A standby generator offers peace of mind, knowing that you have backup power in an outage.

A standby generator is a unit that provides power to your home automatically in the event of a power outage. Generators allow peace of mind of knowing when the power is out:

• the indoor temperature will be comfortable
• pipes won’t freeze
• your sump pump won’t skip a beat
• appliances will continue to run

“All my life I have not seen -35°F. It sure was nice to have the power to keep us warm.” Paul R.

STANDBY vs PORTABLE

Standby generators are permanently installed on your property and use an automatic transfer switch. Which, you guessed it, automatically transfers the power supply from the primary source to a backup source when it senses an outage. And it does so in seconds powering your home. Standby generators run on LP or natural gas and are field convertible. So a generator installed on an LP system can be converted to natural gas in the future.

Portable generators are manually operated and run on unleaded gas. They require going outside to start the unit, plugging it into an outlet, manually transferring the power from the generator to the electrical panel, and refueling every few hours. A portable generator can’t handle loads that a standby generator can, and you’ll need to shutoff loads that will overload the mobile unit.

POWER YOUR WHOLE HOUSE

When looking at investing in a standby generator, you’ll decide which loads you want to have available to run when the utility power is out. Your whole house can run on a standby generator. The number of items that you want to be able to use when the power is out will determine what size generator is needed. Standby generators can also be set up to handle only essential loads.

The loads put on a generator can vary by your wants and needs along with your current electrical system. The most common loads we see for generators are:

• sump pumps 
• furnaces, air conditioners, and heat pumps
• refrigerators and freezers
• lights
• garage door openers
• wifi routers
• security systems
• medical equipment like CPAP machines, oxygen concentrators, and stairlifts

While generators work great for residential applications, they can also work well for farm sites, sheds, off-grid applications, small businesses, server rooms, and more. Each situation is a little different, but installation is complete in less than a day or two.

KOHLER GENERATORS

We chose to be the local dealer for Kohler Generators, a private, family-owned company, just like us. Equipment reliability is essential to property owners, and we’re happy to pass that on to you.

If you own another generator brand, don’t worry. Our team services and maintains all makes and models of generators, so you have peace knowing it’s ready when you need it.

WARRANTY

Kohler generators have a five-year warranty from the date of installation, versus the date of manufacture, when installed by a factory-certified dealer. This warranty covers the first two years parts and labor and parts only for the final three years. An option to add a 10-year parts and labor warranty is also available. 

MAINTENANCE

Kohler recommends yearly maintenance on standby generators. The engine in a generator is no different than your vehicle or riding lawnmower. They require regular oil changes and maintenance. The units run weekly or bi-weekly for 20 minutes to make sure the system is ready to run when the power goes out. 

Ellingson Plumbing, Heating, A/C & Electrical offers annual maintenance for standby generators, ensuring your system will be ready to protect your home.

REMOTE LOGIN

Best of all, you can monitor your Kohler standby generator whether you’re home or away with the OnCue® Generator Management System. This management system allows you, a family member or Ellingsons to get real-time updates, alerts, or any alarms needing attention from a mobile device or computer. 

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Contact us for a consultation on a standby generator and ask about our annual maintenance program.