Getting a backup generator for your Huntsville home is a great idea. It helps to protect you no matter what you may face from Mother Nature, plus it can be incredibly handy for other uses as well. However, you have a lot of choices when it comes to generators. Do you get the bare basic one that will cover your needs, or should you go with a higher model? The truth is, you have to figure that answer out. However, there are some extra features you may want to consider before making your final choice.
Features You May Want in Your Huntsville Generator
If you are looking for a home generator, then you likely want one that is going to run a few things in your home for an extended period of time should the power go out. This means that you will depend on that generator, but may not be right up next to it regularly. In situations like this, it is important to have lights that will tell you if anything is wrong with your generator. One common light on generators is one that tells you if your oil is low. This could burn out your generator quickly if it is not remedied. Ideally, you want the light and a switch that will turn the generator off if that happens and you do not catch it right away. That way, your generator protects itself and you are still able to use your generator once the low oil is replaced.
Knowing How Much Fuel You Have Helps
You should also have some type of an indicator as to what your fuel level is. It doesn’t matter what type of fuel your generator uses. If you cannot tell how full the generator is, you could run out of fuel or you could spill it when filling it by adding too much. This should be a simple line or tube indicating where your fuel is at, so you can check it easily at a glance. If it is getting low, then it is important that you add more before you run the risk of the powered devices within your home shutting off.
Generator Self-Preservation
There is one important feature that your generator should also have to protect itself. That is a switch that allows you to manually shut off the flow of fuel. This may not seem like a big deal, but it could actually save your generator down the line. What it does is turns off any fuel heading down the tubes to be used by your generator. That way, the generator uses up what it has already in the system, and shuts itself off. No extra fuel is left sitting in the lines, which means your generator will not begin to corrode between uses. Plus, the fuel is much less likely to spill if you have this switch. That allows you to use your generator when you need it, then store it without any corrosive liquid left inside the generator itself. That can save the life of your generator over the long-term.
To have help figuring out which home generator, and which generator features, will best serve your needs, give us a call. We are here to help guide you with your purchase, plus we can install and maintain your generator for you. Ask us any question you may have, and let us explain how each feature works. Then, you can decide how much those features will weigh on your decision of which generator to go with for your specific circumstances.