You may remember a little thing called Hurricane Isaac that swept through the Gulf coast back in August. Well I can, with much thanks, say that hurricane season is almost over, and we are pretty much in the clear for another year. There were a lot of scary thoughts going through my head before and during the storm. What if a tree falls on our house? What if we flood? And a big one, what if we lose power for several days? While for my particular family losing power wouldn’t be life threatening like it is for some people who rely on refrigeration and power for medical situations, it was still a scary thought.
Wondering if you will run out of food because you lose everything in the refrigerator. Wondering how you will sleep because it’s 100 degrees outside, and wondering how you will get in touch with family members to check on everyone when you can’t plug in your cell phone. (Or, if you are just obssessed with your cell phone mike me). Also for someone like me who works from home with the assistance of a computer, the thought of being out of work for several days or even weeks is not something I want to have to worry with. It would be nice to be able to rest easy and know that even in this kind of situation, we would be covered.
Thankfully, there IS a solution, and it’s never too early to start planning for next summer. Have you ever heard of a residential standby generator? Kohler makes them, and they are pretty sweet!
Most people have heard of portable generators. These are the kind I am used to, growing up in hurricane country. They run off of gasoline (not very safe!) and must be used outdoors due to fumes and carbon monoxide poisoning. Having to set your alarm clock to get up and refill it with gas is not fun either. Also you must plug the things you want powered directly into the generator, with cords running through your house. This works, but it’s just a temporary solution and is not ideal.
In contrast, a residential standby generator permanently connects to the house (think air conditioning unit) and it runs on propane or natural gas, connecting directly into your existing fuel lines. Sweet! My favorite part is, when you lose power, it automatically kicks on after about ten seconds, and you don’t even have to be home for it to come on and work.
Want to know more about how it works? Check out this video for information.
Also, here are some key things to look for in a generator (Kohler offers all these things!)
A commercial-grade engine that provides clean, consistent power and can handle heavy loads.
·An attractive design. The unit will be installed outside your home, so looks truly matter.
·Corrosion-resistant housing, which is important in areas with salt water.
·Quiet operation.
·An extended warranty. Look for a standby generator with a minimum five-year warranty.
Remember that you are always just one storm away from a power outage, so don’t be caught without a plan. Kohler makes it easy to price and research these generators, so go take a look! #KohlerPower
QOTD: HAve you ever used a generator? Did you even know one like this existed?
FitFluential LLC compensated me for this Campaign.
All opinions are my own;
Ami G says
We live in the Houston area and were without power for five days after Hurricane Ike. We installed a whole house generator last year. We did not use Kohler but chose a different manufacturer. We purchased a generator with a transfer switch so that it will come on automatically when the power goes out. This may be an option with the Kohler also….it is well worth it as it means you do not have to wait for the storm to pas before you can have power. I always breathe a big sigh of relief when hurricane season ends!
Courtney @ Journey of a Dreamer says
I grew up in florida and this would have been great through hurricane season!
Annie says
I love that it kicks on automatically! In a storm you don’t want to have to worry about finding and turning on a generator.
Heather says
Exactly!