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Home Backup Generator Cost

Home Backup Generator Cost

Are you ready to purchase some power and curious what the home backup generator cost is ?We have installed several let us help.

On average the cost of a home back up generator ranges from about $3000 to $5000 for the portable type including the generator and manual transfer wired to your home. Larger auto transfer permanent mounted back up generators of propane, diesel or natural gas type range from about $10,000 to $25,000.

Lets look at the different types so you can understand so read on.

1.Home Backup Generator Cost For Portable

Portable generators are best if you have a manual transfer switch installed in your house. The reason being is that the home backup generator is almost always connected to the outside line to the house from the generator itself via an outlet. You can have different solutions to connecting the transfer switch, ranging from the standard generator panel, which is most common and most easy to wire, to the breaker type of interface.

The number one plus to the manual transfer portable generator is the most common. A 30 or 60 amp feed allows the electricity to be fed from the home electricity to the generator.

This process usually costs around $2000 dollars from your electrician plus the price of your generator you purchase.

2.Home Backup Generator Cost For Permanent

A Home generator can be a wise investment for permanent protection of life, property and natural disasters. The features of a household generator will vary according to the type of operation of the home.

The generator uses gas, propane or a diesel engine to create electricity. Permanent generators are typically 2-2.5 ton and range in size from 12 to 60 gallon capacities. Larger 100 gallon or more tanks can be installed.

These generators are usually $3000 to $4000 dollars. Additionally you will need an auto transfer switch to operate them. The generator will need to be installed on a secure pad so that it can be hooked up to its gas or propane source.

So you can see it is not only the generator you need to purchase. By the time you pay for fuel tanks, an electrician a pad etc it all adds up to $10,000 or more depending on the size you choose.

3.Home Backup Generator Cost-How much does it cost to install a whole house generator?

You will have to spend a fortune to install a whole house generator. As we mentioned before, these are only backup generators to use so you can get a permanent installation.

The only type of whole house generator that you should consider as your permanent backup generator with an Auto Backup Transfer.

Electric Home Backup Generators, commonly referred to as generators and also called auxiliary power units (APUs). Are utilized to power critical everyday services such as heating and air conditioning equipment, refrigerators, dishwashers, water heaters, and some industrial equipment. It is essentially the backup of your power line when main power fails.

For larger style homes 3000 sq feet or more you will need at least a 25000 watt generator to run the whole house properly. You can also expect to pay $15,000 or more.

home back up generator cost

4.Home Backup Generator Cost-Is a whole house backup generator worth it?

Whole house and half houses are generally considered the most cost effective and reliable way to provide you with back up power. We get questions a lot asking why not purchase a whole house generator.

The answer to this question really depends on the amount of power you need. It is also important to understand the amount of power that will be generated by the back up generator. Typically a home generator is designed for 6000 watts or more of back up power and that can range from 30 to 60 amps in the common home size generator.

These types of generators require an electrical generator panel to operate safely. Please be sure to hire a qualified electrician or electrician of your choice that is knowledgeable in the care and maintenance of electrical systems.

5.Home Backup Generator Cost-Is there a tax credit for a whole house generator?

Yes, but its not enough to get you to make the purchase.

State and local tax laws govern the purchase and sale of home back up generators. Tax credits for the purchase of a home back up generator may be available in each state depending on local and state laws.

The home back up generator rebate program was set up by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Under this program, a federal income tax credit of up to $4,000 may be available to taxpayers to help defray the cost of a residential home generator (Saving Power Act of 2007). In order to receive a tax credit for the purchase of a home back up generator. The taxpayer must own the generator and install it on a property they own.

6.Does adding a whole house generator increase home value?

Adding a whole house generator to your home may be a good investment for home owners as it offers peace of mind. Knowing that your home can be protected from power loss in any type of emergency. Do you have large generators? It is good to purchase larger or larger engine generators because your total generation may be different when using this type of generator.

How much is it worth your peace of mind? The good news is that with a generator you will not have to pay for any power outages and in turn you won’t be disturbed from your normal home routines. A prolonged period of time because the system is designed to automatically shut off to protect the house from any generator or power failure.

7.How does a generator hook up to your house?

Generally when installing a portable generator to your home follow these steps:

Outlet of your refrigerator in the kitchen or out of it, put in the outlet on the outside wall facing away from the house. It is better to use one with built in surge protectors; this is know as a L-14 30r type plug to feed the generator panel.

The generator outlet then goes to the side of the manual transfer switch. The other side of the transfer switch will come from the utility so that you can not use both at once.

Electrician License Is Needed for installation and home backup generator cost.

8.How do I calculate what size generator I need?

First you need to understand the amount of money you will use to operate the generator if you have a normal house or commercial area. Let’s say you use your generator to run your furnace for 10-12 hours a day (2-4 hours a day in the winter) You will need to buy 3 to 4 hours worth of fuel at a cost of 10 cents a gallon or about a buck an hour to operate your generator. This is about $120 to $250 in fuel a year. If you go 10 hours a day instead of 2-4 hours you need to buy. About 1 gallon more gas at about 10 cents a gallon or about 20 dollars more a year. If you need to run the furnace longer you will also need more fuel so you can see how the numbers work out.

This will greatly affect the size generator you will need with the size fuel tank. Always check fuel tank run times under load.

9.How long can you run a whole house generator?

The main consideration on this is with a propane generator, the capacity of the propane tank that it will burn for fuel can be calculated from the gas weight. A 150 gallons a month propane sized tank will hold enough propane for 12 hours of continuous operation. Once the tank is at about one quarter full the machine will be full of fuel and the propane will burn for less hours.

A diesel generator provides continuous power for about 24 hours before it needs to be refueled. Depending on the size of the tank for home backup generator cost.

Natural gas generators provide about 72 hours of continuous power. Or indefinite is you are hooked to a city main.

A gasoline generator runs continually for about 8 hours. You can refuel it and run it continuously for three to six hours but there’s a definite stopping point.

10.What is the quietest home generator?

There are a couple of different levels of quiet. If you want the most power with the least noise and vibrations you will want the lowest power you can get. Although the generators are easier to maintain, they are usually noisy. An example would be a 12kW generator. These will cost around $5000 to $6000. If you are interested in a generator which is quiet, you might look at a 7kW portable model which is more than adequate for most purposes and costs less. However, these types of generators are less durable as they usually do not withstand the testing required to be called.

When comparing generators, it is important to keep in mind that bigger isn’t necessarily better. As we have discussed, bigger does not necessarily mean better. As a general rule the most quiet generators run off propane.

11.How long does it take to get a generator installed?

A complete generator installed of the permanent type usually takes an electrician about a days labor. This can get held up depending if they are waiting for the utility company to disconnect or reconnect power to finish up the transfer switch.

Home owners need to educate themselves in the business of home backups because its really easy to get scammed. Because you can be sure a lot of companies will pretend to offer you a low price for a home backup power supply and deliver a low quality product.

So if you are interested in having a home back up generator for your home then be sure you know the key facts that will protect you and your family from potential hazards from unplanned power interruptions.

12.Do I need a special extension cord for a generator?

There is an extension cord specifically used for gasoline generators. We prefer to use a higher quality heavy duty extension cord from Lowe’s. You may choose to use just regular (thin) extension cords to hook up to the generator.

Since generators have to be serviced every year or so. They need to be able to be plugged in and checked.

Different types of generators and appliances require different types of extension cords. A gasoline portable generator (where you run a cord from the engine to a larger receptacle in your home) requires an extension cord to connect the generator to the house. Look for the 30 amp cord.

More on Generator cords …….

13.Can I install a generator transfer switch myself?

No. The electricians that work with home electricity in your state will have to do this installation for you. Generally, a local electrician should be able to tell you if you can. Have done this at your home for yourself. If you don’t want to use a local electrician, here are some tips on how to go about installation of a transfer switch on your own.

14.Can you plug a generator into a house outlet?

If yes then its probably not a good idea to consider purchasing a portable generator. Just about all portable generators will only work if you can plug it in.

What you need to know is that there are portable generators that plug into a normal 110 volt. Your should run these on separate extension cords and not hook then into your electrical system.

What kind of fuel do portable generators run on for home backup generator cost?

Most portable generators run on either natural gas or liquid propane. Propane generators run best on propane.

What is a generator oil type and how will it affect my generator?

A generator oil type is the type of oil your portable generator. Will use to lubricate the internal components of the generator.