Things to keep in mind when it’s time to install your residential generator in Chico and surrounding areas
As a home owner, it’s in your best interest to recognize the importance of having a standby generator. If for whatever reason, you’re still contemplating, here are 5 fun facts about permanent generators that you may or may not know.
Standby generators provide a peace of mind, they are tied into your buildings electrical system and more than anything else they give you power when you have none. Now that you’ve realized the importance of having a standby generator the time now comes to figure out where the best place to install your generator is. Here are few tips to figure out where the best place to install your generator is.
- Electrical distance: Since standby generators require being connected to your homes electrical system it makes sense that your portable generator should be connected somewhat close to your home so that you cut down on unnecessary electrical wiring. Also, the further away the generator is from your home the more chances there are for the voltage to drop. If having your generator next to your home is not an option, there are ways to maintain the voltage but requires different wiring – it all essentially depends on the carrying capacity of electrical wires.
- Physical Distance: Aside from the fact that being close to the home helps with wiring and keeping things neat there are other factors to consider with placement of a generator. Depending on your sensitivity and the type of generator you purchase – it’s important to keep in mind that generators make noise. Higher quality generators like our Kohler units, are pretty quiet, they run about the same noise level as your HVAC unit. There are other brands, lower quality ones, that can potentially be as loud as a lawnmower. Keeping the unit type in mind as well as your own sensitivity to noise is important to remember. Personally, we wouldn’t install a generator right next to a bedroom, or an area in which people spend a lot of time gathering – installing it near the garage however, might be a more realistic location.
- Fire Production Codes: Your contractor should be aware of these facts, but if for some reason you attempt to install your standby generator yourself (not recommended) please remember fire safety codes which requires your generator at least 5 feet away from openings in walls such as doors and windows and at least 5 feet away from combustible walls (aka any wall) so as a general rule it’s probably better to install your standby generator at least 5 feet away from your house. Better safe than sorry right?
- Air flow: Wherever you end up installing your standby generator it’s important to remember that like a lot of equipment, generators produce a lot of heat so you want to make sure there’s enough room around the generator to allow for airflow. Due to airflow issues and heat, remember that you do not want to locate your generator someplace that could cause harm for instance inside your garage, a small shed, or any other small confined spaces. A lot of people intuitively want to decorate their generator by planting bushes that hide it; we don’t recommend that and again remind you to consider installing your generator at least 5 feet away from most items.
These are just a few of our suggestions on where you might want to install a generator, really they are more suggestions of things to keep in mind when trying to figure out the best spot around your home or property to install a generator. We always recommend utilizing a professional for standby generators, as they do require electrical work. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call and ask.
Norcal Electric & Pump Work is Chico, Paradise, Oroville/Yankee Hill and Northern California’s one-stop-shop for all your Electrical and custom construction project needs. From Generator sales and repairs to HVAC sales and repairs – we’re here for you every step of the way. We pride ourselves on going above and beyond to provide our customers with practical solutions for their Electrical needs. Please give us a call today at one of the following numbers and we’d be more than happy to take care of whatever you need from generators, heating and air, electrical and lighting, and more!
- Chico: (530) 345-5003
- Paradise: (530) 872-3922
- Oroville/Yankee Hill (530) 538-9350
