Photos courtesy of Steve Di Tomo
Let’s face it, when our power is disrupted, our life is disrupted. For the past several years, changing weather patterns and overworked power grids have led to frequent and long power outages in our area. Luckily, whole house generators can give us peace of mind when power outages occur. Steve Di Tomo, owner of Countywide Generators, LLC said the best way to keep from getting frustrated from these power outages is to “get generated!” A licensed electrician for almost 40 years, Steve has the knowledge and experience to help his customers get through even the worst of power outages.
Steve has been an electrician since 1973. He grew up in Philadelphia and in 1970 he graduated from Dobbins Technical High School, a historic vocational school located in north Philadelphia. After high school he joined the Air Force and he learned electronics and electrical skills by working on fighter and cargo aircrafts. When he completed his military service, he worked as an electronics apprentice and eventually a supervisor at the Navy Yard in Philadelphia until it closed in 1996. After it closed, Steve wasn’t quite ready to retire and had to decide what to do next in his career. “I followed the philosophy of do what you know!” he said. For Steve, that meant taking electrical code courses at Delaware County Community College and earning his electrical license in Philadelphia.
While Steve was working as an electrician, he installed numerous generators in homes over the years. Not only did he want to make sure his customers got the full advantage of owning a whole-house generator, but he wanted to gain more expertise in generator maintenance. As the owner of Countywide Generators for the past five years, Steve said that he’s proud of his team who not only dispatch technicians quickly when customers have issues, they are also equipped to resolve most repairs right then and there, even if the customer is not home.
Countywide Generators installs generators from Generac, the industry leader. Because Generac generators come right off the assembly line, they’re brand new with all of the latest updates. The company’s dealer relationship with Generac and being connected to their mainframe allows them to quickly troubleshoot any issues. “What sets us apart from hiring an electrician or other company is that when we install a generator, we deal with Generac directly so that customers don’t have to and we handle any warranty issues,” he explained. “Another advantage for our customers is that we have up-to-date maintenance records.”
Like a central air-conditioning unit, Generac generators sit outside your home delivering power directly to the home’s electrical system in the event of a power outage. It runs on natural gas or liquid propane fuel and when the power goes out, the generator starts up automatically and supplies electricity until the local power utility restores service. By using the Generac’s Mobile Link™ app, customers can monitor the status of their generator from anywhere in the world using a smartphone, tablet or computer.
Steve explained that to get the maximum benefit from your generator, it’s important to get the required maintenance as soon as an issue arises. Some common issues include dead batteries, a natural gas or propane fuel supply issue, a faulty circuit board, clogged lines or leaking coolant. Most importantly, it’s crucial to hire a generator expert. Hiring a non-factory certified expert who doesn’t install your generator correctly will lead to problems in the future. “For your generator to operate when you need it, proper maintenance is the key,” said Steve.
Countywide Generators’ staff includes highly trained technicians and installers. Steve and his team of expert professionals will ensure safe and proper operation, meet warranty conditions and provide emergency assistance every day of the week. Michelle Saraceni is the Office Manager and she handles everything from payroll to monitoring customers’ generators online. When a customer has an issue with their generator, Michelle gets an alert, and one of their technicians is sent out to do any repairs.
From TV/WiFi, cooking, lighting, cooling, etc., generators can create enough power to meet all of a customer’s electric needs all at the same time. Now more than ever, with people teleworking and many relying on electricy to monitor a home security system, to store medication or to operate medical equipment, a permanently installed generator gives homeowners peace of mind. “For our customers who rely on electricity for medical issues, power outages are more than just an inconvenience,” said Steve. “A whole-house generator can eliminate that stress for them.”
Having a whole house generator can also save homeowners money down the line in appliance repairs and pipe replacements, as well as preventing having to replace spoiled food or staying somewhere else while you wait for your power to be restored.
“Many people think they can’t afford a generator and therefore must endure power outages caused by storms or downed power lines,” said Steve. “When they learn that the monthly cost can be spread out over many years, they realize what a sensible and practical decision it is.”
Countywide Generators is located in Broomall, where Steve and his wife Kate have lived for 15 years. They enjoy spending as much time as they can with their 5 children and 13 grandchildren. Steve is also the owner of STD/Maintenance Company, Inc. To learn more about Generac generators, Mobile Link™ and flexible financing options, visit www.CountyWideGenerators.com or call 610-955-4397 for a free estimate.