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[Allegheny]

We purchased a Koehler generator two years and are very happy we finally decided to make the purchase.  Our power goes out occasionally. When it does it can be out for quite some time.  This is mainily because alot of lines in our area are in heavily wooded areas.

Generators can be expensive, but it depends on what you want.  We paid approximately $8000. We already have natural gas in our home, so that made our install much cheaper.  We wanted a unit powerful enough to operate everything.

One does not need to have their entire house covered, smaller sizes are available.

[AuntG]

There is a commercial on TV in our area that says you can get one for $5000. If I actually believed we could get one completely installed for that, I might consider it.

[shoesnbags]

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@AuntG wrote:

There is a commercial on TV in our area that says you can get one for $5000. If I actually believed we could get one completely installed for that, I might consider it.

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@AuntG 

Why not just call them to come out and give you an estimate?  As someone said upthread, you don't have to power the entire house if expense is an issue.  But be sure to ask about additional fees for plumbing work, inspections, etc., not just the cost of the generator.

Having said that, we have a Generac whole house generator that is powered by a natural gas line.  Living in hurricane country it's gotten to be almost a necessity as climate change is making weather events more frequent and stronger.  After Hurricane Ida last August, our generator ran for 11 straight days before our power was restored.  That generator has been worth every penny because my husband is no longer up to handling everything that goes with a portable generator.

[Trailrun23]

You will be so thankful you purchased it, if and when you need it. 

[RedTop]

@AuntG 

Powering the heating system in your home is the main criteria for determining the size generator you need.   

We have a 3 ton heat pump, heating about 1800 sq ft, 3 refrigerators and a freezer which required a larger unit.  A home with electric baseboard heat, 1 refrigerator and small chest freezer could get by with a much smaller generator.

When our power goes out and we go on generator power, we unplug all lamps, fans, small appliances, and bedroom TV's, as the generator supplies power to everything you have plugged in whether it is in use or not.  Even tho the generator is able to handle it, we do not have lights on in every room of the house, I don't do laundry, or use the oven on the stove.   

In the winter, if the generator is running and someone needs to shower, we have to reduce the heat setting on the thermostat to keep the heat pump from turning on while the hot water heater is on supplying water for the shower.  The heat pump and the water heater pull the most amps which will pull a large amount of propane at one time, overloading the generator,  causing the safety switch to kick in and shut the generator down to protect it.