Continued from the previous page.

Power Outage Tips

Page 2

The image to the left displays my Email address.  By showing my address graphically instead of using a clickable link, I prevent spam robot search engines from harvesting my address from the website.  Please jot it down to compose an Email to me.

Back to Greg’s OLD Home Page from the last century!

Emergency Preparedness!

Dealing with the loss of Electrical Power

Backup Power Generator

When the Lights go Out

Obviously, the ultimate in convenience and comfort when AC power has been lost is to have a backup power generator.  These are available in virtually every size imaginable, including permanent, automatic models that can literally power your whole house.  But for the majority of us who must settle for a less costly unit, choosing a generator, creating a plan for its use, and maintaining it so it is ready to go year after year, can be quite a project.

One major benefit of having a backup generator always ready to go is being able to power your refrigerator and freezer.  More than just a pleasantry in a long outage, a generator can prevent food spoilage and loss.  Depending upon the type and amount of meat you store, this could add up to a sizable amount of dollars.  For some households, it is conceivable that a generator could actually pay for itself in food savings for a couple very long power outages.

All sizes of generators have an upper limit to the amount of wattage they can supply.  Thus, powering large items such as an electric clothes dryer, electric range, electric water heater, a heat pump, and an electric furnace can be a problem for all but the largest generators.  Before the purchase of a generator, a list should be made of all electrical loads the generator will be expected to supply.  Then the maximum load at any one time needs to be calculated.

For example, you may have both a space heater and a microwave on your load list.  But if you decide that you can rely upon never running them both at the same time, your MAXIMUM load figure can be reduced accordingly.  Ensure the generator you purchase will fulfill your present and future needs.  Here is a list of the items we include in our plan:

à refrigerator

à 2 lamps

à floor fan

à television

à CO detector

à garage door opener

à house alarm system

à battery charger

à electric blanket or electric mattress pad

à toaster oven or microwave oven

à electric space heater

 

Create a plan for the connection and running of the generator.  There are many ways to get the power into your house that vary from using extension cords, to having an electrician permanently install a transfer switch.  Choose a method that guarantees safety for both your family, and the linemen who may be working up on the poles in your neighborhood.  Don't forget to connect a ground wire from the generator's frame to a reliable earth ground as detailed in the instructions.

Heat

Other Tips

Generators cannot be run inside your house because of the exhaust fumes and deadly carbon monoxide gas they produce.  You should plan ahead of time where the unit will be running.  One idea is to build an airy wooden shelter to cover the generator while it is running to protect it from rain during a storm.  Since the engine consumes air, good ventilation is important.

Note ground rod at left, being

pointed to by golden arrow in photo

A generator lasts only as long as its fuel supply.  But gasoline is bulky and dangerous to store.  It also has a limited shelf life.  Think about the pros and cons, and decide how much gas you want to keep on hand.  Make sure you add a preservative (such as Sta-Bil) to help the gasoline last a year without breaking down.  Devise a plan to cycle out and renew your gas supply once a year.  We keep 11 to 13 gallons of gas in storage, and then use it in our oldest car and lawnmower when its time is up.

If you live in northern climates, an extended power outage during the winter months can mean plummeting temperatures inside the home unless you have a fireplace.  This is where space heaters come to the rescue.  If you will be running a generator, an electric space heater can provide safe, clean heat.  Alternatives involve the burning of fossil fuels such as propane and kerosene.  While these space heaters can provide good amounts of heat economically, they also introduce the very real danger of carbon monoxide poisoning.  Be conscious of the ventilation requirements outlined in the instruction manuals of these devices.  And don't forget that if you do have a carbon monoxide detector that is not battery powered, it is dead and therefore powerless to protect your family during the power outage.

If you plan on depending upon a fuel-burning space heater, don't forget to maintain enough fuel in reserve for the duration you want to be prepared for.

Computer equipment can be spared the sudden loss of power by employing an uninterruptible power supply, commonly known as a UPS.  These units contain a sealed lead-acid battery inside, and will run your computer system for around 20 minutes.  This is enough time for you to finish your present task, save your work, and power down the system in an orderly fashion.

 

If you need to wake up at a certain time in the morning, you might want to have a simple battery-powered or wind-up alarm clock.  Some digital kitchen cooking timers can be set to count down 9 hours, so they could handle this task if they are loud enough to break your slumber.

 

If you have a home security system with battery backup, the sealed lead-acid battery must be replaced every 5 or 10 years.  Check the manufacturer's instruction booklet.

 

If you have an electric garage door opener, it will be nonfunctional during a power outage.  Make sure all drivers in your family are thoroughly familiar with the manual override mechanism to disconnect the door from the track so it can be opened and closed.