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E6: Generators For The Home

Join hosts Aaron and Jonathan as they interview Burt Koenig. Burt is a forty-year veteran of the generator sales and consulting business. The show focuses on installed dedicated standby generator systems for your home.

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This episode we ask:

  • Why do you need a generator?
  • What are the different kinds of generators?
    • What are the different fuel types?
    • Advantages vs Disadvantages of the different fuel types.
    • What do the different fuels cost for the average homeowner?
  • Is a standby generator a realistic DIY project?
  • What is the installation process?
  • Are all generators safe to use to supply power to my computer, TV, and other sensitive electronics?
  • How long will I be without power while a generator switches on?
  • I have a portable generator; is it worth buying a transfer switch for it, or should I consider a fixed whole-house system?
  • To save money, can I pick and choose what in my house is “backed-up” and what is not?
  • What kind of maintenance do different generators require?
  • How long can a generator be operated and how long do they last?
  • When the generator is running, will it be loud?  Will my neighbors complain?
  • When looking at a home or office, what factors should I take into account when determining what generator size and system is right for them?
  • I have an older home; is there anything special I need to consider when installing a generator?
  • Are generators vulnerable to theft like AC units are?
  • I have seen solar generators on TV?  Are they worth looking at?

Plus listener-submitted questions.

Note: Halfway through the show there is a sixty-second gap due to a technical issue. The beginning of the conversation that was cut off was about the power grid as a whole. In summary, Burt explains that as time goes on we will see more brown-outs, blackouts, and cascading power failures. As our  populations grow, we put more and more strain on our rapidly aging power grid. If you have a backup generator you will help take strain off the grid when cascading failures happen, in addition to protecting yourself from the dangers and inconveniences of such events.

Resources:

If you are in the Houston area and would like to contact Burt, you can do so through the form we set up here.

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In his free time, he enjoys hogging the remote, surfing, scotch, mental masturbation and debate over philosophical topics, and shooting stuff--usually not all at the same time.

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