A Generator for your Home is a Wise Investment

A whole house generator can increase your home’s value. In today’s heated housing market, it could mean the difference between the sale of your house or the sale of the house down the block. A whole house generator can increase your property value and provide you with total peace of mind during a potentially disruptive power outage. Don’t be left in the dark during the next power outage!

In this post, we’ll walk you through all the basics of a whole house generator.

What is a Whole House Generator?

A whole house generator is installed outside of your home like an HVAC unit would be. It’s much larger and more powerful than a typical standby generator. It’s connected directly to the electrical channel of your house and can be powered by either diesel, liquid propane or natural gas. 

A whole house generator can keep your entire home running even during an extended outage. On Vancouver Island, the weather can be unpredictable, with high winds, torrential rain and even the occasional heavy snowfall. Because the climate is mild most of the time, the vast majority of Vancouver Islanders are underprepared or unprepared for a power outage.

Do you remember the December 2018 windstorm? More than 260,000 Vancouver Island residents were without power for days, or even weeks in some cases. It was a disaster and one that BC Hydro has said was the worst in its history. Those who had standby generators were able to power on major appliances or a few lights in their homes. Meanwhile, many of those without standby generators were dismayed to find that stores were completely sold out. It was a stressful and upsetting time for many families.

Now imagine having a whole house generator always ready to go. You’d never have to worry about losing power again!  Like others, you may already have a small portable generator. Maybe you’re one of many who bought one after that big outage in 2018. While portable generators are useful for keeping one or two appliances running for a short period of time, there’s nothing like a powerful whole house generator for keeping your entire home running smoothly.

How a Whole House Generator Can Increase Your Home’s Value

Now for the big question – will a whole home generator add value to your home? Yes. A whole house generator is a very smart investment. It can:

• Lower your insurance rates
• Make it faster and easier to sell your home
• Save money by preventing losses caused by a power outage
• Provide a solid return on investment

According to Generator Advisor, Consumer Reports reported that in some cases, your home’s value can increase by 3% to 5% after installing a whole house generator. According to Builder Online, in a 2018 Cost Vs. Value Report done by Remodeling Magazine, a $12,860 (USD) generator increases resale value by $6,940. This means you’d recoup about 54% of your investment.

Do I Need a Whole House Generator?

In an emergency where the power is out for days, you run the risk of losing all the contents of your fridge and freezer. You also risk running out of running water if your home relies on a well system, since the pump would be non-operational. With a whole house generator, you can keep all the necessary power functions of your home running strong, and even a few creature comforts depending on the size of the generator.

Other than storms, there are a few different scenarios when your home and surrounding area may lose power:

• Blown transformer
• Hydro equipment failure
• Fire
• Flood
• Earthquake
• Other natural disasters
• Fallen powerline
• Construction mishap

How Much Generator Do I Need?

The size and power requirements vary depending on the size of the house and what your individual needs are. If you’re looking for a generator that can provide coverage only for essential circuits, a generator with a small load capacity would work just fine. If you’re looking for full house coverage with maximum load capacity, you’d need a larger generator.
*Note: always check your local bylaws regarding the installation and operation of generators.

Some of our clients prefer to power the entire house, while others prioritize things like the fridge, freezer, hot water tank, sump pump and other bare necessities.

Consider Your Home-Based Business

If you run a home-based business or work from home, a whole house generator is an especially sound investment. This will ensure that your office equipment and other necessary equipment continues to work during a power failure. This can prevent loss due to circumstances that you can’t control, like a harsh winter storm or a failure of the power grid. Software engineers, dentists, lawyers and financial investors are just a few examples of professionals who may work from home and could incur costly losses if the power went out at their home-based business. For them, an outage can result in cancelled appointments, equipment malfunctions, lost time and of course, lost income.

At Kobalt Systems, our experts will work with you to determine what will work best for your needs. In the meantime, you can estimate the size of whole house generator you’d need using this simple formula:

• Add the total watts to see how much power your home will use during an outage

• Multiply the total watts by 1000 to find the kilowatts

• Multiply the kilowatts by 1.25 to add a buffer and account for any future power needs

The answer will be the minimum generator capacity needed for your house

Investing in a Whole Home Generator from Kobalt Systems

At Kobalt Systems, we know that purchasing a whole house generator is a big investment. This is why our electrical experts are behind you every step of the way. From choosing the best option for your home to the final installation and periodic maintenance, you’ll be able to rely on Kobalt Systems for every aspect of your new generator.

When installing generators, we go the extra mile to weatherproof them by replacing all the surface screws with stainless steel screws. This helps to prevent rust and corrosion caused by the salty west coast air. The generators are also designed with a corrosion-proof enclosure. We pay special attention to all these details, so you don’t have to worry.

Whole house generators can increase your home’s value and give you peace of mind. You can choose to power the basic appliances or choose a generator to power all your favourite creature comforts. At Kobalt Systems, we supply and install top-quality generators in Victoria and surrounding areas as well as provide annual inspections to keep them running perfectly. With expert installation and servicing, you’ll have total peace of mind with Kobalt Systems. Contact our team today to discover the best whole house generator solution for your specific needs.