Which Emergency Generator You Need?
We have decided that it is time for us to purchase an emergency generator. There is hardly a day goes by that we don't hear of a damaging storm or natural catastrophe somewhere that takes the power out not just for hours but days at a time. It is hard enough at these times to cope with the problems at hand, and a great deal of what is happening is beyond our control. One thing that we can do though, which can mean such an enormous difference to not only ourselves, but for families around us, is to have an emergency generator installed. Not only can it keep our family safe in darkness, but it will also keep our food from spoiling and provide essential heating and cooking facilities. As we found out, the emergency generator comes in quite a few different sizes and types. I thought it was just a simple matter of heading down to the store and picking out a likely contender. However, in order to get the correct type of emergency generator that will satisfactorily cope with our power requirements we had to sit down and assess just what we want the generator to be able to do should that unforseen emergency happen. One thing that neither of us were aware of was that if you are using an incorrect size of emergency generator then appliances, particularly computers and televisions can be ruined if they don't receive enough electrical current.
We learned that we would have to make the decision between a portable and permanent standby emergency generator. Most people in a home situation will choose the portable generator. Evidently these will quite adequately run the vital electrical circuits required such as lights, TV, furnace and refrigerator. Usually an average home will require a 5,000-watt emergency generator, and the cost will be anywhere from $450 to $3,500. Even with an emergency generator you get what you pay for. The standby emergency generator we feel is perhaps not required for our domestic situation. It sounds good, and if we were building a new home then we would definitely consider having one installed as part of the electrical system. They do require installation by a licensed electrician and this must be then inspected by the county building department. We have decided though that we will get an electrician to install a transfer switch which we will plug the emergency generator into. From what we have been told this is the safest method, not only for us, but for any of the workers repairing the power lines. One thing we were told that did surprise us was we couldn't run an emergency generator from our garage. It must operate outside or at least in the open air, even under a veranda would be OK, as long as it is not by an open widow. The smell of the fumes would most probably have alerted us, but it is still an important warning to people who have never used an emergency generator before. There have been a few reported cases of people who have died from carbon monoxide poisoning from using fuel driven appliances within confined surroundings. Many more have become very ill and required hospitalization. |
