Always in Control
In an unpredictable world, Colonial Generators provides homeowners with the peace of mind that comes from never going without power.
If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that preparation pays dividends. With many homeowners continuing to work remotely, they have little tolerance for losing power caused by storms, high winds, and other events beyond our immediate control. A home generator enables homeowners to always be prepared, even in times of great unpredictability.
Having more control over uncontrollable events is exactly what appealed to Mike Progin, a senior account executive with KYW/WIP Radio. Progin and his family live on Valley Forge Mountain in Chester County, a part of the area known for its beautiful scenery as much as its susceptibility to power outages. A recent uptick in severe weather events has made the need more glaring. Two events—the damaging derecho of June 2020 and Hurricane Ida of summer 2021—were fresh in Progin’s mind as he began to explore his options for a home generator.
Progin quickly landed on Colonial Generators. He was familiar with the company through a marketing partnership with KYW/WIP. In addition, he had hired its sister company, Colonial Marble & Granite, to install granite countertops. Because he knew the people behind both brands, he felt confident in his choice from the start.
“They are known for their excellent reputation,” he says. “I was already very familiar with the company and very happy with their overall service, so I was pleased to learn they also offered whole-home power generators.”
Kevin Lair, an account manager with Colonial Generators, came out to meet with the Progin family and discuss the options. Progin remembers Lair making the process easy from start to finish.
“We chose the system that made the most sense for us, and they handled everything else from there,” Progin recalls. “There was some additional work that needed to be done to our gas line, but they took care of it. There was no work on our end. When their installation team came out, they had everything installed in one day.”
Lair says Colonial Generators strives to streamline the client experience. After a client makes a decision to move forward and signs the contract, the client’s work is done; Colonial Generators will handle all the heavy lifting going forward, so to speak, including securing any required permits.
“We offer a full turnkey package, handling everything that needs to be done,” Lair explains. “We deal with the townships and the utility companies. We’re not outsourcing different parts of the project either; we handle it all.”
‘Protected from the Worst’
Generators can be configured to run on either natural gas or propane, depending upon what makes the most sense for each home. While many people might be familiar with the kinds of portable generators that can be purchased at a local big-box store, Lair suggests a whole-home generator is quite different. One of the primary advantages is that the whole-home generator comes to life within 15 seconds of losing power.
Generators can be configured to run on either natural gas or propane, depending upon what makes the most sense for each home. While many people might be familiar with the kinds of portable generators that can be purchased at a local big-box store, Lair suggests a whole-home generator is quite different. One of the primary advantages is that the whole-home generator comes to life within 15 seconds of losing power.
“What’s really nice is that you don’t have to be home or do anything; the generator just kicks on automatically after power loss,” Lair explains. “That means if you’re on vacation or at work and there is a bad storm, you don’t have to be worried that you’re going to lose all of the food in your refrigerator or, if it’s during the winter, that your pipes will freeze and burst. You know that you’ll be covered.”
Today’s generators incorporate next-generation technology for client convenience. Anytime the generator kicks on, an app sends an alert to the homeowner’s smartphone so they can always be in the know. Plus, the generator regularly runs self-diagnostics on all components to ensure that the generator will operate at peak efficiency when needed.
Another big reason why more homeowners are showing interest in a home generator is to eliminate the threat of basement flooding. Sump pumps require power, so homeowners appreciate the confidence of knowing the pumps will keep running in the event of a bad storm.
“There’s a huge convenience factor to maintaining power,” Lair says. “People don’t want to have to worry about having their basement ruined or moving out of the home to stay at a hotel. They just want to know they can stay in their home, and they will be protected from the worst outcomes.”
“Given how reliant Americans have become on technology and modern conveniences, contemporary lifestyles require uninterrupted power,” says Tom Papadopoulos, the owner of Colonial Generators. “We expect interest in whole-home generators to keep growing in the years ahead, especially as the world around us becomes more uncertain.”
As for Progin, he says the peace of mind that comes from knowing his family and his home will be comfortable and well protected in almost any situation has made the investment well worth it.
“I’m no longer worried when there are storms and we’re out or I’m at work that the power will be off when we get home,” he says. “In the cold winters, it’s nice knowing that our house isn’t going to get really cold or that we’ll have to wait days to get our power back. Investing in a home generator has definitely given me peace of mind.”
For more information on Colonial Generators, call (844) 376-9374 or visit colonialgenerators.com.
Photograph by Nina Lea Photography
Published (and copyrighted) in Suburban Life magazine, March 2022.
