Don’t Go Powerless
May 28, 2013 Generators
Each and every year, hundreds of thousands of people experience prolonged power outages. Excessive winds coming from strong thunderstorms is what commonly will cause interruption of any type of utility service. Hurricanes, micro-bursts, and tornadoes also damage electric-utility infrastructure. Power outages can last just a couple of hours or a few days. At times it can take up to many weeks for utility workers to restore power after widespread damage from a serious event. As a result, some homes will be void of power, which still proceed to need to support life and keep vital equipment running.
Power Outage Problems
It is quite possible that the power outage you come across only lasts hours instead of days. You would typically call the electric company when the power goes out and learn that crews would restore power by end of day. throughout that time of no power, consider what was taking place in your home for the duration of that time. Even homes with dry basements from sump pumps can quickly start to flood within an hour. Refrigerators and freezers start to slowly warm if they are kept closed, but the temperature raises every time they are opened. Without power, temperature extremes can make a house unlivable in a very quick time. In chilly weather, pipes can freeze with no heat.
Generators Keep The Power On
Maintaining a home supplied with power, standby generators and portable generators are are a excellent backup. With a standby generator, you can set up and without anymore intervention other than some maintenance time to time you can rest certain you are protected. It will sense the outage, turn itself on, and alert an automatic transfer switch to disconnect the house from the utility lines and hook up it to the generator instead. Standby generators for home use run on either liquefied petroleum gas (LP Gas or Propane) or natural gas (NG). When you use NG or LP as your fuel the need to refuel is no longer required . The portable generator works quite the same way although call for a little bit more involvement from the user to join it to the home, start it, and install a manual transfer switch. If you decide to go a different route than the transfer switch method, extension cords are then used to plug your appliances directly into your generator. Normally smaller portable generators will run on gasoline there are some possibilities and models that use liquid propane as well. Generators that are labeled as tri-fuel can run on all three types, gasoline, LPG, and natural gas.
Portable Vs. Standby
A home standby generator is a legit all in one backup system. It runs and supplies power for days devoid of human intervention. If an outage happens when no one is at your home, the only thing that will be apparent when you return is the clocks have reset. Food kept in your freezer or refrigerator will be just as you left it. In general, portable generators cost less than standby units and the electrical connections to a house are also more economical. Portable generators are also an alternative for someone who is looking for a cheaper answer then both a standby generator and transfer switch. Keeping a portable generator for use during a power outage also means keeping fuel on hand and sustaining that fuel supply by adding stabilizers and rotating the stock as it grows old.
Be Ready
When the next storm comes rolling through, make sure you and your family are ready rather than being stuck in a bad situation. Stay ahead of the game and start planning ahead of time to be sure you are not worried about the next incoming storm, or power. Enjoy your comfortable home in peace as others flee to hotels and overseas to escape the heat or cold. guarding your property ahead of time is much cheaper than repairing or replacing it.
For more info go to: www.NPSGenerac.com
Some Ways to Help Stop a Home Disaster
May 20, 2013 Generators
To help prevent a really serious disaster from occurring to your home you must be ready. Every year, almost seven million householders file insurance claims to recoup deficits from home disasters. At the very least, home disasters bring about really serious inconveniences or make homes unlivable in the worst cases. Some items that may be damaged range from spoiled food and mold infestations inside fridges and freezers. Another service interruption source such as earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, and other storms, make local travel almost impossible, and can also cause other troubles such as polluted water supplies.
It is not achievable to stop every disaster, but it is possible to decrease the possibility of damage and enhance the safety of the household and the individuals living within it. Take preventative actions ahead of time that help lessen the probability of a home catastrophe and then follow these home disaster prevention recommendations to help keep your home safe and livable.
As acts of terrorism and other disasters such as acts of Mother Nature. Keeping our houses supplied with water, and livable, electrical power is key in our day to day lives. Everything that depends on electricity will shut down when power is lost and this can include a community, an entire city, or even across multiple states. Any prosperous disaster prevention plan should contain a standby or portable generator to provide power during an outage. A standby generator is permanently set up and needs no human intervention to run and keep running for days at a time. Portable generators can provide power where you will need it, when you need it.
Not all home floods are caused by overflowing rivers and streams. There are a lot of disasters waiting to take place in and around your home that you can simply prevent with advanced preparation.
- Before leaving your home for prolonged time periods, remember to turn off your water.
- Be positive that your washing machine is employing hoses that will not burst.
- Make sure your fixture connections are using braided steel hoses that include a flood prevention device.
- Make sure that if you are using a sump pump, that the circuit that it is running on is powered by the home backup generator and inspect and test the pump at least twice a year. Be sure that your rain gutter outlets are extended length and that they discharge water down and away from the house.
Mold growth’s most perfect environment is hot humid air. When the air in an area does not flow freely the issue becomes a whole lot worse. Today’s homes are sealed for energy effectiveness, but that prohibits air movement. Eradicating humidity from the air and stopping mold growth, air conditioners can assist with the problem. In the winter, freezing temperatures can bring about plumbing or flooding troubles when frozen pipes burst. Make sure that the appliances that control the environment of your home such as, furnaces, air conditioner, and dehumidifier are operating on the circuits that are being powered by your generator. Without any power a refrigerator can only keep raw food items cold for a day or so. A freezer might last two days, or three at the outside, without power. After that, food thaws and spoils easily. On the circuit that is powered by your generator, make sure you include your refrigerator and freezer to be sure of continuous operation.
The trees in and around your home should be trimmed so that no branches are touching or overhanging the house. Remove trees that are too close―their roots can invade sewer lines and weaken foundations. Your landscape grading on your property should move water away and downhill from your home and doesn’t stand in puddles or ponds. By keeping the siding and roof in good repair, you prevent serious troubles in high winds and heavy rains. Don’t shovel snow up against the house. Move it away so that if it melts all of a sudden, it does not overwhelm the sump pump or leak into the home. Perform normal maintenance on your standby or portable generator as needed by the manufacturer’s maintenance schedule so that it starts and runs when you need it to. Remember to maintain and rotate fuel supplies for portable generators to keep the supply fresh. Old, stale fuel can cause troubles and keep the generator from running efficiently, or prevent it from running at all.
For more info go to: www.BackupHomePower.com
Standby Generator Maintenance For Outages
May 7, 2013 Generators
Ever since we as people have relied on equipment to do our dirty work, there has always been a call to keep them maintained. Lack of maintenance is a sure path to breakdown and service interruption. To put it in perspective, normally we are used to tuning up our motor vehicles with frequent checkups, fluids and filters. Parts wear out; fluids break down or get used up. Routinely parts will slip a little out of place or will wear on distinct places and soon enough these small complications turn into larger ones ending up in the engine being out of sync. It’s no different for a standby generator. Like an automobile, they are powered by internal combustion engines. Keep standby generators prepared for power outages by conducting upkeep on schedule. Before executing upkeep, follow the manufacturer’s guidelines for disabling the generator and ensure the unit will not start while working on it
Lubrication System
The engine is lubricated by oil. If there is an unsatisfactory amount of lubrication for the engine, most generators will automatically disable to stop any damage. During operation, oil level or oil pressure sensors will signal the generator’s controller if the oil pressure or level drops beneath suitable levels. At this time, the controller will deactivate the generator. Check the oil level month-to-month and add oil as needed. During prolonged operation, check the oil often. For some generators the oil filter will require to be changed as often as every 100 hours of operation for certain types of generators. Be sure that you are using the correct type of oil viscosity for the temperature range you generator experiences.
Cooling System
Air-cooled generators have cooling vents that direct air over the engine while it is operating. Keeping these vents clear of any debris or obstruction is most vital to allow the engine to breathe. Be sure that no leaves, grass or any other debris is blocking any cooling vents or air intakes . Also, all lids sides and doors are properly fastened and locked tight. Inspect the cooling system on liquid-cooled generators for suitable coolant levels and top off the coolant as needed. Look for cracked or leaking hoses and loose clamps. Replace any parts that are damaged or have apparent deterioration. Change the coolant as needed according to the maintenance schedule found in the owner’s manual. Verify the fan belt on liquid-cooled standby generators for cracks, wear, and signs of impending failure. Always be sure to exchange a belt before it malfunctions and breaks as this can lead to additional damage to the unit.
For more info go to: www.Got-Generators.com
Did You Have No Power In The Last Storm?
May 6, 2013 Generators
Power outages across the globe affect millions of people just about every year. Excessive winds coming from strong thunderstorms is what normally will lead to interruption of any type of utility service. Hurricanes, micro-bursts, and tornadoes also harm electric-utility infrastructure. Power outages can last just a few hours or a few days. Sometimes it can take up to many weeks for utility workers to regain power after widespread damage from a serious event. As a result, some homes will be void of power, which still proceed to need to support life and keep essential equipment running.
Power Outage Problems
possibly the last power outage only lasted a few hours. You would commonly call the electric company when the power goes out and learn that crews would restore power by end of day. during that time of no power, think about what was happening in your home for the duration of that time. Throughout a heavy rainstorm, houses with basements kept dry by sump pumps can begin to flood in as little as an hour. Refrigerators and freezers commence to slowly warm if they are kept closed, but the temperature raises every time they are opened up. Without power, temperature extremes can make a house unlivable in a very brief time. Without heat, pipes can also freeze in the cold temperatures.
Generators Keep The Power On
Maintaining a home supplied with power, standby generators and portable generators are are a excellent backup. With a standby generator, you can set up and without anymore intervention other than some upkeep time to time you can rest certain you are protected. Sensing the power outage automatically, the generator will initiate and detach the house from the utility lines and connect it to the generator instead. Standby generators for home use run on either liquefied petroleum gas (LP Gas or Propane) or natural gas (NG). Using NG or LPG eliminates the need for steady refueling. The portable generator works quite the same way although call for a little bit more involvement from the user to link it to the home, start it, and install a manual transfer switch. If you decide to go a different route than the transfer switch method, extension cords are then used to plug your appliances directly into your generator. Small portable generators usually run on gasoline, but LPG is an possibility for some. Tri-fuel models can run on gasoline, LPG or NG.
Portable Vs. Standby
A standby generator is truly a backup power source. Without any intervention at all it will run and supply power for multiple days. If you’re out of town and an outage occurs, the only thing you’ll observe when you come back is the blinking displays on your clocks. Food kept in your freezer or refrigerator will be just as you left it. Portable generators will cost less than any standby generator unit and the connections to the home are also more economical. They make a good choice for tight budgets or where standby generator installations are impractical or not permitted. Keeping a portable generator for use during a power outage also means keeping fuel on hand and maintaining that fuel supply by adding stabilizers and rotating the stock as it grows old.
Be Ready
Don’t be caught without power during the next big storm. Stay ahead of the game and start planning ahead of time to be sure you are not worried about the next incoming storm, or power. Stay at home in consolation while others are flocking to hotels to flee from the heat or cold. guarding your property ahead of time is much cheaper than fixing or changing it.
For more info go to: www.NPSBriggsandStratton