Power Outages: How Can Homeowners Prepare?

Article by: ARA

Power , Orchid Care: How to Have Orchids in Flower By Christmas Outages: How Can Homeowners Prepare?
(ARA) - When tropical , Planting Roses - Tips You Need To Know storm Isabel swept through the East Coast in September, it left widespread flooding, countless downed trees , Decorating on a Shoestring Budget and 6 million people without power. , The Rich History of Chrysanthemums Everything ground to a halt: of those homes , Easy Fall Plant Propagation Techniques and businesses affected, most were without any electrical power , Part II: What are the most popular floorplan features? for days, rather than just hours.

"We had to throw out all the food , Satellite TV in the refrigerator," says Kathryn Meany of Alexandria, Va., who lost power , Fighting Plant Enemies for 51 hours. "We relied on a lot of candles and I used my camping headlamp in the evenings."

Meany was luckier than many others, who lost power , Plants and Trees Native to Lower SalfordTownship Pa. for longer stretches. Don Weber of Williamsburg, Va. was without electricity , How to Coax Fresh Vegetables From the Garden All Winter Long for eight straight days. Luckily he had an alternative: earlier in the year he had installed a Kohler residential emergency , The Benefits of Canvas Awnings generator system.

"I work out of my home, , Decorating on a Shoestring Budget and I wanted the security , Fighting Plant Enemies of a reliable power , Miniature Roses Have Many Uses source," says Weber, who also wanted to be sure his home , Going to the Chapel and They’re Going to Buy a Mattress would not lose power , Plants and Trees Native to Lower SalfordTownship Pa. when the family was away on vacation.

"With all the recent weather-related disasters, , Minimizing Runoff and Erosion Along Your Lakeshore, Stream or River Property I saw it as a way to protect my family and our home, , Growing Roses " he adds. The only resident in the neighborhood with a power , Native Trees and Plants For Lehigh County Pa source after Isabel blew through, Weber was popular with the neighbors: "I took in as much food , Easy to Grow - The Eastern White Pine Tree as I could, placing the neighbors' food , If you are chasing the most up-to-date advice relating to ba in my refrigerator and freezer."

Severe weather , How To Attract Hummingbirds along with the frequent unreliability of utility providers is a concern for homeowners who rely on a steady source of power. , A Look at Planting Flower Bulbs From computers, to electric water , Miniature Roses Have Many Uses and sewage pumps , A Look at Planting Flower Bulbs to the radio and television -- there are so many things that most of us take for granted and can hardly function without.

A permanently installed residential generator can help protect homeowners and their property , Keeping The Weeds Out - A Must! from an unexpected loss of power. , How To Prune Your Roses For Stunning Results "What homeowners appreciate about permanently installed, automatic home , Going to the Chapel and They’re Going to Buy a Mattress generators is the peace of mind and convenience. Automatic home , Here's Why Interior Decorating Makes A Statement About Yo generators run on natural , If you are chasing the most up-to-date advice relating to ba gas or LP," says Mark Repp, of Kohler Power , Portable Air Conditioners Ensure Economy And Convenience Systems, a division of Kohler Co. "During the recent power , If you are chasing the most up-to-date advice relating to ba outages, those with a portable generator couldn't always use it because the gas , Searching for the most informative advice pertaining to spri stations were closed, and therefore couldn't fill their generators with gasoline."

Portable generators require someone present to manually start the unit. Extension cords are also necessary and someone needs to continually refuel the generator with gasoline.

The permanently installed generator system starts within 10 seconds of a power , Satellite TV outage, automatically powering critical systems in the home. , Orchid Care: How to Have Orchids in Flower By Christmas The homeowner need not be present. About the size of a typical air , How To Attract Hummingbirds conditioner, the generator system is installed outside , NURSERY ROOM DECOR the house, , Searching for the most informative advice pertaining to spri enclosed within a special housing unit to filter engine noise and provide protection from the elements.

Repp offers the following suggestions for what to consider when selecting a generator for the home:

* Identify what in the home , If you are chasing the most up-to-date advice relating to ba should be powered during an outage and the size of the house. , Choosing Conservatory Furniture This will help determine what size generator system is appropriate. The homeowner can pre-select which critical systems in the home , How to Transplant Lilacs will receive electricity , If you are chasing the most up-to-date advice relating to ba during an outage. This might include lights, , Going to the Chapel and They’re Going to Buy a Mattress refrigerator, furnace, sump pump, , How to Transplant Lilacs water , Searching for the most informative advice pertaining to spri heater, computer, and any medical equipment. Homeowners seeking this type of backup system should consider a generator in the 8.5kW to 17kW range.

* A generator should have an industrial-grade engine that will allow it to operate non-stop for extended periods of time. Most portable generators do not have powerful enough engines and will only support one or two small appliances for a short period of time.

* The system should monitor the home's incoming utility power , Measuring Space - How Much Room Do You Really Need? and come online , Going to the Chapel and They’re Going to Buy a Mattress automatically during an interruption, even if the owner is not home. , Searching for the most informative advice pertaining to spri The brain behind an automatic generator is the automatic transfer switch, which continually monitors the utility power , Prepare Your Deck this Winter and Take the Hard Work Out of for interruption. If utility power , Fake Grass fails, the transfer switch automatically starts the generator, transfers the electrical loads and restores the electricity , FAQ'S ABOUT USING STONE IN YOUR HOME to the home. , Prepare Your Deck this Winter and Take the Hard Work Out of

When the utility power , Fighting Plant Enemies resumes, the automatic transfer switch reverses the process. It returns the electrical load to the utility source, shuts down the generator and resumes monitoring.

* Consider what fuel source your generator will need. Ideally, a residential system will run on natural , Orchids Are One Of Nature's Most Beautiful Flowers gas or LP, which are inexpensive and can be conveniently piped directly to the unit. Most permanently installed generators run on the same fuel supply as the home's other gas , Tips for a successful garden appliances, eliminating the need to continually add fuel to run the generator.

* All generators require ventilation to operate properly -- they produce exhaust, which requires that they be used outdoors. , Ceiling Fan Blades Portable generators produce smoke, heat , FAQ'S ABOUT USING STONE IN YOUR HOME and noise, not to mention carbon , Orchids Are One Of Nature's Most Beautiful Flowers monoxide, and should never be used in a garage. , Decorating on a Shoestring Budget

Weber found that with his residential generator he was able to use most of his major appliances without a problem. He was even able to continue to light , A Foolproof and Painless Way to Get Yourself Out of Bed the the decorative single candles in his windows, , Ceiling Fan Blades a Williamsburg tradition. "Everyone gave me grief about that," he added.

For more information , Bonsai Plant Care about Kohler residential emergency , The Rich History of Chrysanthemums generator systems, call , Winter Gardening Fun (800) 544-2444 or visit www.KohlerPowerSystems.com/residential.

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