The sunshine and warm temperatures are finally here!
Summer is on the horizon, making way for cottage season.
After a long winter, for the cottages that aren’t year round, we look forward to opening the cottage back up again. Watching the sunrise as you sit on the dock with a coffee. Watching the boats speed around the lake.
Even thunderstorms are that much more enjoyable up north.
But, what about when the power goes out?
There once was a time where this may have been a slight annoyance, if even that. But now, with more cottages relying on electric-powered water and septic pumps, a power outage could pose some problems.
A solution to this problem? A back-up generator.
Let’s take a look at a few types of backup generators that you could use at your cottage.
Portable Generators
A portable generator is the easiest and cheapest way to have backup power. You can easily find them at any Canadian Tire or Walmart for a good price. A gasoline, diesel or propane powered engine creates electricity for backup power during outages. There are a variety of models available, some that produce 120 volts only or some that generate a combination of 120 and 240 volts.
For reference, a 1200 watt portable generator can power a microwave or a small water pump, one device at a time. Typically, a 10,000 watt portable generator can run everything in a cottage simultaneously.
Inverter Generators
Inverter generators are as easy to move around as portable generators. The main difference is that inverter gens are a lot quieter and more fuel efficient than portable generators. Inverters are powered by gasoline only and will slow down or speed up depending on how much energy you’re using, which is fuel-efficient. Inverters can be a bit more expensive and don’t have a varied size range, like their portable counterparts.
Standby Generators
Portable and inverter generators can be moved and transportable, whereas a standby generator is wired to your cottage. If your cottage is accessible year-round, this may be a viable option for you. Standby generators are at the ready whenever the power goes out. For convenience and durability, standby generators are a great option, however they are a lot more expensive than inverters or portables.
Typically, the average cost for a standby generator is around $3500, plus around $3000 for installation. Standby generators are great because they use propane or natural gas, which never goes stale, unlike gas and diesel.
When You Get Home From The Cottage, Call Us
While we don’t refuel cottage generators, Brown’s Fuels provides generator refueling and emergency services for commercial purposes. We take care of your generator refueling needs while you’re at week, so you can fully enjoy the cottage on the weekend.
If you want to know more about our services, give us a call at 1.888.542.7799 or send us a message online.
Cheers to the start of cottage season!