfront.

When selecting a whole house propane generator, it’s critical to identify your specific comfort needs first. The size of a whole house generator depends on what you intend to operate during an outage. Electrical appliances in your home tend to fall into two categories:

Your “power essentials,” which include devices like your lights, garage door opener, fridge/freezer, sump and well pumps, your furnace fan, security system, TV/computers, microwave, and washing machine.
Your high-wattage items, including your air conditioner, electric dryer, heat pump, hot tub, water heater, oven, geothermal system, and well pump.

Generators range quite a bit in size – and price – depending on which and how many of each category of appliances above you want or need to operate when the power is out. A small, 5-kW unit, for example, can operate power essentials such as lights, a refrigerator, a television and other small appliances. It would require a lot less than propane to run than a large model.

A large, 25-kW generator can easily run high-wattage heat or air conditioning units while still being able to turn on lights and appliances. Depending on what other high wattage appliances are being run, a 25-kW generator may only be able to power one air conditioning or heat pump system so it is best to consider what you want your generator to accomplish.

If everything is working as it should, your power will restart automatically within seconds after an outage, and it will stay on until power is restored – all without the hassles or carbon monoxide dangers that come with using portable gasoline generators.

Bottom line: severe weather power outages are dangerous, and they happen all year long. Protect your home and family with an emergency generator, professionally installed by Wilson Oil and Propane. Contact us today for more information.