Portable generator.
Portable generator.

A portable generator can be used to run a few lights and an appliance, like a refrigerator, as long as it doesn’t use a lot of electricity.

A portable generator is not meant to power your central heating or cooling system, other items that draw a substantial amount of power, or circuits in your home.

Whole house standby generator.
Whole house standby generator.

To power heavy loads and the circuits in your home, you will need a standby generator, which cuts on automatically when the electricity goes out, and turns off when the power comes back on.

Watch this video to find out more.

Further Information

VIDEO TRANSCRIPT
Danny Lipford: People often want to know if a portable generator is sufficient to power their homes during a power outage. If you only want to power a few lights, small appliances, and maybe a refrigerator—the answer is yes. But to also energize a central air conditioning system, furnace blower, and most other circuits; you’ll want a standby generator.

Besides usually having more capacity, a standby generator is also wired into your home and will automatically turn itself on when the power goes out. So you don’t have to spend time fueling it, starting it, and running a lot of extension cords. And when the power comes back online, it shuts itself off automatically and switches you back over to the utility like nothing ever happened.

Editorial Contributors
avatar for Danny Lipford

Danny Lipford

Founder

Danny Lipford is a home improvement expert and television personality who started his remodeling business, Lipford Construction, at the age of 21 in Mobile, Alabama. He gained national recognition as the host of the nationally syndicated television show, Today's Homeowner with Danny Lipford, which started as a small cable show in Mobile. Danny's expertise in home improvement has also led him to be a contributor to popular magazines and websites and the go-to source for advice on everything related to the home. He has made over 200 national television appearances and served as the home improvement expert for CBS's The Early Show and The Weather Channel for over a decade. Danny is also the founder of 3 Echoes Content Studio, TodaysHomeowner.com, and Checking In With Chelsea, a décor and lifestyle blog.

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