The Benefits Of Having A Generator In The Winter

Posted on September 29, 2025September 29, 2025 by David Cochran

The Benefits Of Having A Generator In The Winter

Over the past few years, we’ve seen generators rise in popularity in the Smyth County and Wytheville area, and with good reason. These systems provide backup power for homes and businesses, allowing you to keep the lights on and the power up and running during a blackout. In the past few years, we’ve seen some storms that have caused millions of dollars in damages, and have kept home and business owners without power for extended periods of time.

I’ve been installing generators for years, ever since we started our business in 2011. We know how important they are, and what they can provide for a home. It’s not just about keeping the lights on. We depend on electricity more than ever, and in this article, I’ll go over the benefits of having a generator in the winter.

If you’d like to speak to one of our experts about backup power and a whole-home generator for your space, give us a call at (276) 690-9222, or contact us online. Our experts can help you choose the right generator that fits your needs!

Why Do You Need A Generator In The Winter?

A generator can be useful any time of year when there is bad weather. In fact, last year, a generator was probably needed more during the hurricane season than at any other time of year. Still, the hardships of losing power in the winter may be even worse than losing power during other times of the year.

Here are some of the most noteworthy benefits of having a generator installed in your home for the winter:

Keeping The Heat On

The most important aspect of having power during the winter is keeping the heat on. The last thing you want to have happen is the power goes out when it’s frigid outside, and makes the space inside cold as well. We’ve heard of homes being without electricity for up to a week, and if it’s a cold week, that could lead to a dangerously cold house.

Most people think about keeping the lights on when the power goes out, but keeping the HVAC system on is likely more important if it’s winter or summer!

Entertainment

When you keep the power on, you are keeping the entertainment on as well, at least electronically. This is more important during the winter, when it’s not as easy to go outside for entertainment. Keeping the lights, wifi, TV, and computers on will help keep you and your family entertained if the power goes out. Can you imagine being stuck inside with a house full of kids with no power and nowhere to go? Keep the family happy, entertained, and warm with a whole home generator!

Staying Connected To Loved Ones

Another important aspect of having power is being able to stay connected with loved ones. That means having operating WIFI, and the ability to keep your phone and devices charged. Checking in on neighbors and family members is important, especially if we have a weather event serious enough to knock out the power.

Staying Safe

A power outage can be more dangerous for some than others. Some homes have occupants that use medical equipment that requires power. It’s also dangerous for certain people to be too cold, and could develop and illness quickly. Even something so basic as being able to see more easily with the lights on is important. We had a homeowner install a generator last year simply because their elderly father tripped and fell when it was too dark during a power outage. For some, keeping the power on means staying safe and healthy.

Not Sure When Power Can Be Restored

During the winter months, it may be more difficult to restore power in a timely manner. Suppose there is a big snowstorm and the power company is having trouble getting to the necessary spots to fix it. This could mean an issue for having the power restored quickly.

We’ve heard of homes in the area that were without power for up to a week in the past. Going a day or two may be fine, but days on end with no indication of when it’s coming back is no way to live. A generator ensures you are taken care of until the power company can get everything squared away!

Installing A Generator In Smyth County, VA

If you want to make sure your home is set up with a generator for this winter, Complete Comfort can help you out! Whether you live in Smyth County, Wytheville, or any of the surrounding neighborhoods, we can set you up with a free generator consultation and estimate. Then, when you decide on the system you like for your home, we can install it and provide regular maintenance for your system!

Give us a call at (276) 690-9222, or contact us online to schedule a consultation! Even if you don’t need to use your generator during the winter, you will have peace of mind knowing that if the power goes out, your home will be warm, lit up, and powered up no matter what!

Generac Generator Installation In Abingdon, VA

Posted on February 10, 2025 by Nate Kiser

Generac Generator Installation In Abingdon, VA

The family in Abingdon VA who live in this lovely, split-level home lost power for 5 days during Hurricane Helene and the historic flooding that occurred in the area. Their generator wasn’t working properly and they called us here at Complete Comfort to see what we could do.

Problem: Generac generator wasn’t working properly- the family lost power for 5 days and didn’t want to have that happen again

Solution: Replace and upgrade generator, to keep the family in power no matter what Mother Nature dishes out.

Extended Power Outages have Big Impacts

Many more homeowners are experiencing extended power outages more than in the past, largely due to more frequent severe weather events coupled by an aging electric grid that seems to break more frequently than ever.

When your power is out for an extended period of time, it’s become more than an inconvenience. Loss of electricity means loss of refrigeration, often meaning a significant loss of food stored in the fridge and freezer, no AC or heat in your home, and of course, it can take out hot water, the ability to do laundry, cooking, and for many people, it impacts their ability to work from home as well.

While a short time without electricity can be charming, as you dine by candlelight, anything more than a few hours becomes expensive and uncomfortable quickly.

When the homeowners in Abingdon lost power for 5 days, it meant replacing all the food in the home that cost them several hundred dollars, and it meant spending several days in a hotel and meals out, which was also an expense the family wasn’t expecting, while they waited for power to be restored. They did have a generator, but it failed, so they gave us a call here at Complete Comfort to see what happened.

Considering A Stand-By Generator? What To Know

Some people consider portable generators in an emergency. Portable generators often require a lot of maintenance and re-fueling, often with gasoline, and must be placed outside. These systems are also loud and not every homeowner wants to deal with setting up and babysitting the portable generator during an emergency.

Unlike portable generators, Stand By Generators like Generac are designed to use propane or natural gas to generate electricity for your home (or part of your home) when the connection to the power grid goes out. The generator will sense the lack of power and turn on, powering the key aspects of your home to keep your home habitable during an emergency, automatically. The systems are self-contained, located outside your home, just like your Air conditioning system or heat pump condenser, and are quiet, especially when compared to portable generators.

Home Stand-by Generators come in different sizes, and every homeowner can choose a generator that works best for them. For example, some people choose a generator that will keep the refrigerator, freezer and HVAC system going, but may not choose to keep other parts of the home electrified. For others, especially those that rely on medical devices or CPAP machines that need electricity to operate, want to make sure other outlets are also powered, to keep them functioning during an extended power outage.

Because generators vary in size and expense, there is a lot of choice in how you want your generator set up.

Standby generators do require maintenance, much like your HVAC system. Generac recommends that you get your generator serviced every 6 months, to check filters, batteries and operation, to make sure the system is ready to run when needed.

Installing A Generac Generator In Marion, VA

Posted on February 3, 2025 by Nate Kiser

Installing A Generac Generator In Marion, VA

This past year we have seen a lot of significant weather events, from hurricanes to snowstorms. Not only has it caused millions of dollars worth of damage, but it also knocked out the power for homes in our area for a significant amount of time. That’s why in the fall of 2024, this Marion, VA homeowner decided they were over the power outages, and wanted to install a new generator in their home.

We have to say, this has been a pretty common call we’ve gotten, as many homes in our area of Virginia have had to deal with this severe weather causing significant power outages. We’ve installed hundreds of generators, and luckily for this homeowner, it was nothing we weren’t used to.

If you live in the Marion, VA area and are thinking about installing a new generator for your home, give Complete Comfort a call at (276) 690-9222, or reach out to us online to schedule a free estimate.

Researching Their New Generator

After deciding they wanted a generator, these homeowners decided to do some research online. It’s what most people do when they are looking to buy something new and expensive. Before they spoke to an expert, they wanted an idea of what they were looking for. After checking out some different brands, they decided to look into a Generac Generator. They went through the Generac website, and decided to submit their name to be contacted by a contractor.

Complete Comfort is a Generac preferred dealer, and after going through the Generac website, they found us! One of our generator experts went out and took a look at their home to choose the RIGHT generator that fit their needs.

Choosing A New Generator

The home in Marion was a beautiful rancher, and one that wasn’t going to require the biggest generator. They wanted something that could power the entire home in case of an outage, and we got them set up with the properly sized Generac Generator.

Not every generator fits every home, and not every home in our area is the same. This is why we measure how much electricity the home will require, and make sure we set our customers up with the right system!

Replacing The Old Electrical Panel

Unfortunately for this homeowner, their electrical panel wasn’t going to be able to handle the generator, and it needed to be replaced. We were able to replace the panel easily, and set them up with the right electrical work that could handle their home’s current electrical needs, the generator, and left them with some capacity for any other additional appliances.
It’s important to have a professional, who is licensed and certified, taking care of these electrical needs. If you are having issues with your electrical panel it can be dangerous, and become a fire hazard if it isn’t addressed.

Why Install A Generator?

Installing a generator means more than simply keeping the lights on during a power outage. Of course it’s great to have the lights on and not have to use candles or flashlights to see, but there are some more important appliances that need power.

Your Internet and WIFI
Your HVAC System
Your Charging Capabilities
Keeps Food From Perishing In The Refrigerator
Powers Any Medical Equipment Your May Have
Keeps Your Lights/TV On

Installing a generator goes a long way to keeping your home powered and running no matter what the weather is like outside. Obviously it’s great to have the lights and TV on, but as you can see, there’s a lot more that comes along with it.

If it’s the summer and the power goes out, you can still have your air conditioner working, keeping your home cool. Or if you work from home, the power going out isn’t going to prevent you from having a productive day. The generator will keep your home powered and prevent you from losing groceries, entertainment, or a day of work!

The Generator Installation Process

After fixing the electrical panel and choosing the right generator, it was time to install the system! The process took about a day, between the panel and the generator. It was a smooth process, and the homeowner couldn’t be happier!

With a whole home, standby generator like this one, it is installed next to the house, and simply sits there waiting for when it’s needed. It’s not like a portable generator you can move around, but instead it’s a permanent fixture next to the house.

There’s no need to flip a switch or press a button when you need power. There is a sensor located in the generator that knows when your power goes out. It usually takes about 15-30 seconds for the generator to kick on and start providing power to the home!

Generator Installation In Marion, VA

Now that the generator is installed, the homeowners are relieved. With all the different storms we’ve had in the past year, it has been a headache losing power over and over, sometimes for extended periods of time. They have peace of mind knowing that the days of power outages for their home are a thing of the past.

If you think a generator is something that would fit your home, give us a call at (276) 690-9222, or contact us online to speak to a professional. We can help set you up with the right generator for your home!

Installing A Generac Generator In Abingdon, VA

Posted on September 12, 2024 by Nate Kiser

Installing A Generac Generator In Abingdon, VA

Here at Complete Comfort, we know the last thing any homeowner wants to be thinking about is their electricity. Just like your car, you just want it to work, and hopefully not cause any problems, because problems tend to be expensive. The owners of a home in Brumley Gap in Abingdon were no different. But like many homeowners in the area, they lost power during storms, and big storms seem to be coming more frequently.

Power loss can be merely inconvenient to downright expensive if it lasts for more than an hour or so. If the power is out for any extended period of time, you can lose the contents of your refrigerator and freezer, and that can mount to hundreds of dollars worth of food very quickly. In addition, if anyone in your home relies on CPAP, temperature sensitive medications or other medical devices, loss of power can literally be a matter of life or death.

Power loss tends to be episodic and unpredictable, so many people just decide they can live with the risk. Our homeowners initially gave us a call in October of 2023, to look at whether buying a Generac home generator system was a good investment. We went out to the home, discussed the various options available and left, knowing the homeowners would need to consider what they wanted to do. It was about 6 months later, in April of 2024 when they finally decided to add a Generac Generator to their home.

Why Get A Generator?

When the power fails, what happens at your home? For most people, they can lose not only their heating and cooling, but refrigeration, access to the internet and work, the ability to cook, open and close the garage doors, and even your sump pump! While a temporary power outage is frustrating and inconvenient, longer outages can make your home uncomfortable and almost non-functional pretty quickly.

Generators run on natural or LP gas, and are designed to turn on within seconds of a power outage being detected, making your move virtually impervious to power outages and inconveniences. With people depending on electricity in every aspect of their daily lives and an aging power grid that is seeing more and more failures due to overload and increased adverse whether, more families are choosing to get a generator to make sure they don’t miss a beat when the power goes out.

Choosing A Generator

Getting a home generator like Generac will make sure the most important parts of your home have electricity even when the power is out. Generators come in multiple sizes, and you can choose the size and connections based on what aspects of your home are most important to keep running during a power outage.

Our expert team here at Complete Comfort can help recommend the right generator for your home, based on your needs and budget. Some homeowners just want to make sure key elements of their home- say, the HVAC system and refrigeration remain online, and others want to make sure key appliances, security systems and key circuits such as those used for CPAP and other devices, or their computers and wifi remain functional.

For our homeowners in Abingdon, they chose a 26 kw Guardian air-cooled Generac generator, with a smart switch that would keep their whole home going when the power went out. This means their home will never miss a beat, and will have reliable power even if there’s an outage in the area.

We were able to install the generator next to their electrical panel, and the generator itself is enclosed and looks like a large Yeti-type cooler, place so there is easy access from the outside to the internal panel and circuits the generator needs to power.

Remote Monitoring

The system also includes Mobile Link Wifi Remote Monitoring, which lets you monitor your generator’s status and get alerted to when it kicks on via smart phone app. This means even if you’re on vacation, you’ll know your home is protected. A few years ago, a friend of ours was away and the power went out for 5 days during an extended winter storm, causing endless worry about pipes freezing and an expensive saltwater fish tank they had as well, among other worries about their home. If they had a Generac, they would have known their home was fine whether they were there or not!

Bottom Line- Reliability and Worry Free

If losing power frequently is starting to get you down, give us a call here at Complete Comfort. We can come out and discuss what kind of generator might work best for your home and budget. You, too could be worry-free all year long- no matter what Mother Nature dishes out, or issues with the power grid, your family will be safe and protected- and you’ll save money by never having to rent a hotel room or replace the contents of your fridge and freezer again after a prolonged outage. And if you work or go to school from home, you’ll never lose productivity again. Give us a call and see if a Generac generator is right for you.

Call to our Experts: (276) 690-9222

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Tag: Generac