You know the importance of having electricity available to your house at all times, even in cases where your commercial power supply has failed you. You have decided you are going to get a backup generator to make sure that the necessities in your house will always be available. What are your next steps? There are some thing you need to think about as you move forward in equipping your house with a generator.
Where to Put It
There may be municipal requirements that dictate where a generator can be placed. Usually it will go in the backyard, and can be tucked away in a similar fashion as an air conditioning unit. The exhaust on the generator limits where you can place it, as it cannot go near any windows. Noise may be part of your placement decision, as most generators are going to run close to the noise levels of an A/C unit.
Electrical Tie In
Your new generator is going to have to be installed into your houses circuit box. This is very important to have done right, and always should be done by a professional. There is going to be a control box that runs the connections. In the event of a grid failure, this control box will disconnect your house from the grid. It will then connect your electrical system to the generator, and allow power to be sourced from it. Failure of this system can be catastrophic, including the potential to start a house fire or electrocute an unfortunate person.
On Going Care
In general, generator maintenance in River Forest is going to be fairly light, but still required. It is important that your generator is going to be able to start when you lose commercial power. Part of a generator is a combustion engine, so making sure the required fluids are all in good shape is important. There are also filters that need cleaning, and moving parts that may require regular lubrication. Hiring a professional to see your generator on a regular basis will keep it in good health for years to come.
