As winter storms and ice approach central Iowa, many Des Moines-area households are preparing for potential power outages. Local electrical contractor Wired Solutions is urging homeowners to plan how they will use a generator before the first outage, not during it. The warning comes as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that more than 400 Americans die each year from unintentional carbon monoxide poisoning not linked to fires, over 100,000 visit emergency departments, and more than 14,000 are hospitalized. Portable generators are among the household items the CDC identifies as producing carbon monoxide, an odorless, colorless gas.
The CDC advises never using a generator inside a home or garage, even if doors and windows are open, and only using generators outside, more than 20 feet away from any windows, doors, and vents. It also recommends using a battery-powered or battery backup carbon monoxide detector in the home when a generator is running. Justin Beam, who leads Wired Solutions, said the risk tends to show up when people are improvising. "The calls that worry me are the ones where someone ran a generator in the garage with the door cracked because it was cold out," Beam said. "When the power's been out for a day, people make shortcuts they'd never make on a normal afternoon."
A permanent setup removes much of that guesswork. Through its generator installation des moines service, the company installs home generators designed to run outdoors and power the house through a planned connection. Capacity is part of the planning. Homes adding a standby generator often need a look at the main panel first, and the company's electrical panel upgrades in des moines ia work covers homes that need more room. "My advice to a neighbor is simple: decide where the generator goes before the storm, not after," Beam said. "And put a battery-backed CO detector near the bedrooms, whether you own a generator or not."
Newer electrical loads are part of the same conversation. Households planning ev charger installation in des moines ia alongside backup power can review both on one panel plan. Wired Solutions offers complimentary estimates. The company is a family-run, licensed and insured electrical contractor serving the Des Moines, Iowa, metro, including Des Moines, Ankeny, Clive, Johnston, Urbandale, Waukee, and West Des Moines. It provides residential electrical service, generator installation, EV charger installation, and electrical panel upgrades.
For readers, the implications are immediate: as outage season begins, proper generator placement and carbon monoxide detection can be life-saving. For the broader industry, the push highlights how electrical contractors are increasingly being called on to integrate backup power, panel capacity, and EV charging into comprehensive home energy plans. Homeowners who wait until the storm hits may face not only discomfort but serious health risks. Planning ahead, experts say, is the simplest way to avoid them.
