How Do Generators Work to Keep You Safe & Comfortable?

If you’ve ever lost power in a bad storm, you know how important it is to have a backup source of power. Generators are a great choice, and can be used in both home and commercial buildings.

If you’ve ever lost power in a bad storm, you know how important it is to have a backup source of power. Generators are a great choice, and can be used in both home and commercial buildings.

Have you ever wondered what, exactly, happens when the power goes off? How does a generator work to keep you safe and comfortable during an outage?

Those are great questions! Here’s what you need to know about what’s going on inside your generator.

It Starts With Fuel

All generators need some kind of fuel to power their engines. A portable generator requires you to store gasoline in your garage at all times to be ready for an emergency. Unfortunately, that can be dangerous.

You might choose a different type of generator, especially if you have a business or commercial building. This is called a standby generator, and it uses either natural gas or propane as a power source. Instead of storing large amounts of fuel on your property, you connect to the gas line that already exists from the public utility in your area.

If you have a commercial building and require a large generator that runs on diesel fuel, you may need an external fuel tank installed as well.

Manual Start vs. A Transfer Switch

If you have portable generators without a transfer switch, you have to manually start it before you can get power. This generally involves finding a safe place outside to set it up, getting it started, and then running power cords to it.

As you can imagine, this may be difficult or even dangerous in the kind of weather that causes power outages!

On the other hand, you may have an inverter or standby generator that operates with a transfer switch. This system senses when the power stops flowing from the utility into your home or business. Within seconds, the generator turns on and begins to supply power throughout your location.

A transfer switch can also tell when the utility power has been restored, and automatically turns of and returns your home or business to regular power.

Your Generator’s Engine

Inside the generator, the engine runs to create energy. This energy is transmitted to an alternator, just as it would be in a car or truck. As the alternator’s rotor spins, electricity is created.

A voltage regulator in the engine helps ensure that the electricity passed on to your appliances or other needs doesn’t cause the generator itself to shut down. The regulator helps ensure that generators produce the power output promised by the manufacturer.

Do You Have the Generators You Need?

Are you ready when the next power outage strikes? Whether you choose a home or commercial standby unit or a portable option, everyone needs generators in case there’s an emergency.

At Northside Power, we can help you pick out exactly the unit you need. We’ll assess your energy usage and recommend the appropriate brand, style, and size.

If you want to make sure you’re safe and protected during the next outage, contact us today!