Whole-Home Generator vs Portable Generator

Generac vs. portable generator

Power goes out here. A lot.
Wind, freezing rain, hurricanes, random tree branch. It doesn’t take much. So the big question most homeowners eventually ask is:

Should I get a whole-home generator or is a portable one “good enough”?

Let’s break this down the way people actually think about it, not the way brochures explain it.

Whole-Home Standby Generators

A whole-home generator is the setup people get when they’re tired of losing power, losing heat, losing food, and losing Wi-Fi. It’s automatic.
The power drops, the generator kicks in, house keeps running like nothing happened.
No hauling gas cans, no extension cords snaking through the house, no guessing.
Why people choose them:

Your heat pump stays on (huge in winter)
Your fridge and freezer don’t turn into a science experiment
You can actually leave the house during a storm without worrying
It runs off propane or natural gas — no refueling at 2 AM
Adds real resale value

It’s a “set it up once and forget it” type of solution.

Portable Generators

A portable generator does work… as long as you’re willing to babysit it.
You need to roll it out, fuel it, plug things in, keep it far enough away from the house, and pray you didn’t overload it. They’re fine for running a sump pump or keeping a few lights on – lighter electrical loads.
Where they fall short:

They don’t run a whole house
You can’t legally back feed them into your panel
Gas runs out fast
They’re noisy
Zero automation

It’s survival, not comfort. If outages are rare where you live, no big deal. But in Nova Scotia? Rare isn’t the word many people would use.

So Which One Makes Sense Here?

If you’ve ever lived through a 12-, 24-, or 48-hour outage in February… you already know the answer.
Whole-home generators are simply built for places like Nova Scotia.

Portable generators are great for:

Cottages
Short outages
Occasional emergency use

Whole-home generators are for:

Families
Anyone with a heat pump
People who work from home
Seniors
Rural homes with wells
Anyone tired of rolling the dice every storm

Are Whole-Home Generators Worth It?

Yes, absolutely worth it. Peace of mind is everything. Nova Scotia experiences outages often in all areas of the province – sometimes not even because of a storm! Think of it like this:

A whole-home generator doesn’t just keep the lights on.
It keeps life normal.
No cold house.
No spoiled freezer.
No pipes freezing.
No stress.
Just… normal.
That’s the value.

If a whole-home standby generator isn’t the right fit for your home or budget, a portable generator is a reliable and flexible alternative – keeping the essentials powered during an outage.

a 1st Electric Halifax electrician standing by branded vans

Why Homeowners Choose 1st Electric for Generator Installs

We’re Nova Scotia’s only Generac Power Pro Elite+ dealer, which means we do this a lot and we do it right. Homeowners like working with us because: