Backup Generators
Wind storms and winter outages are a predictable part of life in the Lower Mainland — here's what's worth checking before the next one hits, not during it.
Why this is a "before" conversation, not a "during" one
By the time the power's already out, your options are limited to what's already in place. The homeowners who ride out an outage comfortably are almost always the ones who thought about it ahead of time, not the ones scrambling for a flashlight mid-storm.
What's actually worth having in place
A whole-home or essential-circuits backup generator — keeps the fridge, sump pump, heat, and critical systems running automatically, no manual setup required
Whole-home surge protection — power often behaves erratically right as it's restored after an outage; a surge protector at your panel guards everything downstream at once
A panel that can actually support your essentials — if you're relying on a portable generator plugged in ad hoc, that's a real fire and backfeed risk compared to a proper transfer switch setup
The sump pump problem specifically
If your home relies on a sump pump and you lose power during a heavy winter rain event, that's often the single costliest outage scenario — flooding damage can outstrip almost anything else a storm causes. A backup power plan that specifically covers the sump pump is one of the highest-value additions for anyone with a basement.
This isn't just for acreage or rural properties
Standard suburban homes lose power in wind events just as often — a whole-home generator conversation isn't only for the places we talked about in our rural electrical posts, it's relevant anywhere outages are a recurring nuisance.
Thinking ahead of the next storm season?
We size and install Generac and Honeywell backup systems matched to what your home actually needs — not a one-size-fits-all setup.
Royle West Electrical Ltd is a Red Seal Certified, CleanBC-registered electrical contractor serving Maple Ridge, Pitt Meadows, Langley, Port Coquitlam, and the surrounding Lower Mainland.
