When Power Outages Strike, Are Your Clients Left in the Dark?Stand By

Every house depends heavily on electrical power, so what happens to homes and their owners when severe weather or a failure of the power grid causes a loss of electricity, potentially lasting days or weeks? If they have an automatic standby generator, the owners are well-equipped to weather power outages in relative—or complete—comfort.

Recent hurricane seasons reminded homeowners that the power supply is highly susceptible to weather events and that when it goes out, they are not only inconvenienced, their health and well-being also may be compromised. Previous generations would tough it out, but more people demand 24/7 comfort or want their homes to be more self-reliant.

"People don't want to go without power for very long," says Roddy Yates, marketing manager for Baldor.

Some generators still employ manual transfer switches, but automatic transfer switches are replacing them. Wired into a home's electrical load panel and connected to a natural gas line or liquid propane tank, automatic standby generators sit on call, waiting for a power outage. An automatic transfer switch senses when power is lost, signaling the generator to start up and to transfer designated electrical loads to the generator within seconds. It also senses when power returns, transfers loads back to the utility supply, and shuts down the equipment.

Even when the owner is not home, an automatic generator keeps critical systems operating, an important benefit in humid regions where a few days without air conditioning can allow mold and mildew to grow and in cold regions where loss of heat can cause water pipes to freeze.

Generator capacity is determined by the number and type of electrical loads homeowners desire during a power outage. "Some people want the entire house backed up, with nothing left out during an outage—a whole-house system. Some people just want a few key items—an essential load system," says Melanie Tydrich, senior product manager for Kohler Power Systems.