What to power in a blackout: choosing your critical loads

Your critical loads are the handful of things you genuinely can't lose during a blackout — usually the fridge, Wi-Fi and phones, some lights and fans, and water pumps. Deciding these up front is what keeps a backup system affordable: you protect what matters and let the rest wait for the grid.

The usual essentials

Fridge and freezer (your food), Wi-Fi and router (work and communication), some lights, fans, the water pump (if you rely on one), and any medical devices. This is what almost everyone wants to keep running.

The expensive optional ones

Central AC and pool pumps are big loads. Instead of backing up whole-house AC, you can back up a single-room mini-split to stay comfortable without the cost blowing up.

How priorities shape the system

A critical-loads panel (subpanel) isolates your essentials so the battery only feeds those. We wire it that way so backup goes exactly where it matters, without wasting capacity on loads that can wait.