Standby generators in Northwest Arkansas: what to think about before you buy

In Northwest Arkansas the power does not go out often, but when it does it tends to go out for a while. An ice storm, a line of summer thunderstorms, a tree on a line. The freezer warms up, the furnace blower stops, and the sump pump is not pumping. That is when people start looking at generators.

Craine’s is a Generac Authorized Dealer, so this is something they talk about with customers. This post is the general picture: how these systems work and what to decide before you shop. For anything specific to your house, the answer comes after someone has looked at it.

Standby versus portable

A portable generator sits in the garage until you need it. You roll it outside, fuel it by hand, start it, and run extension cords or a dedicated inlet to what you want powered. It is cheaper to start with and more work when the lights are out.

A standby generator is installed permanently outside the house, on its own pad, connected to a fuel supply and to your electrical system. When the utility power drops, it senses that and starts on its own. When the power comes back, it shuts itself down. Nobody has to be home.

The transfer switch is the important part

The piece that makes a standby system safe is the transfer switch. It disconnects your house from the utility line before the generator feeds it. Without that separation, power from the generator can travel back out along the utility line, and lineworkers repairing that line can be hurt. This is why connecting a generator to a house by any improvised method is dangerous, and why the connection should be made by an electrician.

It is also the reason a standby installation is electrical work first and equipment second.

Decide what you need to keep running

Before you look at any model, write down what has to stay on during an outage. The list is more useful than any brochure.

• Refrigerator and freezer, so the food does not spoil.
• Heat, including the furnace blower and any controls it needs.
• Sump pump or well pump, if you have either.
• Medical equipment, if anyone in the house relies on it.
• Internet and phones, if you work from home.
• Air conditioning, if summer outages are your worry.
• Garage door opener and lights, so you can get in and out.

Some people want the whole house on. Others want a handful of essential circuits. That choice shapes everything else about the system, and it is the first question we will ask. We will go through sizing for your house on a site visit, not from a chart.

Fuel and placement

A standby unit runs on fuel supplied to it, commonly natural gas or propane. Which one suits you depends on what is already at your property and what is practical to run to the unit. Ask what each choice means for ongoing supply during a long outage.

Placement matters too. The unit needs room to breathe, access for service, a stable pad, and a location that does not send exhaust or noise into the wrong place. The manufacturer and local requirements set the limits on how close it can sit to the house, so we walk the property with you instead of guessing from a photo.

Questions to ask any dealer

• What will this system run, and what will it not run, in my house?
• Where will the unit go, and what does that do to the fuel line and wiring runs?
• What is covered in the quote: unit, transfer switch, pad, wiring, fuel connection, startup?
• Who installs it, and who do I call when it needs service?
• What happens during a long outage if the fuel supply is a concern?
• Are there financing options?

A dealer who answers these in plain language, with the numbers written down, is the kind you want. Craine’s works with Synchrony Financial for customers who want to see if they qualify for financing, and we can point you there.

Why an electrical contractor makes sense here

Craine’s is also an Eaton Certified Electrical Contractor, and has been wiring homes and businesses in this region since 1991. The generator itself is one product. The tie-in to your panel, the transfer switch and the circuits it feeds are the work an electrician does every day. That is the part that decides whether the system behaves the way you expect on the night you need it.

If you are thinking about a standby generator, call (479) 750-1672 in Northwest Arkansas or (417) 952-0828 in Southern Missouri, Monday to Thursday, 8 to 5. We will talk through what you want running and give you a free, fair and honest quote with no strings attached. Prices and sizing come with that visit, not before it.