GENERATOR

FROM PAGE 10 phericAdministrationprojectit willbe even colderthiswinter And recenthurricanes, such astheone thatcrippled New Orleansandthe surrounding area,haveconsumers concernedabout relyingonthe grid.”

AnthonyBoucher, vicepresidentof A&J Generatorand EquipmentLLCinOxford,Connecticut,sayspurchasinga backup generatorprovidespeace ofmindthat you’llalwayshavea reserve sourceofpower.

“There are many reasonswhy people geta generator, fromthe need to run medicalequipment to worries aboutfailedsumppumps orpipes freezing,”hesays. “The whole world relies on key appliancesintheirhome,whetherit’s heat, oven, AC, orthe fridge.The generatorhasnow madeits way onto thelistofthings thatarea must forpeople’s homes.”

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With a backup generator, you can typically go oneof two routes: Choose a portableunitthat runs on gasoline,propane, orlithium-

ionbatteries,orselect a standby generator commonlypowered by natural gas.

“Portableunitsusually run between 10 and 14 kWandare very limitedonwhat theycanpower–maybethe refrigerator, some lights,and a few plug-indevices, butnot your AC systemandallof yourlights.They require lugging themoutofthe garage orbasement toget themstarted, refueling every few hours, and running extension cords into thehouse,” says Tom Wysocki,presidentof Pennsville, New Jersey-headquartered WysockiElectricInc.

Standby generators,by contrast, commonly work witha transferswitch thatmonitorsthe current comingin fromthe grid to yourhome. Whenitidentifiesthat the currentisdead, itautomatically wakes upthe generator andpowers yourentire house. If the transferswitch senses an increaseinelectric current, it shutsdownthe generator to protect yourhome from power surges.

Thenice convenience of a natural gas-powered standby unit is thatitwillfeedinto your existing natural gas lineandnot require you to manually refuelthe generator.

Alternatively, somestandby automatic generators run on propane, operating forbetween three and20daysbefore refueling isneeded – dependingonthesize of your required propanetank, according to Boucher.

“Standbysystemsare designed to be totallyautomated,perfectfor elderly residents, secondhomes, orpeoplewhotravel and want to ensure theirfamilyandhomeis alwayssecure with power,” Joe Grushkin,directorofsalesfor PalmBeach County, FloridabasedEnergizedElectric, explains.

“A whole-homestandby generatorfor a typical2,000-square-foot residenceusuallyoffers 16 to 18 kW ofpower andcanrange inprice from$8,500 to $12,000installed,” Bridgesnotes. “A portable generator willlikely costbetween$500 and$2,000, dependingonthesize andpower capacity.”

If you optfor a portable genera- tor, you caneliminate theneedfor running extension cords into your homeif you hire anelectrician to install a manualtransferswitch. This connects to a selectionof circuitsin yourhome,allowing you to manuallystart the generator andtransferthe generator’s power to yourhome’s circuits.

“When consideringwhether to choose a backup generatorora standby generator, you need to weighthebenefits versus the cost,” suggestsBridges. “Ask yourself:How often do you think you willusethe generator?Is your areaofthe country prone to hurricanes, heavyrain,orblizzards?Is having reliable power more importantif you have vulnerable individualsinthehome,such asolderor youngerpeople?Andhow long are you willing togo withoutpower?”

Whenshoppingfor a generator, lookclosely at thefeaturesincluded,lengthofthe warranty, service,andmaintenance required,andwhathappensifa warranty claim needs to bemade.

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