Whole Home or Select Circuit: What’s the Difference?
It’s never a good thing when our homes lose power. However, having a backup generator can help you keep the lights on even when everyone else on the street is in the dark. If you’re looking for one for your home, chances are you’re trying to decide whether you want to configure a whole home or select circuit generator system. Both provide backup power, but what’s the difference between the two?
Whole Home Systems
A whole home generator is pretty much exactly what it sounds like. This type of backup system includes a generator with enough electricity-generating capacity to back up the electrical service for all of the breaker panels in your house. This means that when the power goes out, the whole home system will kick on and power up everything within your home. Once it does, it will seem as through you haven’t lost power at all and you will be able to go about your day as you normally would.
Select Circuit Systems
As for a select circuit, that involves having a generator attached to only the circuits you would need most if an outage occurred. These systems work by connecting the generator to a breaker panel with a 100- or 200-amp automatic transfer switch. When the system detects a loss of power, these select breakers are then powered back up by the generator. This type of system is perfect for anyone who realizes outages are normally temporary but want to keep the essentials, such as heat, targeted lighting and kitchen appliances running during the down time.
Pricing a System
Pricing for these different backup systems varies for two different reasons. Whole home systems are priced out by the size of the home they will be serving. Larger homes with a higher power demand will require a more powerful system. Select circuit systems, on the other hand, don’t need to provide complete power, but instead targeted electricity, which means that these systems have a more adaptable price that is based on how many distinct breakers will be served by the backup system.
If you’re interested in getting a backup generator system installed for your home, GenTech Generators can help. For more information or to have a system installed, contact us at 301-469-7800 or visit us online for more information today!