Picture this: It’s your birthday and a handful of close friends are over to celebrate. Steaks are cooking on the grill. A homemade cake bakes in the oven. Jokes and stories are shared into the wee hours of the night.
No one notices that the power has gone out.
Through the foresight of Anthony Carrino, a designer, developer, and contractor with 20+ years in the industry, a Kohler 20kW whole home backup generator was there to kick in immediately. The lights didn’t so much as flicker in the transition.
“We had steaks on the grill and made this big meal and had a firepit, and the power went out and it just didn’t affect our time,” he said. “It’s one of those things that you know you can host that party and have friends over, and you never have to worry about what’s going on with the grid. It’s a really nice peace of mind.”
Why Buy a Generator?
Birthday parties aside, Anthony had many reasons for getting a generator when he bought the gutted 1960s stone house in the Catskills. Before he moved in, neighbors told him the area experienced regular power outages, with or without big storms.
As this is a vacation home, Anthony isn’t there all the time, so he needed to make sure the power was always on to avoid frozen pipes and water leaks.
“It was just kind of a no-brainer to me when you consider what’s at risk if you don’t do it. To me, it was the most economical way to protect my investment.”
It also supplements his other propane-powered appliances: a tankless water heater, a cooktop, a clothes dryer, a pool heater, and a grill for his outdoor kitchen.
Why Use Propane?
Propane doesn’t degrade over time like diesel and since it burns clean, the generator requires very little maintenance, allowing Anthony to set up the generator and literally forget about it but for a couple times a year.
Plus, it’s an environmentally friendly source of energy.
“We all know the state of the planet. We’ve got a pretty big crisis on our hands in that regard. And I think propane is a great fuel that really reduces the carbon footprint and has way less emissions than our gasoline and diesel alternatives. When you consider that propane delivers electricity to your home 25 percent more efficiently than the electric company, it’s a pretty great fuel.”
Follow Anthony’s latest projects on social media and The Build.TV.
