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Hurricane force winds have the power to damage many things, including the electric infrastructure powering your home or business. One way to strengthen your property against an extended power outage is to purchase a natural gas powered standby generator. If you’re trying to decide if a standby generator is right for you, consider this information from the City of Tallahassee’s Natural Gas Utility.

How does a standby generator work?

Standby generators are designed to automatically provide electricity to your home or business during a power outage. The standby generator’s automatic system constantly monitors utility power 24/7. When it detects a service issue, the automatic transfer switch (ATS) will safely disconnect the utility service provider’s power and connect to the generator’s power. This design eliminates the harmful back-feeding of electricity. Standby generators continue to monitor utility power and will reverse the switch when the power outage ends. Unlike a portable generator, the transfer switch is completely automated; you do not need to activate any switches. Because standby generators run on natural gas (or propane in areas without natural gas service), you don’t need to find and transport gasoline to power the unit.

Most standby generators are designed to exercise themselves once a week, a function that can be set/adjusted. During this exercise period (approximately twelve minutes), the engine is lubricated, the battery charged and a diagnostics check is run. Some manufacturers offer diagnostic reporting inside the home or business to alert you to any potential programs associated with the standby generator’s operation.

What is the difference between standby and portable generators?

Standby generators are permanently installed at your home or business and automatically supply electricity to your property or selected circuits during a power outage. Portable generators supply electricity to selected appliances through extension cords and are typically fueled by gasoline, which can be difficult to obtain, store and transport during an emergency situation. Carbon monoxide is always a concern in the safe use of portable gasoline powered generators, as are the weather conditions in which you must operate in order to