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.

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.

• Hurricane Ike
• Generac Power Systems
• Kohler Power