Adding a Whole-House Propane Generator

Written on: January 31, 2022

…And Why You Should Trust Pico to Help with Installation!

As many of us know all too well, a bad thunderstorm can down lines and knock out electricity in a snap, and more frequent extreme and unpredictable weather can leave you without power for days. Thankfully, a backup propane generator comes on within seconds of a power failure to keep your lights, your refrigerator, and other systems running until the utilities get the lines back up.

While portable generators are less expensive out of the box, they can cost you a lot more in the long run. Just keeping it full during an extended outage will add up quickly—not to mention potentially having to wait on long lines for more fuel.

Here are three smart reasons why a whole-house generator is a better value.

1. It Will Save You Money

A power outage lasting anything more than an hour or two can quickly shift from inconvenience to crisis—and an expensive one, too. A whole-house propane generator will help you save money, even before the power goes out:

• Lower home insurance costs. Many insurance plans will offer discounts on your homeowner’s insurance plan if you install a standby generator. That’s because, like a security system, a generator helps better protect your property.
• Keeping your food cold. Refrigerated food can start to go bad after only four hours without power. And that’s if you don’t open the fridge. Frozen food can last a little longer. With a standby generator, your food is safe—and you don’t have to worry about lines at stores to get supplies.
• During an extended outage, “camping” at home stops being “fun” quickly. The cost of a hotel room—if you can find one—is another expense you avoid with a standby generator.
• If the outage leads to frozen and burst pipes, the repairs can cost up to $10,000—or more. And you may also need to remediate mold if there’s extensive water damage. A whole-house generator can prevent those expenses.

2. Peace of Mind is Priceless

With a standby generator, as soon as the power from the grid goes out, your unit turns on automatically. You’ll have the peace of mind of knowing that your home and loved ones will be safe, even if you aren’t home when the power goes out.

• Security systems protect your property even if no one is home.
• Medical equipment keeps running.
• Heat or air conditioning, water, lights, stove and refrigerator mean you can shelter in place.

And, with a portable generator, someone strong needs to wrestle the unit out of the garage and get it set up and started, while messing with fuel, possibly in the dark or in treacherous conditions.

3. It Will Boost the Value of Your Home

According to Consumer Reports, a properly installed whole-house generator can increase the value of your home by as much as 5%. That’s a great return on your investment, even before you even need to use it.

The Bottom Line

Here in Central North Carolina, we get plenty of thunderstorms in summer, along with some stray hurricanes, as well as a fair share of ice and snow in winter. And we’ve even seen a few tornadoes in recent years. Adding a backup propane generator is a power move when it comes to protecting your family and your home.

With nearly 20 years serving Chatham County and surrounding areas, the pros at Pico Propane have the experience and training to install your generator correctly and connect the lines to your propane tank, so it powers up your home without damaging your home’s electronic equipment or appliances. And Pico can provide you with safe and reliable propane delivery all year long, too! Contact us today for more information.