When the first big snow of the season hits, the power does not always stay on. Heavy, wet snow early in the season weighs down trees until they come down on power lines, and homes in Black Forest and Monument tend to feel it the most. A generator connected through a properly installed transfer switch can keep the important parts of your home running until the lines are repaired.
Why Early-Season Storms Knock Out Power
Winter storms are common here, and some of the most damaging ones arrive at the beginning of the season, when temperatures are not as low. That snow is heavy and wet. It brings down trees and branches, and those trees can damage power lines and the electrical systems attached to homes. Our team sees this most often in areas like Black Forest and Monument.
Portable or Standby: Which Generator Is Right for You?
The honest answer is that it depends on your needs and concerns. A portable generator powers only the items connected directly to it. A standby generator automatically switches your home’s power source when the utility power goes out. Standby is a bigger investment, but it can give you peace of mind because the switch happens on its own. The Electric Way does not sell or install generators. Once you have chosen one, our team installs the transfer switch and the connection so it powers your home safely.
What a Transfer Switch Does
A transfer switch allows a portion of your home’s power to switch from being fed by your electrical panel to a backup source, such as a generator. It is also a safety device. According to the Electrical Safety Foundation International, a transfer switch prevents backfeeding, which happens when a generator becomes a power source for the surrounding area. Backfeeding can damage your home and your neighbor’s home and injure the workers repairing the lines. A generator should never be plugged directly into your home. Our electrical installation team installs the transfer switch and connects your generator to it so your backup power works safely when you need it.
A Transfer Switch That Paid Off Within Weeks
One Electric Way customer had us install a transfer switch for his backup generator. Within a couple of weeks of the installation, a large tree fell in his backyard and took down the nearby power lines. His generator kept power running to the important parts of his home while the lines were being repaired.
Generator Safety Basics
However you set up backup power, a few rules from the Electrical Safety Foundation International apply every time:
- Keep generators at least 20 feet away from your home.
- Never run a generator in an enclosed space, including a garage.
- Install carbon monoxide alarms outside each sleeping area and on every level of your home.
Plan Before the First Storm
The best time to set up backup power is before you need it. It is also a good time to consider whole-home surge protection, which guards your panel, appliances, and electronics. If a storm damages part of your electrical system, our 24-hour emergency service is ready to help. As a family-owned electrician in Colorado Springs, we want your home ready before the snow flies.
Backup Power FAQs
What is a generator transfer switch?
A transfer switch allows a portion of your home’s power to switch from being fed by your electrical panel to a backup source, such as a generator. It is the safe way to connect a generator to your home’s electrical system.
Does The Electric Way install generators?
No. We install the transfer switch and the connection that let a generator you have purchased power your home safely. That works with either a portable or a standby generator.
Should I get a portable or standby generator?
It depends on your needs. A portable generator powers only the items connected directly to it. A standby generator switches your power source automatically. Standby is a bigger investment, but it can give you peace of mind.
Can I plug a generator into an outlet in my home?
No. Plugging a generator directly into your home can backfeed power into the lines, which can damage your home and your neighbors’ homes and injure the workers repairing the lines. A transfer switch prevents backfeeding.
Which areas lose power most often in winter?
Our team sees storm-related outages most often in areas like Black Forest and Monument, where heavy, wet snow early in the season brings trees down onto power lines.
Contact us for a free estimate, and let us get your transfer switch in place before the next storm.
