Large cities are vulnerable to power company distribution equipment failures that turn large areas dark following disasters.
No place in North America is immune to power outages or blackouts. They affect neighborhoods, towns, large cities, and multiple regions across a state.
The causes are many, but historically, the most widespread outages result from weather-related disasters. In 2017, aging and deteriorating electrical distribution equipment in California took center stage. In 2019, Pacific Gas & Electric began Public Safety Power Shutoffs to prevent fires caused by faulty equipment. It was the Largest Planned California Power Outage and affected over 750,000 customers and over two million people.
Electric power makes our homes safe, comfortable havens from the outside world. It keeps our food fresh and our heating/cooling systems working. Many people rely on it to run medical equipment like oxygen concentrators or CPAP machines.
Without electricity, homes become less safe and comfortable, or even hostile. Food spoils in the refrigerator. The air conditioner doesn’t run. No lights. No television. The internet doesn’t work, and you can’t charge your cell phone.
Related: California State of Emergency Opens Portable Generator Sales
A portable generator for home backup is one way to power a few critical circuits during an outage, but most can’t handle the load of an entire home, and to power major appliances requires a transfer switch.
Generator Power Turns the Lights On
When Thomas Edison began lighting our cities with the first power company, electricity was a novelty and a convenience. A luxury. Today, we rely on it in ways Mr. Edison never imagined.
When the power goes out, we call the utility to let them know and ask when they will restore it.
And then, we wait, and hope our food doesn’t spoil.
Portable Generators are a good stop-gap solution to a short-term outage. Pull it out of the garage, add the correct fuel, connect extension cords, get it started, warm it up, and then connect your appliances one at a time. Unless you’re using a transfer switch, you won’t have heat or air conditioning. Running your central A/C will require more power than many portables can provide.
California Portable Generators for Sale
When it’s time to refuel, disconnect the loads first, shut it down, let it cool. Check the oil and top it off (don’t overfill) and add fuel. Start the generator and connect your loads one at a time.
If you’re doing this now, you probably wish for a better solution.
An automatic standby generator can power an entire home—whether you are there or not—ensuring the safety of your family, stored food, security, heating and cooling, and medical equipment.
Automatic Standby Generator—Goodbye California Blackout
Wouldn’t it be nice if your generator automatically started itself, restored power to your house, and put itself away when the power company restored power? A Home Standby Generator can do that.
It doesn’t matter if you’re home or across the country, the generator system recognizes the power outage immediately. The generator starts. Your automatic transfer switch cuts off the utility, connects the generator, and your house has power.
It takes less than a minute—usually less than 20 seconds.
If you were sleeping, you might not even notice. If you were across the country, you’d get an alert on your cell phone telling you the power was out, and another that your generator was running to keep your food cold, the house comfortable, and make sure all the other important systems are working.
Related: The Best Whole House Generator
An Automatic Home Standby Generator is an investment in the safety and security of your family and home.
Sure, they cost more than that portable you might use on a camping trip someday. But they have one job—to provide you with the peace of mind that comes with the generator. It takes a little planning and you will need someone to install it for you.
The one thing you won’t worry about is fuel. They run on natural gas or propane, and can run for a week before they need maintenance. (It’s still a good idea to check the oil every day.) Never a worry about where you can buy gasoline or how much the local authorities will allow you to store or if it will get you through the night.
Arrange a service dealer to take care of it for you and you won’t worry about maintenance.
This map of a California Public Safety Power Shutoff shows Power Outages by County. These outages affected ,ore than 562,000 customers representing approximately 1.5 Million people.
More Home Standby Generator Advantages
- No need to set up, it’s standing by, waiting to work.
- Fully automatic.
- Increases the value of your home.
- Better power quality than traditional portable generators.
- No extension cords.
- Power your whole house, not just a few lights and the fridge.
- No gasoline to store. No small propane cylinders to buy.
- Permanent, worry free backup power.
- Keeps your home and family safe, even when you’re not home.
- Runs your heating and cooling.
Aren’t you ready to say goodbye to power outages and blackouts?
Find the right Standby Generator for Your Home and Family Today
Did you Know?
FEMA advises everyone to have a source of emergency power. Norwall has solutions for every type and size of home, apartment, or condominium, even if you rent.
Portable Generator Safety
- Never Run a Generator Indoors
- Never Backfeed Your Home
- Install Carbon Monoxide Detectors
- Read the Manual—Obey Safety Decals
