Why do People Use Electric Generators?

Keeping the lights on during a power outage isn't the only reason to own a generator. Think of the many necessities lost in an extended blackout. Refrigeration, power for cooking and heating, and for many homeowners both drinking water and flush toilets all require the steady source of electricity we take for granted. In a real emergency, a generator will not provide for all the usual needs of the average homeowner, but it could supply the most crucial needs.

Kitchen

In the kitchen, think of the electric range, the assortment of small appliances used daily and the obvious essentials such as the refrigerator and freezer. Only an expensive generator could supply the high amperage and/or 220 volt supply that some appliances need. To be a convenient backup system, a generator must be chosen to match the load. Hiring an electrician to set up an emergency outlet panel also makes good sense. In the best arrangements, all the homeowner needs to do is switch over to the backup and start the generator.

Living Area

Heat, light and entertainment take priority in other areas of the home. For those who work at home through the Internet, a generator could guarantee a continued source of income during the crisis, as well as the convenience of news and communication. Even a gas furnace will usually require electrical power to run the thermostat and air circulation--without the blower, movement of heat literally comes to a standstill. A small generator could run a single electric space heater in an emergency. Most space heaters operate with 1500 Watts, so make sure the generator supplies more than that if intended to power a backup heater. Generators are rated for initial load and for working load; when appliances start, they draw more power than when they are already running. Generators must be able to handle both levels.

Utilities

Most of us can get by on our current supply of clean clothes for a few days. Unless roads are closed, taking the dirty laundry to the laundromat would be a better choice than trying to run high-power washing machines and dryers from a generator's output. If your home's water supply is a well with an electric pump, that would be higher on the list of priorities than clean clothes. Running water, toilets that flush and a working shower all depend on keeping that well pump operating.

Basement

Basement flooding becomes a genuine threat not just in summer storms and heavy rain, but also in winter when ice downs the power lines and snow begins to melt. Running a sump pump could be a practical reason to have a generator handy. Everything in the basement is at risk, and that usually includes important systems such as central heating and cooling, water heaters and filters.

Recreation

RV owners or campers who like the atmosphere of the outdoors but want the conveniences of home could take comfort in a small portable generator powerful enough to run a television. Converters transform automotive battery power to 120 Volt AC, but a small generator built for vacationing luxuries is much more practical.

References

• Buying an Emergency Generator
• Emergency Backup Generator
• Using Emergency Generators

Resources

• Emergency Generator Lifeline