Norfolk Generator Sales & Service
Take a minute to think about all the things you use in your daily life that require electricity to work. You need a computer to write that report, plus a WiFi router to browse the internet for all the information within. You can still place calls without access to electricity, but only for so long before your phone’s battery dwindles down to nothing. And of course, just try cooking a meal when your oven is unplugged and the fridge has been shut down. Electricity is ubiquitous to modern life, but most people are just one bad storm or, worse, one strong gust of wind away from having to go without it for hours, days, or even months in a significant disaster.
A generator is a good investment for anyone that lives in a high risk area. With a home standby or a home transfer system, you’ll be able to keep your home or your business running even when your connection to the power grid is severed. Be it a major outage or just a small hiccup in the lines, a generator is a handy way to make sure you’re never without the power you need.
Transfer Switches
Now, you might think that you can just buy a generator, find some extension cords, plug everything in, and get on with your life. Unfortunately, you’d also be wrong; dead wrong, in fact. It goes without saying that electricity is one of the most dangerous forces on the planet, and because of this, there are many safety procedures involved in hooking up a generator to your home. For a wired in back up generator, it is mandated by law that it be connected to your house via a transfer switch. These switches are designed to control the flow of electricity to your house, to make it so that you are not simultaneously receiving from the local utility lines and the generator. The overall purpose is to keep keep the generator from back feeding the utility lines, which would otherwise cause a power surge and potentially harm utility workers. A lot of models also benefit you by keeping track of how the power is distributed through built in wattage meters, thus ensuring that your appliances and generator are not overloaded with electricity.
Installing a generator is a task that should always be done by a licensed technician. Beyond knowing the National Electric safety codes inside and out, a technician can also identify the model and size of transfer switch your generator needs to match its power capacity. Again, this is dangerous work even for someone who knows exactly what they’re doing, so don’t risk trying to do it yourself!
Nipper Electric is an officially licensed Generac dealer for the Chesapeake, Norfolk, and Virginia Beach areas, and we have the technicians you need to make that generator comply with all relevant safety codes. Furthermore, we’re able to show you how to operate the manual transfer switch and what warning signs to look out for when using your generator. Feel free to call us at 757-296-7176 to schedule an installation, or if you have questions about what kind of generator is best suited to your situation. We’re more than happy to help you find the unit that works best for you!
