Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
POST HURRICANE SANDY WHAT DID WE LEARN about Generators?
FIRST I WANT TO SAY THAT MY HEART AND PRAYERS GO OUT TO EVERYONE THAT HAS EXPERIENCED ANY
LOSS DUE TO THE STORM.
Many people purchased portable generators for emergency power use in their homes.
Lets examine the pros and cons of portable generators
Pro: it is a very inexpensive way to provide back-up power.
CONS: There are many problems doing this. Some are down rite dangerous.
FIRST: These generators run on gasoline. This fuel is extremely flammable. Storing the large
amount of fuel needed to keep them running for a few days is extremely dangerous.
I had one person with ten five gallon plastic gas cans stored in an attached garage. That
is 50 gallons of gasoline.
SECOND: These generators do not have the voltage and cycle controls needed for sensitive electronics.
If you damage your refrigerator, microwave or boiler it could be a very expensive repair.
THIRD: You should not “back feed “ the house wiring with a portable generator.
A licensed electrician should do all electrical work. Just because it worked it does not mean
it was done properly and it is safe.
FOURTH: Portable generators should not be left in the rain or snow. They should be kept
at least five feet from any house. People have run them in the garage.
Some people have even run them inside their houses. The exhaust from any engine will KILL
you. Carbon monoxide is an odorless KILLER.
FIFTH: We experienced problems with obtaining enough gas to keep our cars and generators
running.
People that had permanent stand by generators installed before the storm were in a better
position than those who did not. However having an automatic generator is not a guarantee
of back-up power.
Most stand-by generators are fueled by natural gas. What we have done is use the gas utility
to back up the electric utility. You are still at the mercy of a utility company.
The demand for natural gas due to the increased use of natural gas is taxing the supply piping
system.
A slight drop in pressure due to the large demand on the gas supply has caused the engines
to stop running. We had experienced this first hand during this storm.
A permanent generator must be checked on regularly especially when it is asked to run for extended
periods of time. It’s the OWNERS responsibility to check
the fluids at least every 24 hours of operation.
To put it into terms you could understand, the engine running in your generator is like
your car doing 60 miles an hour. After 24 hours that is equal to 1,440 miles.
It would take a normal car over a month to do what your generator has done in just one
day. Now a normal oil change interval for your car is 3,000 miles. In just two days
your generator has almost reached that interval. ( 2,880 miles ) That is why some small generators
that don’t hold much oil have to be serviced every 50 hours. That is two days and 2 hours
50 hours X 60 MPH. = 3,000 miles.
You have prepared for a power failure by installing a generator.
You prepare for a storm by going to the grocery store and gassing up your car.
But nobody thinks about getting some extra oil for the engine in his or her generator.
Having extra coolant on hand or taking care of the last resort we are counting on for
our power.
Very few people even read the owners manual for their generator.
Any mechanical system can break and fail.
As an owner of a mechanical piece of equipment you have a responsibility to take care of
this emergency power supply. Due to dangerous weather conditions and impassable
roads your maintenance contractor may not be able to get to you if your generator has
a problem.
We have also experienced some generator failures during this recent storm. Most of them were
from one particular manufacture.
The generators that failed are not from the manufacture we sell. Like everything in this
world you get what you pay for. Buying the cheapest generator you can find may not be
the most economical in the long run.
The weather we are currently experiencing is becoming more violent and the storms are
more frequent. The experts are also predicting more violent
storms and coming more frequently.
So with hind site being 20/20 lets examine what we all need to do to make our lives safer
and protect our property.
You need to be prepared. Some of the things needed are:
FOOD WATER
FLASHLIGHT ENGINE OIL, SPARE PARTS AND FUEL.
if you have a generator KNOW YOUR MECHANICAL SYSTEMS
Heating, sump pumps, generator, etc. IF HIGH WINDS ARE PREDICTED
STORE OUTDOOR FURNITURE IF HEAVY RAIN IS PREDICTED
CLEAN GUTTERS AND LEADERS
With the severity of the storms, help may not be able to get to you.
You must be more self-sufficient.
If you require any other information about back-up generators please contact the office.
201-666-7680 or toll free @ 877 SPARKYS We have been generating satisfaction since
1981 Academy Electrical Contractors and Cummins
Onan. Quality equipment with a quality contractor to stand behind every machine we sell.
We install generators in the New York Metro Area and some towns like; Franklin Lakes,
Mahwah, Saddle River, Upper Saddle River, Alpine, Demarest and Tenafly, Englewood, Englewood
Cliffs, Fort Lee.
Anywhere in Bergen, Passaic and Hudson counties.